Class J&SL_Jk2J£. 

Book ,B 5 51 

Copyright^ . 

COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



THREE THOUSAND 



Practical Illustrations 



IN 



RELIGION AND MORALS 



A Classified Collection of Anecdotes, Incidents and Thought-Germs 
for Preachers, Platform Speakers, Sunday School Super- 
intendents and Teachers, Christian "Workers 
and Bible Readers 



WITH COPIOUS INDEXES: 

Homiletic, Topical, Textual, Biblical, Biographical, Junior 
Congregation and Sunday School Lesson 



GATHERED AND ARRANGED 
BY 

J. H. BOMBERGER, D. D. 
Editor of The Christian World, and formerly Professor of Practical Theology 
in Heidelberg Theological Seminary 



ISC 3 




Copyright by 
Central Publishing House 
1909 



248786 



FOREWORD, 



y j|T SEEMS superfluous to introduce a volume, the purpose and scope 
j l of which are fully set forth in its title. 

Whether it shall receive the flattery of general approval or not, 
it represents the cream of the gatherings of twenty years of reading, 
copying, clipping, filing, and, no less important, discarding. The test 
applied to each illustration in the final selection was that suggested by the 
title — Is it practical ? Can it be used ? Would you use it yourself in 
address, sermon or instruction ? There is a class of anecdotal illustra- 
tions so unreal and improbable; bearing so evidently the tool-marks of ar- 
tificiality, that, for the speaker who aims to keep in touch with actual con- 
ditions, they are mere lumber, rubbish, space-fillers. 

An honest effort has been made to exclude these; and to admit only 
possible, vital, virile illustrations. 

The homiletic arrangement, which is the result of a score of years of 
constant use of a filing cabinet, seeks to combine the omission of all super- 
fluous and unimportant sub-topics, with the admission of everything that 
the public speaker and teacher in the sphere of religion and morals, might 
be expected to look for, and might reasonably expect to find. Whether or 
not this arrangement is strictly logical, or theological, it has recommended 
itself to the author as natural, and therefore the simplest arrangement for 
facilitating reference. 

A few minutes study of the Homiletic Index will expedite all future 
reference on the part of those who use this volume. 

For specific and independent topical reference the Topical Index will 

be found full and specific. But if the first suggestion is followed, and 

those using the book will familiarize themselves with the Homiletic Index, 

in 



the other will be less needed. The main heads under which the illustra- 
tions are grouped are the following: 

1. The Bible. 

2. God. 

1. The Father. 

2. The Son. 

3. The Holy Spirit. 
3*., Sin. 

4. Salvation. 

5. Specific Duties, Privileges, Graces of the New Life. 

6. The Future Life. 

.. While some overlapping of topics is unavoidable, it is comparatively 
easy to mark off the limits of these six topics, and to know under which 
of them any sub-topic may be found. 

In many cases, as in the sections on "The Resurrection'' and "Death", 
cross references are given. 

In order to enable the eye to catch the central thought of each illustra- 
tion, it is made emphatic by the use of black-faced type. 

It is needless to apologize for preparing a book of homiletic illustra- 
tions. Like the Bible, it may of course be abused. And, like the Bible, 
again, used judiciously, it may be made to render valuable service in the 
cause for truth and right. If the psychologists are right, for the preacher, 
platform speaker and teacher an apt illustration is half the battle. 

A n apt illustration arrests attention. It is the equivalent of the "Stand 
and Deliver" of the traditional highwayman; or of the "Stop, Look, 
Listen" challenge of the railway caution board. 

An apt illustration awakens interest. It provides the magical "point of 
contact" of modern pedagogy, which terminates a mental shut-down, and 
sets the machinery awhirring; sounding forth its clamorous demand for 
the raw material of thought which it may convert into the finished pro- 
ducts of conviction and action. 

An apt illustration illumines the intelligence, and, as an electric bolt 
across a midnight sky, reveals the hitherto hidden features of the land- 
scape to the plodding, groping wayfarer. 

iYr- 



An apt illustration enslaves the memory. Because a great truth, which 
otherwise, dimly apprehended, might soon have been supplanted by some 
later thought, because this great truth linked itself to memory with the 
shackles of an unescapable illustration, that truth and that life, no man 
can put asunder ever. 

An apt illustration stimulates the imagination. The first picture truth, 
is but the initial one of a series; each succeeding picture providing mental, 
moral and spiritual stimuli to spur the life to nobler endeavors and loftier 
heights. 

An apt illustration, not dragged in by brute force, but making a 
natural and graceful entrance, stimulates interest, fastens the attention, 
illumines the dreary stretches of abstract utterance, and stamps the truth 
ineffaceably upon the memory. 

So far as it was possible to identify the original sources of these illus- 
trations, their authorship has been indicated. Where this could not be 
done they are left unsigned. The word "selected" is worse than nothing, 
and hence it and its synonyms have been omitted. To repeat, once more, 
for the sake of emphasizing that which will determine the degree to which 
this cyclopedia will be of real practical service to those who use it, study 
the homiletic index, as familiarity with it is essential to the satisfactory use 
of the illustrative material here provided. 

All the indexes will be found full and accurate. They are as follows: 

1. Homiletic Index. 

2. Topical Index. 

3. Biographical Indkx. 

4. Textual Index. 

5- Sunday School Lesson Index. 
6. Junior Congregation Index. 



V 



The Bible. 



— 1 — 



A Divinely Inspired Revelation. 



THE BIBLE. (1-96) 
A Divinely Inspired Revelation. (1-20) 

1. The President of the Institute of 
France a few years ago when presenting 
a prize of 20,000 francs to Oppert, the 
scholar, for his distinguished success as 
an interpreter of Assyrian inscriptions, 
referred to the astonishment of the wild 
Bedouins, when they saw one after an- 
other of these ancient records disin- 
terred. "Our fathers," said they, "have 
for hundreds of years pitched their 
tents in these regions, but without 
knowing that anything remarkable was 
entombed beneath; but no sooner have 
you Franks come here with your meas- 
uring rods than you have traced out the 
plans of our city, and brought to light 
magnificent temples and numerous 
treasures. Tell us, is it your Book or 
your prophet that has revealed to you 
these secrets?" "Yes," says the Presi- 
dent of the great scientific Institute of 
France, "Europeans may well reply, 'It is 
bj our Book, our prophets, that we have 
been made acquainted with these things. 
It is they who have told us of these an- 
cient cities which have been so long 
buried beneath your villages and 
mounds, and which now in turn hear 
testimony to the truth of their accounts 
and the truth of their predictions.' " 

2. The ocean can pour its salt tide in- 
to the mouth of the river because the 
river is a child of the sea, born of it and 
nourished by it. The soul of man 
comes from the ocean of God's life and 
can share the tidal movements of his 
thoughts. Inspiration depends upon the 
likeness of nature between God and 
man. The animal can not inspire the 
tree, for they live in different kingdoms; 
man can not inspire animals, because 
the quality of life is different: God can 
inspire man, because the soul of man is 
the breath of God. — Homiletic Review. 

3. Granting that Columbus was in- 
spired to see a new world beyond the 
boundless main, or that Plato was in- 
spired to write philosophy, or Apelles to 
paint pictures, or Wordsworth so simp- 
ly, and yet so subtly, to sing — granting, 
we say, that these men were so inspired 
as to discover the great harmonies and 
laws and facts of nature for the time 
veiled from other eyes; then it follows 
thai David and Paul and John nni-l 

have been >nn more specially Inspired 

to discover those great verities to be 
found In those higher realms which we 
have called, for the want of a better 
word, the supernatural. The source of 
inspiration in the one case was on a 
plane with the natural; but, In the case 
of the other. It must have been on a 



plane with the supernatural. The class 
of truth determines the quality of inspi- 
ration. The poet, painter, and the mu- 
sician may be inspired, but theirs is 
only a natural process; but wherever 
the truths communicated are above the 
reach of nature, are such as lie upon a 
plane with the supernatural, then it fol- 
lows that those through whom they 
have been communicated must have 
been supernaturally inspired. 

4. A man speaks to a phonograph 
cylinder; it receives and records the 
substance of his speech, the structure of 
his sentences, the tones of his voice; 
this record it repeats as often as called 
upon. The earth is God's great phono- 
graph cylinder. He bade it bring forth 
life, and it brings forth life. God in- 
volved life in the earth before the earth 
evolved life at his word. But he did 
not trust the earth to bring forth man. 
"Let us make man in our own image, . . . 
male and female made he them." The 
copper wire is stretched from Niagara 
Falls to Buffalo, insulated from the 
poles, united to the dynamo. It is made 
of metal taken from the earth, it em- 
bodies a current that gives energy and 
light. Its value depends upon its rela- 
tion to the dynamo. The body of man 
is molded of red earth, the soul of man 
carries divine energy and light. The 
dynamo gives us a live wire, the breath 
of God gives a living soul. The electric 
current can carry the spoken message 
across the continent, the soul of man 
can receive and carry the thoughts of 
God across the centuries. "There is 
spirit in man, and the inbreathing of 
the Almighty giveth him understand- 
ing." The possibility of inspiration 
rests upon the fact that the breath of 
God, the soul of man, can he in- 
breathed. — Dr. O. P. Gifford. 

5. Sir Isaac Newton confessed his in- 
ability to assign any reason why one 
body in our system should be qualified 
to impart light and heat to all the rest, 
except that the Author of that system 
thought it convenient. We must make 
the same humble confession in search- 
ing the Scriptures. There was an an- 
cient maxim, that the light from above 
never descends without a mantle; let no 
profane and dnring hand venture to 
tear it open. If we meet, in the words 
of Bishop Taylor, with passages 
wrapped in a cloud, or darkened with 
umbiages, or covered with allegories 
and garments of rhetoric, let us say 
with David, "Open thou mine eyes, th;it 
I may behold wondrous things out of 
thy law." — Bible Society Record. 

6. One may hold that the Scriptures 
are inspired of God upon external evi- 
dence alone, but he will hold this truth 



The Bible. 



— 2 — 



A Divinely Inspired Revelation. 



in the letter only; it will have no vital 
influence upon his life. This question 
was once put to a Christian teacher: 
"Do you hold such and such a truth?" 
"No", was the response, "it holds me." 
He knew it to be true. Well says Tho- 
luck: "Luther is just the finest example 
to prove that a simple, upright mind 
and pious heart will know how to put 
the true interpretation upon the words 
of the Saviour. He abode in the word 
and he knew the truth. It was his 
through experience." 

7. The Bible is the Father's great 
love letter written in his own hand and 
personally addressed to each one of his 
children. In it we have the thoughts 
of his mind, the desire of his soul, the 
movements of his heart, the sacrifice of 
his love. Here we see him as he is. 
Here he tells us plainly what he would 
have us through Christ to become. 
The uplook and outlook are most glori- 
ous. "Like him." More than this we 
cannot ask. "Like him." — The Presby- 
terian. 

8. The Bible as a divine revelation is 
not only perfectly natural, but it is also 
most reasonable. Think of how unrea- 
sonable it would be for any one to con- 
ceive of God as being his Father, and yet 
God never speaking to him in any clear, 
positive way. God speaks to men 
through nature and conscience. This is 
true, but how indistinct and uncertain, 
if not actually contradictory, are the 
utterances of conscience and of nature. 
Surely the child has a right to a far 
more distinct revelation than either of 
these afford. If God be our Father, if 
his great heart of infinite love be warm 
and tender toward us, we have a right 
to expect that he will tell us plainly 
what he would have us to be and to do. 
It is just this that he does in the Bible. 
Here he tells in language so simple and 
unambiguous that even a child can un- 
derstand what his heavenly Father's 
will is. 

9. We are not afraid to lay our Bibles 
in the bright light of modern investiga- 
tion, and bid it do its work. Anything 
else would evince distrust rather than 
faith. We may well pray to be deliv- 
ered from the intellectual cowardice of 
that philosopher at Florence, who could 
not be induced to look through Galileo's 
telescope, lest he should see something 
in the heavens that would disturb his 
faith in the old system. 

But along with our present-day zeal 
for the critical sifting of the canon, we 
need to foster a loving enthusiasm for 
God's Word. 

10. Burned on the public square by 
the public executioner, Christianity has 



risen phoenix-like and floated away in 
triumph, wearing the smoke of its own 
funeral pyre as a flag of victory. 
Scourged from city to city, it has gone 
through the capitals of the civilized 
world, leaving behind it a trail of light 
attesting its divine authority. Cast into 
the lepers' pest-house, it has purified 
the scales of contagion, restored the 
soft pink skin of smiling infancy, quick- 
ened the energies of romping youth, and 
recreated the sinews of heroic man- 
hood. Betrayed by a kiss, it has stood 
erect in the calm majesty of eternity, 
amid the swarming minions of its ene- 
mies. — Christian Advocate. 

11. "It is impossible to pick and 
choose in dealing with the Bible. The 
most absolute faith in it is also the most 
defensible position. 

12. Goethe said that his best thoughts 
came to him "like singing birds, the 
free children of God, saying 'Here wo 
are.' " 

13. - Prof. Geo. P. Fisher compared the 
Bible to a bundle of treasured letters 

from a father, since dead, to a son. The 
first were written when he was a lad off 
at a boarding school. The series ran 
all through his school and college life, 
up until after his graduation. The early 
ones spoke of balls, and tops, and kites, 
and boyish pastimes. Later ones took 
up more sober themes, until the last 
were written as by man to man. And 
yet the first are prized by the son 
equally with the last, and just as truly 
bear witness to a father's love. So the 
Old Testament, in its earlier books, was 
written to the race in its childhood. Re- 
membering this we shall have an ex- 
planation of some things at which we 
might otherwise stumble. Ephesians 
was written to the race in its mature 
period. 

14. "The greatest field of undiscov- 
ered knowledge is God." — Meyer. 

15. Professor Mueller, one of the 

great German scholars, who devoted 
years to the study of history, tells us 
that in later life he accidentally picked 
up a New Testament. Of course he had 
read it many times before, and, "I 
opened it", he said in substance, "with 
the greatest prejudice. I thought it 
was an out-grown book; but as I read 
on and on, it seemed to me as if scales 
were falling from my eyes, as if God 
had put a key into my hand by which 
I could open door after door that had 
always been closed to me, and I came to 
understand the history of humanity 
through Jesus Christ. There is nothing 
now I cannot explain." So lay hold on 
the Bible as the word of Christ, and all 



The Bible. 



— 3 — 



The Incomparable Book. 



things will become clear, and peace and 
salvation be yours. 

16. From early Christian times, great 
quantities of lamps, running into hun- 
dreds, have been found in the recent ex- 
cavations of ancient Gezer, and some 
of them are inscribed with such inscrip- 
tions as "The Lord is my Light." It 
would seem that from the early belief 
that the spirit required food and drink 
— and weapons, too, for they have been 
found in great numbers — gradually de- 
veloped the thought that light was more 
needed in the dark underworld, and 
this in early Christian ages led to the 
lamp, symbolizing, in the darkness of 
the tomb, him who is the "Light of the 
World." It is interesting, too, to notice 
how these customs survive in the Orient 
today, where lamps and candles are 
kept burning around the corpse among 
both Christians and Jews, and are burnt 
for many days after the burial in the 
death chambers. — Biblical "World. 

17. The proof of inspiration is found 
in the changed characters of men who 

are inbreathed of God. As the living 
seed changes the soil into plants, so the 
living seed of God's Word changes the 
characters of the men who co-operate 
with it. "We are made partakers of 
the divine nature by exceeding great and 
precious promises." A spoken word 
carries the character of the speaker; 
the man receiving the spoken word par- 
takes of the character of the speaker, 
lien who search the Scriptures and live 
what they find develop a peculiar type 
of character. God's life enters into and 
shapes our life. 

18. We find no difficulty in distin- 
guishing between the works of God and 
the works of man. God's works are ab- 
solutely perfect; man's are only rela- 
tively so. The most perfect needle may 
be perfect for the work to which it Is 
adapted, but make it a microscopic ob- 
ject, and the smooth hole appears rag- 
ged and the needle becomes a honey- 
combed poker. Take, on the contrary, 
a hair from the leg of a fly. or the dust 
from a butterfly's wing. Magnify these, 
and they are seen to be absolutely per- 
fect. 

Now, there Is no more difficulty in 
distinguishing the Word of God from the 
word of man than there is in distinguish- 
ing the work of God from the work of 
man. You need the minute examina- 
tion and the anointed eye that can per- 
ceive Its beauties which do not lie on 
the surface. In this .vay, God's Word 
contains the best evidence of it- own in- 
spiration. It could not have been 
forged or manufactured. — J. Hudson j 
Taylor. | 



19. Are we alive to the message? 
When those miners in Colorado were 
buried alive, one day a boy in a field 
thought he heard a tapping on a desert- 
ed iron tubing. He went for help, and 
men came who decided that the miners 
were alive. Quickly an electric wire 
was brought over the mountain. A bulb 
was lowered so that the miners had 
electric light. Food was sent down, and 
messages of love from the miners' fam- 
ilies. One miner knew a little of tele- 
graphy, and so at last communication 
was established. There was a sensitive 
wire, and these little signals, giving the 
news of the life of these men, who for 
days had been supposed to be dead, 
filled the whole camp with a riot of joy 
and thanksgiving. And is it nothing 
that at last some nerve in man responds 
to the signals that come from the hith- 
erto unseen and unknown God? — N. D. 
Hillis, D. D. 

20. There are four especial ways in 
which God speaks: by the voice of 
Scripture, the voice of the inward im- 
pressions of the Holy Spirit, the voice 
of our own higher judgment, and the 
voice of providential circumstances. 
When these four harmonize, it is safe to 
say that God speaks. — Hannah Whitall 
Smith. 

The Incomparable Book. (21-32) 

21. "In this little book", said Ewald 
to Dean Stanley, holding up his Greek 
Testament, "is contained all the wisdom 
of the world." 

22. "A glory gilds that sacred page, 

Majestic like the sun, 
It gives, a light to every age. 
It gives, but borrows none." 

23. The Bible is a universal book. Ti 
ranges over the world as the atmos- 
phere pours around the earth, equally 
at home in all climates and on all con- 
tinents. Few books can be carried from 
the Occident to the Orient, or from the 
Orient to the Occident, and still retain 
their interest; a change of civilization 
kills them as a change of climate is fa- 
tal to some animals. But the Bible, 
though it is an Oriental book, has yet 
soaked into the Western mind and heart 
au no other book has done. Not many 
books can withstand translation without 
some loss In clearness of thought and 
depth of feeling, but the Bible retains 
its colors fresh and vivid in any lan- 
guage, even in rude heathen tongues. 
.Many books are limited in their interest 
to a select and narrow class, but the Bi- 
ble -peaks to humanity and finds an au- 
dience in every mind and heart. n has 
equal welcome for the rich and the poor, 
picturesque stories for the little child 



The Bible. 



— 4 — 



The Incomparable Book. 



and depths beyond the profoundest 
philosopher. 

24. The very sentences of Holy Scrip- 
ture have in many instances acquired 
an independent character which has en- 
hanced their value and the power of the 
Book in which they belong, from which 
they derive their force. They have ta- 
ken hold upon human experience, and 
given expression to the highest and 
deepest thoughts of men. This has added 
to their meaning and worth. The call 
of our Lord to those who labor and are 
heavy laden; the beatitudes, which lie 
as a benediction on good men's lives; 
the evangel in the gospel, with its decla- 
ration of God's love for the world; the 
cry of the publican for mercy; the re- 
solve of the prodigal to go home; the 
question of the jailer at Philippi, and 
its answer, — these' have a being of their 
own. There is a separate personality 
in the Saviour's last prayer with his dis- 
ciples; in St. Paul's description of char- 
ity, and in his triumphant portrayal of 
the resurrection. One after another we 
find these true, and thencefortk they are 
more true than ever. 

25. The fact of the vast host of stars 
is a fact of modern discovery. Hippar- 
chus, about a century and a half before 
Christ, gave the number of stars as 
1,022, and Ptolemy in the beginning of 
the second century of the Christian era, 
could find but 1,026. We may on a 
clear night, with the unaided eye see 
only 1,160, or if we could survey the 
whole celestial sphere, about 3,000. But 
when the telescope began to be pointed 
to the heavens, less than three centuries 
ago, by Galileo, then for the first time 
men began to know that Jeremiah was 
right when he made the stars as count- 
less as the sand on the seashore. I 
seem to hear some ancient apostle of 
Deism, declaiming five hundred years 
ago, on the mistakes of Jeremiah, and 
saying "who is this who claims to be in- 
spired and talks of countless stars? 
Can he not count 3,000?" But, when 
Lord Rosse's instrument turned its 
great mirror to the sky, lo, the number 
of visible stars increases to nearly 400,- 
000,000! and Herschel compares the 
multitude of them to glittering dust 
scattered on the black back-ground of the 
heavens. Who taught Jeremiah astron- 
omy? Yet, when John Herschel, at the 
foot of the dark continent, resolves the 
nebulae into suns, and Lord Rosse as 
with the eye of a Titan, finds in the 
cloudy scarf about Orion "a gorgeous 
bed of stars," and the milky way itself, 
which floats its streaming banner across 
the vault of heavan, proves to be simply 
a grand procession of stars absolutely 
without number; how true is the excla- 



mation of Jeremiah, 600 years before 
Christ, 2,200 years before Galileo, "the 
host of heaven cannot be numbered!" — 
Dr. A. T. Pierson. 

26. The word graphe, translated 
Scripture, is used more than fifty times 
in the New Testament and always of the 
Old Testament. It is a technical word; 
it does not mean any writing, but writ- 
ing of a peculiar kind well known to the 
user and his friends. When you say 
Czar, you mean the ruler of the Rus- 
sias; Kaiser, the emperor of Germany; 
The President, the executive of the 
United States. Paul meant the Old 
Testament when he referred to the 
sacred Scripture which Timothy knew. 
We have additional writings which we 
call the New Testament. The New is 
enfolded in the Old, the Old is unfolded 
in the New. These two express the same 
life as the blossoms and fruit express 
the same life in the tree. The witness 
of Jesus is the spirit of the Old Testa- 
ment. The witness of Jesus is the spirit 
of the New. Both deal with the same 
character, and seek the same end. They 
are "like noble words to perfect music 
fitly set." The Old is like a long road 
that ends by the edge of a stream, the 
New like a bridge that spans the stream 
— you need both to complete the jour- 
ney. As the cherubim leaned toward 
each other above the law, so the Testa- 
ments lean toward each other above 
Christ. — Dr. O. P. Gifford, Homiletic 
Review. 

27. Late in life Coleridge, who had 
ranged so widely through all literature, 
withdrew from his usual studies and 
took with him on his travels only a 
small English New Testament, saying to 
his friends; "I have only one Book, and 
that is the best." — Barrows. 

28. The Bible must be a very remark- 
able book, from whatever source it has 
come. One of the princes of men, the 
most brilliant light of the fourth cen- 
tury, whose splendid character lifted 
him to the shining summit of power and 
popularity in Antioch, the "Eye of the 
Eas 1 :," and afterward made him the 
very center and focus of light and life 
in the greater capital at the golden horn 
• — a man whose eloquent oratory gave 
him the name of Chrysostom, or "the 
golden mouth," and whose yet more elo- 
quent virtues made him at once the ad- 
miration and terror of the corrupt court 
of Eudoxia — such a man, with all the 
literature of the ages laid at his feet, 
himself one of the foremost scholars of 
his day, has given to the Bible its very 
name "O Biblos," — the Book! — Dr. A. T. 
Pierson. 

29. The Jewish scribes, in transcrib- 



The Bible. 



5 — 



Its Influence on the Race. 



ing the Scriptures always washed their 
pens before writing the name of God, 
such was their reverence for the Book 
and its Author. 

30. A noted orator tells us that 
when some one asked Charles Dickens 
lor the most pathetic- story in literature, 
he answered the Prodigal Son; that 
when Mr. Gillman asked Coleridge for 
the richest passage in literature he 
pointed to the first sixteen verses in the 
fifth chapter of Matthew; and when 
another consulted Daniel Webster on 
the greatest legal digest of statute law 
on the brotherhood of man he said the 
Sermon on the Mount. 

31. At Manila, the Filipino who as- 
sisted in 1908, in translating the Taga- 
log Bible gave this testimony: "I became 
a Christian through reading the Bible. 
When I saw in St. John iv. 24 that 'God 
is a Spirit, and they that worship him 
must worship in spirit and truth,' I be- 
gan to think that worshipping God 
through idols must be wrong, and from 
this I was gradually led on to the truth. 
At first my father and brothers were 
very bitter against me; I said but little 
to them, but gave each of them a Bible 
and asked them to read for themselves; 
in time they, too, became convinced, and 
are now Christians." — Report of British 
and American Bible Society. 

32. Christianity — the religion of the 
Bible — asks no favors of the world or 
of its enemies. It came unheralded. 
It was established upon its own merits, 
and has fought its way, from age to age, 
into recognition and power, in spite of 
human opposition, ridicule, contempt 
and opprobrium. It carries with it its 
own commendation or indorsement. It 
answers a felt need in the individual 
heart and in the social organism. It 
wins the day ever presenting a record 
of noble, self-sacrificing, beneficent and 
grand achievement on the part of its 
followers, while blessing and prospering 
the communities where it gains a foot- 
hold. We have no fears for its triumph. 
It is of God, and it can not fail. It is a 
necessity to man, and he must have it. 

The Bible and Progress. Influence on 
the Race. (33-41) 

33. Wo need to remember the im- 
mense Influence it lias exerted in the 
past, and is now exerting over the lives 
of men. There are two hundred and 
fifty million copies of the Bible, in four 
hundred different tongues, circulated 
throughout the world today. Xine- 
tenths of the people of the globe have 
the Book of books in their own lan- 
guage. Says Prof. Mackenzie: "Of all 



facts upon the earth, it literally contains 
the deepest and strongest force, which 
is at work among mankind." The old- 
time Methodists were accustomed to 
show their reverence for God's Book by 
rising while the preacher read his text. 
We need a revival of a reverent appre- 
ciation of the Bible, of the power of 
God's Word to do God's work; of the 
fact that it is doing God's work. 

34. The Hebrews were a hermit na- 
tion. They lived lonely, without com- 
panion or fellow. They received from 
their neighbors, they gave to their 
neighbors, no sympathy or kinship of 
heart. They had one grand idea, that 
of God, one personal, supreme, jealous 
God; and they had from him one book, 
jealously supreme and regally authori- 
tative; one book, only one, their peculiar 
and strange book. Because they were 
a people of one God and one book we 
look back and we see them — the world 
looks up and sees them — towering high 
and isolated above the buried and sand- 
strewn ruins of the kingdoms and em- 
pires that surrounded them. — The Inde- 
pendent. ' 

35. Wherever God's law is supreme, 
life and property are safe. Wherever 
the Bible is despised or discarded, 
neither life nor property is secure. 
When infidel friends were discussing 
theories around the dining table one 
day, Voltaire said: "Hush, gentlemen, 
till the servants are gone. If they be- 
lieved as we do, none of our lives would 
be safe." The influence of the Bible in 
restraining sin and promoting righteous- 
ness is one of the evidences that it is a 
supernatural and divine revelation. 

36. The debt of literature to the Bible 

is like that of vegetation to light. No 
other volume has contributed so much 
to the great organic forms of thought. 
No other is fusing itself so widely into 
the standards of libraries. Homer and 
Plato and Aristotle were long since ab- 
sorbed in it as intellectual powers. This 
volume has never yet numbered among 
its religious believers a fourth part of the 
human race, yet it has swayed a greater 
amount of mind than any other volume 
Che world has known. It has the singu- 
lar faculty of attracting to itself the 
thinkers of the world, either as friends or 
as foes, always, everywhere. The works 
of comment upon it of themselves form 
a literature of which any nation might 
be proud. They are more voluminous 
than all that remains to us of the Greek 
and Roman literatures combined. An 
English antiquarian, who has had the 
curiosity to number the existing com- 
mentaries upon the Scriptures, or upon 
portions of them, found them to exceed 
sixty thousand. Where Is another em- 



The Bible. 



— 6 — 



Its Influence on the Individual. 



pire of mind to be found like this? — 
Prof. Austin Phelps. 

37. Always a,nd everywhere the Bible 
brings life, its principles, which are uni- 
versal, touch the spring of love and 
hope and fear. — Barrows. 

38. It is interesting to observe how 
the influence of the Bible trickles down 
into crevices in all other literature, and 

shows itself, at length, in golden veins, 
and precious gems of thought, which 
are the admiration of all observers. The 
late Professor B. B. Edwards, in illus- 
tration of this fact, notices the following 
details, viz., 'An essay has been written 
to prove how much Shakspeare is in- 
debted to the Scriptures. The Red 
Cross Knight, in the 'Faerie Queene' of 
Spenser is the Christian of the last 
chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians. 
The 'Messiah' of Pope is only a para- 
phrase of some passages in Isaiah. The 
highest strains of Cowper in the 'Task' 
are an expansion of a chapter of the 
same prophet. The 'Thanatopsis' of 
Bryant is indebted to a passage from the 
Book of Job. Lord Byron's celebrated 
poem on 'Darkness' was founded on a 
passage in Jeremiah." 

39. It is generally accepted as an 
axiom that the only justification of the 
State in undertaking popular education 
is its own preservation and upbuilding. 
It is a measure of public safety. The 
aim, so far as the State is concerned, is 
to make good citizens, and the scope of 
its effort is limited by that necessity. 
The question with which the State has 
to do is one of public morals; for it is 
upon the morality of the people that the 
progress of the nation and its civiliza- 
tion depend. The great nations of the 
past all perished, not of poverty, nor of 
lack of culture, but of immorality. 
Some of them went down at the height 
of literary, artistic, or material great- 
ness. Few will dispute the impressive 
teaching of history, as well as of philos- 
ophy, that the great duty of the State 
is the cultivation of the moral nature of 
its children. It is a question, therefore, 
which every citizen ought to weigh, 
whether a system, not of ethical max- 
ims, but of vital aggressive morality, 
can be successfully cultivated without 
the aid of the Bible. — The Advance. 

40. It has been called the "sacred 
hook of the world.". How old it is, and 
it is ever young. The churches have 
worshipped in its inspiring strains, ris- 
ing in its exultation, bowing in its con- 
fession and lament. The people have 
sung its melodies — ■ merchants, sailors, 
ploughmen; sages, soldiers, priests; 
mothers with their children, kings with 
their people. Cromwell led his men to 



victory at Dunbar with the 68th Psalm; 
Luther strengthened his heart with the 
vigour of the Psalms. Wallace had his 
psalter hung before him at his execu- 
tion, and died with his eyes fixed upon 
it. Polycarp, Hildebrand, Huss, Colum- 
bus, Xavier, Melanchthon, Jewell, gave 
their last breath to the words of a 
psalm. One psalm alone has engraved 
itself on the lives of men. The peni- 
tence of the contrite soul has loved to 
breathe out its miserere. Thomas Ar- 
nold had the 51st Psalm read to him 
when he lay dying, and John Rogers 
recited it as he went to the stake. Jere- 
my Taylor transformed it into a prayer. 
Lady Jane Grey repeated its cry for 
mercy as she ascended the scaffold, and 
Sir Thomas More as he laid his head 
upon the block. Augustine had written 
on the wall opposite the bed where he 
lay sick, "The sacrifices of God are a 
broken spirit," and Bernard passed on 
with this verse upon his lips? We draw 
these instances from other days. They 
might be found nearer to our time and 
in our time. The Hebrew parchment 
lives in the reverent sentence which 
looks down from the Royal Exchange 
in London, down on the busy streets and 
the hurrying throng of men claiming 
ownership and holding in brief posses- 
sion: 

"The earth is the Lord's, and the full- 
ness thereof." — Phelps. 

41. "No greater moral change ever 
passed over a nation than passed over 
England during the years which parted 
the middle of the reign of Elizabeth 
from the meeting of the Long Parlia- 
ment. England became the people of a 
book, and that book was the Bible." Its 
literary and social effects were great, 
"but far greater was the effect of the 
Bible on the character of the people at 
large." "One dominant influence told 
on human action." "The whole temper 
of the nation felt the change." "A new 
conception of life, a new moral and re- 
ligious pulse spread through every 
class." — J. R. Green, M. A. 

The Bible and Progress. Its Influence 
on the Individual. (42-73) 

42. A minister visited a political pris- 
oner in a Russian fortress. His kindly 
words and prayer were heard with sul- 
len contempt. The divine words, "Come 
unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy 
laden, and I will give you rest," sounded 
like mockery to the embittered prisoner. 
The aged minister went away, leaving a 
Bible in the cell, which he begged the 
prisoner to read. 

As soon as his visitor was gone the 
angry nobleman kicked the Bible into a 



The Bible. 



— 7 — 



Its Influence on the Individual. 



corner. What to him was the word of a 
God who let tyrants abuse him? 

But when the terrible loneliness of 
succeeding days had nearly crazed him 
he caught up the volume and opened 
it, and his first glance fell on the middle 
of the Fiftieth Psalm: "Call upon me in 
the day of trouble: I will deliver thee." 
The text surprised and touched him, but 
his pride resented the feeling and he 
dropped the book. 

The next day desperation drove him 
again to the only companion of his soli- 
tude, and from that time he read the 
Bible constantly. Then he began to 
study it. An unworldly joy took up the 
time he had once spent in harsh 
thoughts and words. The shadows of 
wrong and death vanished in the new 
light that shone upon him from beyond. 

The company of a hook — the one hook 
in all the world that could nave done it 
— had given the proud noble another 
heart, 

Madame Dubois, once a beloved prison 
missionary in New York, from whose 
writings this story is taken, was in Rus- 
sia when the condemned man's aunt and 
sister, with whom she was visiting, re- 
ceived a letter which was believed to be 
his last. It was the outpouring of an 
exalted soul superior to fate. 

He had undergone his trial, and un- 
able to prove his innocence had been 
sentenced to death. On the day set for 
his execution, while the ladies of his 
mansion walked in tears through the 
crape-hung parlors, suddenly the sight 
of their doomed kinsman himself as- 
tonished them at the door! 

It was an unhoped for deliverance at 
the last moment. "When the jailer's key 
unlocked the prisoner's cell, instead of 
the messenger of death, the Czar of Rus- 
sia stood before him. A conspirator's in- 
tercepted letter had placed the innocence 
of the suspected nobleman beyond ques- 
tion, and the Czar made what amends 
he could by bestowing on him a splendid 
castle and a general's commission. 

Nearly a hundred years have passed 
since then, and with them the life of the 
almost-martyred Russian; but the fruits 
of his devout fidelity and kindness 
among his fellow-men, the hospital he 
built -for the sick and friendless, — and 
the very Bible lie was shut up with in 
his own distress, — still hear witness to a 
consecration that was worth all its per- 
sonal cost. — The Youth's Companion. 

43. One day while in Tndla two young 
men said to us: "If wo study the Bible 
in this way we are afraid It will com- 
pel us to abandon our plan of entering 
government service, and to devote our- 
selves to Christian work." A Moham- 
medan student in Egypt told us that, if 



he studied the Bible in this way, he 
would have to become a Christian. In 
another college a young man said it 
would make it necessary for him to give 
up a certain bad habit. — John R. Mott. 

44. It is related that "an old peasant 
in North-West India learned by heart 
the first chapter of John's Gospel. After 
his harvest was over he would go out 
year by year into the villages around 
and repeat what he had learned. It 
is stated that in eight years he had 
brought some four hundred of his coun- 
trymen to embrace Christianity and re- 
ceive baptism." 

We know that it is written: "As the 
rain cometh down, and the snow, from 
heaven, and returneth not thither, but 
watereth the earth, and maketh it bring 
forth bud, that it may give seed to the 
sower and bread to the eater; so shall 
my word be that gocth forth out of my 
mouth; it shall not return unto me void, 
but it shall accomplish that which I 
please, and it shall prosper in the thing 
whereto I sent it." 

45. Colporteur Yaldez in Mexico some 
years ago received a letter from a 
wealthy farmer and mine owner, who 
asked him to bring a box of Bibles to 
his hacienda, explaining that he wished 
to "moralize" his workmen. Though 
not willing himself to obey the Bible, 
he knew it as the only hook sure to 
clear the moral vision of his men. At 
the other end of the world, in Japan, we 
find the same homage to God's book. 
Mr. Loomis, the American Bible Soci- 
ety's agent there, says of the Tokachi 
prison where criminals of the worst 
type are confined, "We have sold to the 
officers in charge, during the past year, 
many copies of the Scripture, for they 
find the introduction of Christianity into 
the prison a most effectual means of 
preserving discipline and beginning re- 
form." — Beside all Waters. 

46. Wllmot, the infidel, when he was 
dying, laid his trembling hand on the 
Bible, and said solemnly, "The only ob- 
jection against this Book is a bad life." 

47. Some time ago a friend was stop- 
ping with us in our home. Although 
brought up under Christian influences, 
he was inclined to be skeptical and to 
turn from God's word. Naturally we 
fell into conversation on Christian topics, 
and as we talked along, we presented 
the Scriptures in answer to his excuses 
and objections. Question after Question 
came up and was discussed, the Word 

I on our part, being used in each case. 

| At last our friend, annoyed at the defeat 
with which he was meeting, spoke up 
somewhat sharply, and said, "Oh, shut 

I up that book; every time you open 



The Bible. 



— 8 — 



Its Influence on the Individual. 



it you beat me." We may add that 
we did not shut up the book, but were 
encouraged to keep it open and to use 
it the more, in meeting the excuses and 
objections of our friend. — Sayles. 

-18. A story has recently been told of 
an English official from Peking who was 
asked by a gentleman if he had wit- 
nessed any effects of Christianity upon 
the high officials of the Chinese empire. 
In reply, the official said that he had 
once asked a high mandarin if he had 
ever read the Bible. The mandarin re- 
turned to his inner room and brought 
back a book full of extracts from the 
New Testament, saying that he had cop- 
ied from it the things which he most ad- 
mired. Then laying the book upon the 
table, he put his hand upon it and said, 
"If only the people who profess this re- 
ligion were to live in accordance with 
its precepts, this religion would spread 
all over the world." 

49. A friend some time ago told me 
how his father broke the old boulders 
on his farm in New England. He said 
his father would build a fire of hard 
wood around the great stones and keep 
it burning until he had heated them 
through and through, and then with a 
few blows from the old sledge hammer, 
they would fall to pieces. How often 
God's word, when it lodges in the heart, 
burns like a fire, and breaks the stub- 
born will in pieces. 

50. Christianity developes supreme af- 
finities for the best things; for the 
noblest culture; for the purest morals; 
for magnificent literature: for the most 
finished civilization; for the most ener- 
getic national temperament; for the 
most enterprising races; for the most 
virile and progressive minds. For all 
these it has manifested irresistible^ sym- 
pathies. — Phelps. 

51. When the Nile commences rising, 
its waters are first red and then green, 
because its great Abyssinian branch, the 
Blue Nile, flows in first; and then the 
White. A rich fertilizing mud is dis- 
charged, with which the fields are cov- 
ered to the average depth of about six 
inches thick in 100 years. The bed of the 
river rises about four feet in 1000 years. 
The extent of the fertilized land is con- 
stantly increasing; reaching out over the 
adjacent desert, — it has increased about 
one-third since 1450 B. C. The priests 
proclaimed how the flood stood on the 
Nilometer, the husbandmen made pre- 
parations for an abundant or a scanty 
harvest accordingly. — Dr. H. M. Field. 

52. Christianity became the vitalizing 
spirit of a new organization of society. 
All that we call modern civilization, in 
a sense which deserves the name, is the 



visible expression of the transforming 
power of the Gospel. — Froude. 

53. Christianity waged no war direct- 
ly against such social evils of antiquity 
as slavery, but it killed them much more 
effectively by breathing into the 'con- 
science of the world truths which made 
their continuance impossible. It girdled 
the tree and left it to die. It changed 
the climate, and this changed the vege- 
tation. — Missionary Review. 

54. "Everything shall live whither the 
river cometh." The "canals of Mars" are 
now supposed to be belts of vegetation 
induced by currents formed by the melt- 
ing of the polar snows, too narrow to be 
themselves visible, but of sufficient vol- 
ume to develop on either side stretches 
of vegetable life broad enough to come 
into telescopic view. — Parkhurst. 

55. The wonderful expansion of the 
kingdom of God under the influence of 
the Holy Spirit has always been a source 
of inspiration to those who are having 
some part in its 'growth. The following 
story of the vision of a venerable mis- 
sionary at the source of the Godavari 
River is in itself but another example of 
the working of the Spirit of God. 

"We once climbed to a mountain sum- 
mit m the Western Ghats in search of 
the source of the Godavari, one of the 
greatest rivers of India. We came at 
last to a spot where some drops were 
trickling, but so few that for two or 
three seconds we held the whole stream 
in the hollow of our hand. We then, 
with the eye, traced the descending rill 
and saw it gradually broaden. We fol- 
lowed it in thought as it flowed east- 
ward toward the Bay of Bengal, while 
'with pomps of waters unwithstood' it 
expanded until it became capable of 
fertilizing ten thousand acres that would 
have otherwise remained forever barren. 
Even so have we sought to trace from 
its almost imperceptible commencement 
the stream of modern missionary effort. 
How vast the change both at home and 
abroad! And yet all that we yet wit- 
ness is but the commencement. For the 
blessed stream rolls on and will roll on 
ever broadening and deepening as it 
flows, causing the wilderness and soli- 
tary place to be glad, and the desert to 
rejoice and blossom as the rose." — Mis- 
sionary Facts. 

56. The following well illustrates 
what is occurring in all parts of the 
land in these days. Recently a very 
aged woman, who has long been sad 
and depressed over the loss of most of 
her children, was urged to learn to read, 
that she might be cheered in her lone- 
liness by the words of the divine Com- 
forter. Consolation she had not, and 



The Bible. 



— 9 — 



her sorrows grew upon her. At last a 
primer was obtained and placed in her 
hands, and she began her long toil. The 
way was weary and difficult, for her vi- 
sion, even with the aid of her spectacles, 
was very dim. The effort was a benefit 
to the sad old woman, and so she. per- 
severed. After much hard work she 
reached that part of the primer where 
short texts of Scripture and prayer are 
found. These she read, and re-read, 
and finally learned them hy heart, and 
the comfort she needed came. After- 
wards a Testament in large print for the 
aged was purchased for her, and now 
her delight is in the law of the Lord, 
and in that law doth she meditate day 
and night. — Bible Society Record. 

57. If we read the Bible aright, we 
read a book which teaches us to go 
forth and do the work of the Lord; to 
do the work of the Lord in the world as 
we find it; to try to make things better 
in this world, even if only a little better, 
because we have lived in it. That kind 
of work can be done only by the man 
who Is neither a weakling nor a coward; 
by the man who in the fullest sense of 
the word is a true Christian, like Great 
Heart, Bunyan's hero. We plead for a 
closer and wider and deeper study of 
the Bible, so that our people may be in 
fact as well as in theory "doers of the 
word and not hearers only." — Roosevelt. 

58. A colporteur at Trebizond. Tur- 
key, has among his intimate friends a 
man who was the swaggering, untama- 
ble chief or n band of brigands until ho 
W8M persuaded to buy a Bible. The 
robber chief Is now a quiet, humble, 
honest business man. m.-nle new by the 
words which God deliberately purposed 
to make new men. One of the Bible So- 
ciety colporteurs in Korea is another 
type of this class. This man, named 
Kimbyong, a few years ago was a devil - 
worshipper, who regularly every year 
used to sacrifice a cow to evil demons. 
The New Testament fell into his hands. 
He was a hard drinker, and one, of the 
first things the Testament led him to do 
was to make a vow never to get drunk 
again. Lest he be forgetful, he tattooed 
B round black spot on each thumb, so 
that If ever, being over-persuaded, he 
should lift a glass to his mouth with 
either hand, he would see the black 
spots and remember. Those round 
black spots on his thumbs, In fact, were 
the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ in 
his body; and now as a Bible Society 
colporteur, he Is always finding In the 
Bible new reasons to tell the people for 
rejoicing In the Lord, and so is winning 
them to Christ. 

50. To decide whether Christ's Is the 
true light or not, It Is only needful to 



compare the condition of those nations 
which have accepted it with the condi- 
tion of those which have rejected it. 
Compare, for example. Christian Eng- 
land with degraded Turkey; civilized 
Europe with pagan Asia; enlightened 
America with benighted Africa; and 
then answer whether there has ever 
dawned a light among men so potent in 
its influence, so divine in its result. 

60. For twenty years the most vital 
infidelity in this land was personified in 
Theodore Parker. He brought to the 
solitary altar at which* he ministered in 
Boston a generous scholarship, a mer- 
curial genius, a versatile command of 
thought, and a fascinating style. Tak- 
ing him all in all, his was a more ear- 
nest character than that of any other 
man who has gained anything like equal 
eminence In the ranks of active hostility 
to what he called "the popular theology 
of New England." But it was not the 

I power of his infidelity: it was the power 
I of his unconscious obligations to truth. 
His vital ami vitalizing ideas were 
Christian ideas. He owed them to the 
Book which he disowned. What were 
some of these forces? In what ideas 
did they find their origin? They were 
such as these: the fatherhood of God, 
the unity of the human brotherhood be- 
fore God, the dignity of manhood, the 
intensity of life as the prelude to im- 
mortality, and, more than all else, the 
application of these ideas to social and 
national reforms. These were the for- 
ces which he wielded. Without them 
the world would not have heard of him. 
Vet these are, every one of them. Bib- 
lical forces. He owed them to the 
' Christian Scriptures; and he owed the 
susceptibility to them in the popular 
mind on which he worked so disastrous- 
ly to that interpretation of the Scrip- 
tures which has expressed itself in our 
New England theology. Thus it is with 
every development of infidelity which 
has force enough to make it respecta- 
ble. It feeds on Christianity itself, and 
grows lusty thereby. — The Christian. 

61. Every fresh reading of the Bible 
even by one who has known most of It 
c;in, by Cods blessing, brinK u fresh 
and Ill uminating view of it. suited and 
helpful to our common minds, as surely 
.is ti, such KTent iind uncommon minds 
as Horace Bushncll and Henry Druin- 
niond. Let us thank God for that. 

62. A missionary lady in Northern 
Mcso|H>tamla, in recounting some of her 
experiences on a recent tour in that 

I region, gives most delightful testimony 
to the changes effected, and still going 
on unions the women of that Beta U 

| the result of the wide dissemination of 



The Bible. 



— 10 — 



Its Influence on the Individual. 



the Bible. She speaks of finding many 
poor, hardworking village mothers who 
had surmounted the greatest obstacles 
in learning to read, that they might 
with their own eyes read the words of 
Christ their Saviour. Not only was she 
surprised to find so large a number of 
this class, but greatly encouraged by it. 
In one town, where a few years ago the 
people were ready to stone the first man 
who dared to declare himself a reader 
of the gospel, she visited a large num- 
ber of houses. Although it was the 
busiest season of the year, the women 
left their work most gladly to hear the 
words of Christ, never allowing her to 
leave them without offering a prayer in 
their behalf. — Bible Society Record. 

63. The infidel literature of our times 
owes nearly all the vitality it has to its 
pilferings of Christian nutriment. It 

lives by its unconscious suction from 
Christian fountains. "The Cotter's Sat- 
urday Night" is not more palpably in- 
debted to the Scriptures than are some 
of the finest passages in Shelley's 
"Queen Mab." The "Paradise Lost" 
and the "Pilgrim's Progress" are not 
more really the outgrowth of the old He- 
brew soul than are some of the sublim- 
est conceptions of Lord Byron's "Cain." 
No man could have written "Cain" or 
'"Queen Mab" whose genius had not 
been developed by a Christian civiliza- 
tion, and whose infidelity had not been 
fired by collision with the Epistle to 
the Romans. The power to be so blas- 
phemous grew out of Christian knowl- 
edge; and the power to express the 
blasphemy with such, lurid grandeur 
sprang from the culture which Chris- 
tianity had created. — Austin Phelps. 

64. A colporteur in Austria was offer- 
ing his books to fellow travelers at a 
railroad station, when a coarse fellow 
came to sit by him, asking him, with a 
leer, to buy some obscene books. The 
colporteur rebuked him for selling such 
stuff and changed his place to escape 
the man's insistance. Soon his tormen- 
tor followed him, but began to excuse 
himself. The colporteur opened the 
Bible and read the first Psalm aloud. 
The man asked questions about the au- 
thorship and meaning of the Psalm, 
which seemed to strike him with pecu- 
liar force. In the end he bought a Bi- 
ble and went through the train reading 
the first Psalm aloud to acquaintances 
until his interest communicated itself to 
others, and people in the train bought 
all the books the colporteur had with 
him. 

65. Come to a village where only a 
few years since the women were the 
most degraded in our field. What mean 



the songs that meet our ears? Yonder 
the women ane? girls are going out to 
gather in the harvest. Listen, and you 
will hear them singing, 

"What is it shows our feet the way 
To realms of everlasting day? 
It is the precious Bible." 

These bronzed peasant women have 
learned to read God's precious word, 
and it lightens their incessant toil. Go 
to the home of the richest man in one 
of the villages (on the great Harpoot 
plain), and there you will see his strong 
wife, the giantess of the region, tossing 
from side to side on her couch. Fever 
has crimsoned her cheek and almost 
maddened her brain. She gazes strange- 
ly on the missionary lady, glad to see 
her but feeling that she is holy and 
cannot pity a sinner like her. She asks 
her to pray, and at once is quiet. The 
missionary has taken with her from the 
city a sister, one of God's purified ones. 
Listen while she calmly leads this 
awakened sinner to the Lamb on Cal- 
vary, and you will say she has not only 
read and learned God's word, but has 
hidden it in her heart. — Bible Woman's 
Report. 

66. Father Hyacinthe, the eminent 
Catholic reformer, in an address at 
Lyons, said in reference to the triumphs 
of the Prussians, "It is because the na- 
tion is better educated, and more reli- 
gious; because every Prussian soldier 
has a Bible in his knapsack. 

67. The vigor of our spiritual life will 
be in exact proportion to the place held 
by the Bible in our life and thoughts. I 
can solemnly state this from an experi- 
ence of fifty-four years. * * * In July, 
1829, I began this plan of reading from 
the Old and New Testaments. I have 
read since then the Bible through one 
hundred times, and each time with in- 
creasing delight. When I begin it afresh 
it always seems like a new book. I 
cannot tell how great has been the bless- 
ing from consecutive, diligent, daily 
study. I look upon it as a lost day 
when I have not had a good time over 
the Word of God. — Mueller. 

68. How much would a soldier in an- 
cient armour do in battle without the 
sword? With his shield he might ward 
off the blows of the enemy, but he could 
not strike back or fight. So the Chris- 
tian may have on the whole Christian 
armour, as we have it given us, in Eph. 
6: 13-18, the breast plate of righteous- 
ness, the helmet of salvation, the feet 
shod with the preparation of the Gos- 
pel, and girt about with truth, but if we 
have not the sword of the Spirit with 
which to fight, we will not make head- 
way in the conflict. 



The Bible. 



— 11 — 



Bible Study. 



69. Two sisters, absent from each 
other for some years, met. One had 
come under the influence of the Bible 
and became a Christian. The other 
said, after a few days, "I do not know 
what is the matter with you, but you 
are a great deal easier to live with than 
you used to be." 

70. Dr. H. Loomis tells of a Japanese 
physician whom he led to Christ. He 
became a devoted churchmember. Af- 
ter some months he did not appear at 
the meetings as usual, and I called at 
his home to ascertain the cause. I 
found him very sick, and unable to go 
out. A missionary physician was sum- 
moned, who at once decided that he 
could not recover and had probably but 
a short time to live. 

He did not seem at all disturbed by 
this announcement, but was completely 
resigned to the Master's will. He en- 
joyed very much having me read an 1 
pray with him. He loved the word of 
God and seemed to meditate much upon 
its precious teachings. 

In a short time I found him quite 
weak and unable to speak aloud. By 
his side was hung a scroll with some 
heathen inscription upon it, and beneath 
it was incense burning as an offering. 

He saw that I noticed it, and beck- 
oned to his wife to come to him. Then 
he whispered to her, and she turned to 
me and said, "He desires me to say 
that the scroll and offerings were placed 
there by heathen friends, and were not 
in accordance with his wishes. He has ] 
no faith whatever in such things. He 
looks to Christ only, and his soul is ] 
resting on him. All fear has gone, and 1 
he is ready to depart when it is the 
Lord's will. Will you read and pray 
with him once more?" 

I read from the word of promise and 
commended him to the Father of Mer- 
cies. His lips were silent, but his 
beaming face showed that Christ was 
present to comfort and save. A few 
days after the spirit took its flight to the 
home of the blest. Thus, everywhere 
God's word Ls his power unto salvation. 

71. France ran the whole scale from 
atheism to ecclesiastical autocracy, and 
she was still unhappy. Finally, a man 
who has read the "Memorabilia of 
Jesus," rises and tells the French par- 
liament that "what Franee needs is 
thirty million Christians." And every- 
body in the parliament shouts, "Of 
course!" Once France is Christian she 
can be perfectly happy and prosperous, ■ 
as a monarchy like England, or a re- 
public like the United States. She can | 
be happy under any economic form, i 
apy plan of taxation, any kind of 
Church government. Why? A steam | 



engine has a safety valve that automat- 
ically corrects the pressure, and when 
France's millions are all disciples of 
Christ, each disciple will automatically 
correct the assessors' rate, will automat- 
ically return the rebate from the rail- 
road, and will automatically right every 
social and economic injustice through 
law. — Hillis. 

72. The "Aeolian harp" named for 
Aeolus, fabled among the Greeks as god 
of the winds, was supposed to be made 
by stretching cords of various lengths 
and qualities across a natural cavern, so 
that when the winds blew the great 
harp would give out its melody. So 
with our human lives, very different one 
from the other in native power and 
quality, yet each may sound forth the 
gospel message; and unison, not discord, 
is the result if it be God's Spirit blowing 
upon the strings. Parthians, Medes, 
Elamites, all speak one music when vi- 
brating with the impulse of heaven. 

73. We are but organs mute, till the 
Master touches the keys, 

Very vessels of earth, into which God 

poureth the wine, 
Harps are we, silent harps, that have 

hung on the willow trees, 
Dumb till our heartstrings swell and 

break with a pulse divine. 

Bible Study. (74-90) 

74. John Quiney Adams, President of 
the United States, noted in his journal, 
in connection with Ills custom of study- 
ing the Bible each morning, "It seems to 
me the most suitable manner of begin- 
ning the day." Lord Cairns, one of the 
busiest men in Great Britain, devoted 
the first hour and a half of every day to 
Bible study and secret prayer. We 
have all heard how Chinese Gordon, 
w hile in the Soudan, had a certain sign 
before his tent each morning which 
meant that he must be left alone. A 
friend recently saw his Bible in the 
Queen's apartments at Windsor, and told 
us that the pages of that book, which 
was his companion in the morning 
watch, were so worn that one could 
scarcely read the print. He always re- 
minds us of Sir Henry llavelock. who 
took care to be alone each morning 
to ponder some portion of the Bi- 
ble. When on the heaviest march- 
es it was determined to start at some 
earlier hour than that which he had 
fixed for his devotions, he arose 
quite in time to hold undisturbed 
his communion with God. Rnskln, in 
speaking to the students at Oxford, said, 
"Read your Bible, making it the first 
morning business of your life to under- 
stand some portion of It clearly, and your 



The Bible. — 1 2 — 

daily business to obey it in all that you 
do understand." Franeke spent the first 
hour of every day in private devotions. 
Wesley, for the last forty years of his 
life, rose every morning at four o'clock, 
and devoted from one to two hours to 
devotional Bible study and prayer. Ru- 
therford was accustomed to rise every 
morning at three o'clock, and the whole 
of the earlier hours of the day were 
spent by him in prayer and meditation 
and study. Greater than all, we have it 
on the best of evidence that Christ rose 
a great while before it was day to hold 
communion with God. What he found 
necessary or even desirable can we do 
without? Spirituality costs. Shall we 
pay what it costs? — John R. Mott. 

75. Writing of F. R. Havergal, her 
sister says, "She read her Bihle at her 
study table by seven o'clock in the sum- 
mer, and eight o'clock in winter; some- 
times, on bitterly cold mornings, I 
begged that she would read with her 
feet comfortably to the fire, and re- 
ceived the reply: 'But then, Marie, I 
can't rule my lines neatly; just see what 
a find I've got!' If only one searches, 
there are such extraordinary things in 
the Bible. "She resolutely refrained 
from late hours, and frittering talks at 
night in place of Bible searching and 
holy communings. Early rising and 
early studying were her rule through 
life." 

76. Jerome mentions a person, who 

by perpetual meditation of the Bible, 
had made his soul a library of Christ. 
The epistles of St. Paul were seldom out 
of the hands of Chrysostom. Men of 
the highest rank displayed the same 
earnest and diligent study; Constantine, 
on his golden coins, is represented in the 
attitude of prayer; the younger Theo- 
dosius could repeat any portion of the 
Scriptures. 

Jerome says that, in the little village 
of Bethlehem, the ploughman might be 
heard in the fields praising God, the 
mower cheering his labor with a hymn, 
and the vine-dresser learning a Psalm 
of David. Some of the Egyptian monks 
are said to have been able to repeat the 
Bible; and Jerome advised his sister 
Laeta to teach her daughter passages 
from Scripture, which she might recite 
daily, until she had committed a great 
part of the book to memory. — Willmott. 

77. This then is the object of the 
Bible. Its name might be Emmanuel, 
God with us, and in this object we find 
the reason why we should read and 
study it. Every book is the letter of a 
father to a child, of our Father to us, 
his children. Let us then read every 
book and every chapter of every book 



Bible Study. 



with this thought uppermost. Then 
every bit of Jiistory will tell us of our 
Father's work in the world, every poem 
will sing the song of our Father's love, 
and the story of our Elder Brother's life 
will from beginning to end impress the 
supreme truth of truths that "God so 
loved the world that he gave his only 
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth 
on him should not perish but have ever- 
lasting life." — Francis E. Clark, D. D. 

78. The first real help I ever received 
in the mastery of the English Bible was 

from a layman. He and I were fellow- 
delegates at a certain Christian conven- 
tion, and thrown together a good deal 
for several days. I saw something in 
his Christian life to which I was a com- 
parative stranger, — a peace, a rest, a 
joy, a kind of spiritual poise, I knew 
little about. One day I ventured to ask 
him how he had become possessed of 
the experience, when he replied, "By 
reading the Epistle to the Ephesians." 
I was surprised, for I had read it with- 
out such results, and therefore asked 
him to explain the manner of his read- 
ing, when he related the following. He 
had gone into the country to spend the 
Sabbath with his family on one occa- 
sion, taking with him a pocket copy of 
Ephesians. In the afternoon, going out in- 
to the woods, and lying down under a tree, 
he began to read it. He read it through 
at a single reading, and, finding his in- 
terest aroused, read it through again in 
the same way, his interest increasing, and 
again and again, — some twelve or fif- 
teen times, I think he added. "When I 
arose to go into the house," said he, 
"I was in possession of Ephesians, or, 
better yet, it was in possession of me, 
and I had been lifted up to sit together 
in heavenly places in Christ Jesus in a 
sense in which that had not been true 
of me before, and will never cease to be 
true of me again." — Jas. M. Gray, D. D. 

79. Study the Bible, and not about the 
Bible. Much that is called Bible study 
is not Bible study at all. Satan 
kept men for years from any in- 
terest in Bible study, but now that 
there is a great and growing interest in 
it he keeps them from real Bible study. 
Questions about the authorship, date, 
etc., of the \sarious books of the Bible 
are both interesting and important; but 
studying these things is not studying the 
Bible. Mr. Moody once asked a recent 
graduate of a great university why he 
did not give his life to teaching the 
English Bible. The young man replied, 
"I don't know anything about the Bi- 
ble." "Why," Mr. Moody said, "you 
have a high priced professor employed 
in your university just to teach the Eng- 
lish Bible." The young man said, "Mr. 



The Bible. 



— 13 — 



Bible Study. 



Moody, would you like to know how we 
study the Bible? We have spent the 
last six months trying to find out who 
wrote the Pentateuch, and we know less 
about it now than when we began." 
That was not Bible study. — Dr. Torrey. 

80. Let no one imagine that the Bible 
can be read lightly, carelessly, and with 
indifference. Its precious truths can 
only be discovered as we bring to it the 
concentrated endeavor of our whole 
being. When this is done, the Spirit 
will unlock the truth, and we shall find 
the Living Word who always stands be- 
hind the written word. — Campbell Mor- 
gan. 

81. Many conscientious Christians 
raise the question whether the reading 
of devotional books will not take the 
place of Bible study. We firmly believe 
that much of the lack of spiritual fibre 
among Christians today is due to a sec- 
ond-hand knowledge of the books of 
God. We would not be misunderstood, 
for we have .derived too much benefit 
from such books as The Confessions of 
St. Augustine, The Imitation of Christ 
by Thomas a Kempis, The Spiritual 
Letters of Fenelon, Baxter's Saints' 
Everlasting Rest, Jeremy Taylor's two 
spiritual classics, Law's Serious Call, 
and the more recent writings of Murray, 
Meyer, Moule, and Miss Havergal. The 
point Is, why not go to first sources? 
One, in speaking of some of these writ- 
ings, has said that in their most appeal- 
ing tones they echo the voices of the Bi- 
ble. After all, these things ought we to 
have done and not to have left the other 
undone. — John R. Mott. 

82. Bible study alone shows us the 
needs of our spiritual lives. It reveals 
to us the weak places in our armor, the 
points of least resistance in our lives. 
It shows us ourselves as we are, and 
therefore as God sees us. 

83. A lady found it very hard to learn 
verses. After much effort she learned 
this. "God will not suffer you to be 
tempted more than you are able to bear, 
but will with the temptation make a 
way of escape." Shortly after she met 
a man who was In sore trouble over his 
sinfulness. Nothing she could say 
helped him. No verse came to her, 
though she tried to assure him of God's 
love. At last he said that his tempta- 
tions were too great. The verse she had 
memorized came to her. She repeated 
It to him. He said it was not true. The 
temptation was too severe. "Have you 
asked God," she said. She showed him 
the verse. She read it with him again 
and again. It brought him confidence 
and peace. 



84. Ridley, in his pathetic farewell to 
his friends, informs us in a passage pre- 

j viously quoted, that he had learned, in 
his solitary walks in the orchard of 
I Pembroke College, nearly all the Epis- 
i ties of St. Paul, besides other passages 
j in the sacred writings. We find another 
. example in the learned and Christian 
Boyle. Bishop Burnet, who knew him 
intimately, says that he had read the 
New Testament with so much diligence, 
that whenever a particular passage hap- 
pened to be mentioned, Boyle could re- 
peat it in the original Greek. But he 
was not a cold and formal textuary; a 
servant fruitful in lip-service. He 
searched the book of life with a differ- 
ent frame of mind. "I use the Scrip- 
tures," are his words, "not as an arsenal 
to be resorted to only for arms and 
weapons, to defend this party, or to at- 
tack its enemies; but, as a matchless 
temple, where I delight to contemplate 
the beauty, the symmetry, and the mag- 
nificence of the structure; and to in- 
crease my awe, and excite my devotion 
to the Deity there preached and adored." 
Bryant confessed to Bishop Home, that 
he was tired of literal criticism, which 
was employed in removing little in- 
equalities on the surface, when he 
wished to have a shaft sunk, and to see 
the precious ore drawn from the mine. 
How applicable is the censure to a dry 
and unspiritual searching of the Scrip- 
tures; a lingering scrutiny of the sur- 
face, when the gold and pearls are bur- 
ied deep in those consecrated fields! — 
Robert Aris Wilmott. 

85. A recent writer in one of our re- 
ligious journals relates that once upon 
a time he commenced to backslide. He 
still had something of the love and fear 
of God in his heart, and desired to do 
his duty; but he felt that his spiritual 
strength was gradually slipping away. 
He no longer took delight in the service 
of God. His private devotions became 
a burden. He became depressed in 
spirit. Morbid fancies assailed his 
mind. Evil thoughts disturbed his 
peace. He became dead to his duties to 
others and thought only of self. People 
who had once spoken of him as an 
earnest Christian began to call him a 
hypocrite. Yet, in spite of all this, he 
felt the inward 7>romptings of the Holy 
Spirit, and desired to do better. One 
day while arranging his study table he 
came upon the cause of his troubles. 
His Bible was covered with du»i. Like 
a flash It came upon him that the rea- 
son of his deadness was that he had 
been depriving his soul of Its proper 
nourishment, and that his lethargy was 
the result of slow starvation. And as 

I he went back to the Bible with a new 



The Bible. 



— 14 — 



The Neglect of Bible Study. 



zest and enthusiasm, his hungry soul 
fed upon the bread of life, and he was 
soon strong again in Christian effort. — 
Dr. Banks in "The Fisherman and His 
Friends." 

86. The adaptation of the Bible to the 

wants and character of man has long 
been regarded as one of the most con- 
vincing evidences of its truth; its eye, 
like that of a portrait, is still fixed upon 
us, turn where we will. But the Scrip- 
tures, in reference to their direct in- 
fluence upon human conduct, may be 
more appropriately compared to a mir- 
ror in which our moral features are 
clearly reflected, as our natural face is 
seen in a glass. No breath of calumny 
ever clouds, no blaze of fortune ever 
illumines that portraiture. There we 
behold ourselves as we are.- — Wilmott. 

87. The French Bible of Leighton, 
now in the library of Dunblane, is filled 
with manuscript extracts from the 
Greek and Latin Fathers; and in the 
Bible which he was accustomed con- 
stantly to use, it would be difficult to 
find a single line unmarked by a stroke 
of his pencil. So anxious was he that 
the word of Christ should dwell in him 
richly, and to hide the treasure of truth 
in his heart. 

88. A Bible now hallows every cot- 
tage, and the hand, hardened with toil, 
can turn over those inspired pages. It 
has not been so always. Henry the 
Eighth, displeased by the disputes which 
had sprung out of the diffusion of the 
Scriptures, forbade humble and unlet- 
tered persons to read, or to hear them 
read. The nobility and gentry of the 
land were alone permitted to read the 
Bible in gardens, orchards, or retired 
places. — Green. 

89. We must study the Bible thor- 
oughly and hunt it through, as it were, 
for some great truth. 

If a friend were to see me searching 
about a building and were to come up 
and say, "Moody, what are you looking 
foz- — have you lost something?" and I 
answered, "No, I haven't lost anything; 
I'm not looking for anything in particu- 
lar," I fancy he would just let me go on 
by myself and think me very foolish. 
But if I were to say, "Yes, I have lost a 
dollar," why, I might expect him to help 
me to find it. 

Read the Bible as if you were looking 
for something of value. It is a good 
deal better to take a single chapter and 
spend a month on it than to read the 
Bible at random for a month. — D. L. 
Moody. 

90. We must have God's light on 
God's Word. Mr. Wilder visiting a Da- 
nish Count was shown a valuable paint- 



ing. He was not especially impressed. 
It was in a dim light. Suddenly the 
count touched a button, flooding it with 
light, and then he was fascinated by its 
beauty. 

The Neglect of Bible Study. (91-96) 

91-. In a certain city an aged Chris- 
tian was recently summoned to try 
death's solemn realities without a mo- 
ment's warning. The closing hours of 
the day had been occupied, according to 
the habit of many years, in the perusal 
of the evening paper. The price of 
stocks, the prospects of trade, the latest 
political news, possibly the corruptions 
of society, were the last things that oc- 
cupied his mind when he retired at 
night. Before the morning dawned his 
soul had passed into the immediate 
presence of the Infinite. We do not sit 
in final judgment upon such a case. 
We cannot, however, refrain from draw- 
ing a lesson for the living. Who of us 
will allow such a displacement of holy 
truth, will so yield ourselves to the 
mastery of this world, as to lose our 
love for him who alone can conduct us 
safely to eternal life? Rather when the 
toil of the day is past, and the evening 
shadows gather around us, we should 
rekindle in our hearts a love for Christ 
and the dear old Bible — the treasury of 
all knowledge, the blessed gift of God 
to weary, needy souls. 

92. To do God's work we must have 
God's power. 

To have God's power we must know 
God's will. 

To know God's will we must study 
God's Word. — Mott. 

93. A Harvard student recently 
dropped into a box they have (for ques- 
tions and answers among the students) 
the question: "Where can I find the 
story of Sisera and Jael?" He received 
a deserved reply, as follows, "In the Bi- 
ble, you heathen!" (The questions are 
written on slips of paper, and anyone 
who knows the answer, writes under it. ) 

94. Some gentleman belonging to a 
Bible society called upon an old woman 
and asked if she had a Bible. She was 
very angry at being asked such a ques- 
tion, and replied: "Do you think, gentle- 
men, that I am a heathen that you 
ask me such a question?" Then, call- 
ing to a little girl, she said: "Run 
and fetch the Bible out of the drawer 
that I may show it to the gentlemen." 
They desired that she should not take 
the trouble, but she insisted that they 
should "see she was not a heathen." 
Accordingly the Bible was brought, 
nicely covered. On opening it the old 



God. 



15 — 



Some Attributes of God. 



woman exclaimed: "Well, how glad I 
am that you have called and asked 
about the Bible; here are my spectacles, 
I have been looking for them these 
three years and did not know where to 
find them." Might she not be called a 
heathen? Certainly she was living like 
one, and this arising from criminal neg- 
lect. 

95. A story is told of a minister who 
taught an old man in his parish to read. 
He proved a proficient scholar. After 
the teaching had come to an end, the 
minister was not able to call at the cot- 
tage for some time, and when he did he 
found the wife at home. 

'How's John?" said he. 
"He's canny, sir," said the wife. 
"How does he get on with his read- 
ing?" 

"Nicely, sir." 

"Ah! I suppose he can read his Bible 
very comfortably now." 

"Bible, sir! Bless you! He was out 
of the Bible and into the newspaper 
long ago." 

There are many other persons who, 
like this old man, have long been out of 
the Bible and into the newspaper. They 
have forsaken the fountain of Living 
Waters, and have gone about muddy 
pools and stagnant morasses to seek 
something which might slake their 
thirst. — Herald and Presbyter. 

96. Amid the phenomenal multiplica- 
tion of books, which is one of the char- 
acteristics of the present day, there is 
danger that even the man of the Book 
will permit it to be crowded out by 
these. Meyer says: "It is often stated 
that many Christians rarely open the 
Bible in the morning watch; they drop 
on their knees for a few moments, be- 
fore hurrying off for the duties of the 
day, but carry no word of light or 
strength for the clay's needs. It is said 
that a large number of others are con- 
tent to catch up a book of texts, and 
rapidly scan over a few verses, which 
are forgotten almost as soon as read. 
It seems difficult to believe such state- 
ments, and it is to be hoped that they 
are greatly exaggerated. But some col- 
or of truth is given to them by the ease 
with which many amongst us are over- 
come by the insidious errors of the pres- 
ent day. Nothing would do more to re- 
but infidelity than a revival of Bible- 
love, Bible-reading, and Bible-memoriz- 
ing." 

How many Christians read the daily 
papers; read the Sunday papers; read 
the magazines; read the latest novels; 
read the discussions of the social, polit- 
ical and other problems of the times; in 
a word read almost everything but the 
Book most worth reading. 



GOD. (97-340) 
Some Attributes of God. (97-133) 

Oar God is Invisible. 

97. During the days when the Jewish 
Kingdom was rapidly nearing its end, 
says a writer in the Jewish American, 
it often happened that a Caesar did not 
deem it below his dignity to invite a 
Jewish sage either to his table or to a 
religious discussion. It was on such an 
occasion that Rabbi Joshua ben Hana- 
yah was invited to visit the Roman Em- 
peror. In the course of conversation 
the Emperor said to the rabbi: "My God, 
the one I worship, I am able to show 
you. I should also like to see thy God. 
Show him to me." The rabbi tried in 
vain to represent to the Emperor that 
he asked an impossibility; that Israel's 
God is an invisible God; yet the Empe- 
ror, who could not conceive the idea of 
an invisible God, sustained his demand 
to see the Jewish God. 

The rabbi, however, did not lose his 
composure. He told the Emperor that 
he would fulfill his wish. He asked the 
Emperor to accompany him into the 
garden. It was a hot summer's day and 
the sun shone in all its brightness. The 
rabbi conducted the Emperor to a spot 
where they could face the sun fully. 
"Now," said Rabbi Joshua to the Em- 
peror, "look straight into the sun, there 
you will see our God." T cannot," said 
the Emperor, "the sun blinds me." 
"How may you endeavor now to see 
God if thou art unable to face one of 
his servants?" replied the rabbi. 

98. A poor deaf boy had been taught 
that there is a God. One day he went 
to look lor God but could not find him. 

He told his teacher, "There is no God — 
no." The teacher took a pair of bel- 
lows, and blew a puff at the boy's hand, 
which was red with cold. This made 
him angry. The teacher, looking at the 
pipe of the bellows, said, "I see nothing 
— there is no wind — no." The boy was 
first astonished, then catching the 
thought, cried out, joyfully, "God like 
wind, God like wind." — C. Elizabeth. 

99. Our God is invisible. No eye 
hath seen him. There is a vast differ- 
ence, hence, between knowing him and 
seeing him. The Jews had clear knowl- 
edge of God, but he was always the in- 
visible One hiding now in the cloud on 
the mountain and again behind the veil 
of the tabernacle and temple. But 
there was a longing for closer acquain- 
tance, especially for a knowledge of God 
in some closer relation. That knowl- 
edge Is supplied In the person of the 



God. 



— 16 — 



Some Attributes of God. 



Redeemer. He said to Philip, "He that 
hath seen me hath seen the Father." 

100. It was the custom of Livingstone, 
as he wandered about the heart of 'Af- 
rica, to take . advantage of every oppor- 
tunity that offered itself to talk to the 
degraded human beings he met about 
heavenly things. But how could he 
gain attention to such themes, as the 
curious crowds surged about his eve- 
ning camp? On the morrow he must 
push on, and he could not bear to leave 
without trying to plant at least one seed. 
He tells us, in his simple way, that he 
had one grand resort, and if that failed 
to concentrate attention he knew noth- 
ing else would succeed. It was to tell 
them in a few clear sentences about a 
great invisible Being, who made all 
things and preserves all things; who 
lives in a great and glorious country 
far removed from this wicked world, 
but who loves even such poor black men 
as they so much that he once sent his 
only son away from that beautiful land, 
down to this wretched earth, that he 
might die to save poor mortals from 
death. Sometimes Dr. Livingstone 
found even this story to fail, but in the 
majority of cases the quiet rehearsal of 
this narrative fascinated all who heard. 
Dark savage eyes flashed' as they strug- 
gled with this new light beaming into 
their clouded souls. In some cases, 
those child-hearted people grasped the 
thought as the most wonderful they had 
ever heard of, and they would compel 
the patient missionary to tell over and 
over the fundamental facts of the gos- 
pel story. 

Our God is Omnipresent. 

101. A heathen philosopher once 
asked a Christian, "Where is God?" 
The Christian answered, "Let me first 
ask of you, Where is he not?" — Arrow- 
smith. 

102. A little boy being asked, "How 
many Gods are there?" replied, "One." 
"How do you know that?" "Because", 
said the boy, "there is only room for 
one; for he fills heaven and earth." 

Our God is Omniscient. 

103. How dreadful is the eye of God 
on him who wants to sin! Lafayette 
tells us that he was once shut up in a 
little room in a gloomy prison for a 
great while. In the door of his little cell 
was a very small hole cut. At that hole, a 
soldier was placed day and night to 
watch him. All he could see was the 
soldier's eye; but that eye was always 
there. Day and night, every moment 
when he looked up he always saw that 
eye. Oh, he said, it was dreadful! 



There was no escape, no hiding; when 
he lay down and when he rose up, that 
eye was watching him. How dreadful 
will the eye of God be upon the sinner! 

104. "The gods will see it." This was 
the reply of the Greek sculptor charged 
with the adornment of a temple, when 
his employers found fault with him for 
taking so great pains with the carving 
on the upper surface of the capitals sur- 
mounting his pillars. "Why waste your 
skill," they asked, "where no human eye 
can behold its results? Only the birds 
of the air can rest in such a place." 
But the artist cared more for the praise 
of heaven than for the plaudits of the 
crowd. — East and West. 

105. "Thon God seest me" may be 
either a dread or a blessed thought. It 
may paralyze or stimulate. It should 
be the ally of conscience and, while it 
stirs to noble deeds, should also eman- 
cipate from all slavish fear. 

106. Before men we stand as opaque 
beehives. They can see the thoughts 
go in and out of us; but what work they 
do inside of a man they can not tell. 
Before God we are as glass bee-hives, 
and all our thoughts are doing within 
us he perfectly sees and understands. — 
Beecher. 

107. "Whoever imagines that the won- 
derful order and incredible constancy 
of the heavenly bodies and their mo- 
tions, whereon the preservation and 
welfare of all things depend, is not gov- 
erned by an intelligent Being, is desti- 
tute of understanding. For shall we, 
when we see an artificial engine, a 
sphere or dial for instance, acknowl- 
edge at first sight that it is a work of 
art and understanding; and yet when 
we behold the heavens moved and 
whirled about with incredible velocity, 
constantly completing their annual revo- 
lutions, entertain any doubt that these 
are the performances, not of reason 
only, but of a certain excellent and Di- 
vine Reason?" — Cicero. 

108. God is back of all material rich- 
es of harvest and herds and flocks, for 
the merchant must place God first. God 
is back of all wisdom, and knowledge. 
Therefore the scientists do but think 
his thoughts out after him. God is 
back of all beauty in landscape and 
cloud and flower and face, therefore the 
artist must exalt him to the throne of 
supreme beauty. 

109. Dr. Beattie, of Aberdeen, in the 
corner of a little garden, wrote in the 
ground with his finger the initials of his 
son's name; then sowed garden cress in 
the furrows, covered the seed, and 
smoothed the ground. Ten days later 



God. 



— 17 — 



Some Attributes of God. 



the boy with astonishment told his fa- 
ther that his name was growing in the 
garden. "Yes." the father said, care- 
lessly, "I see it, but what is there in that 
worth notice?" Is it not mere chance?" ; 
"It can not be," the boy replied, "some- 
body must have done it." "Look at 
yourself," said the father; "notice your 
hands and fingers, your legs and feet; I 
were they made by chance?'" "No, | 
something must have made me." Then 
the father "told him the name of the 
great God who had made him and all 
the universe. 

110. Shortly after the lamented death 
of Henry Rogers, the brilliant and acute 
author of "The Eclipse of Faith," the 
following reminiscence was published: 

"Standing before the rows of amor- 
phous-looking 'flint chips' in the Brit- 
ish Museum, that are offered as evi- i 
dence ot human design nnd handiwork ! 
upon the earth indefinite ages before 
Adam, we ventured the natural query [ 
whether the private and unscientific | 
mind would be tolerated in doubting the j 
o\ (dences of design in these rough splin- : 
ters of stone. 

" 'That is just what Henry Rogers 
was saying when I saw him a week 
ago.' was the answer, 'that it seems | 
strange that these gentlemen who refuse i 
to admit the evidence of design in the 
whole material universe should be so 
outrageously indignant with any of us if 
we hesitate for a moment to admit the 
evidence of design in a flint chip." 

Our Cod is Omnipotent. 

111. Our God is omnipotent. There ', 
is an Eastern fable of a boy having 
challenged his teacher to prove the ex- | 
istencc of God by working a miracle. | 
The teacher procured a large vessel i 
filled with earth, in which he deposited I 
a kernel in the boy's presence, and bade 
him pay attention. In the place where 
the kernel was put a green shoot soon 
appeared. The shoot became a stem; 
the stem put forth leaves and branches, i 
which soon spread over the whole 
apartment. It then budded with blos- 
soms, which dropping off, left golden 
fruit in their place, and in the short 
space of an hour there appeared a no- 
ble tree in the place of the seed. The 
youth, overcome with amazement, ex- 
claimed: "Now I know there Is a God, 
for I have seen his power! ' The priest 
smiled at him, and said, "Simple child! 
do you only now believe? Does not 
what you have just seen take place in 
Innumerable Instances, year after year, 
only by a slower process? Ts It the less 
wonderful on that account? Fie is the 
Lord and changes not, his mercy and 
power are ever the same." — The Quiver. 

2 Prac. 111. 



112. Thomas Edison says: "No one 
can study chemistry and see the won- 
derful way in which certain elements 
combine with the nicety of the most del- 
icate machine ever invented, and not 
come to the inevitable conclusion that 
there is a Big Engineer who is running 
this universe." At the great Yerkes ob- 
servatory at Lake Geneva, the operator, 
sitting quietly in his chair, touches a but- 
ton and the huge dome begins to revolve. 
Another, and the whole floor rises noise- 
lessly. Still another, and the gigantic 
tube begins slowly to turn. When the 
instrument is pointed at a star, the 
touch of another button sets clock-work 
in operation that moves the telescope in 
conformity to the apparent movement 
of the star. One man was operating 
the whole gigantic affair. It was just 
a faint picture of the "Big Engineer 
running his universe." — S. S. Times. 

113. No one thing in all nature has 
had its full meaning disclosed. God 
burns in every bush; his house is by the 
seashore: his tabernacle is in the stars; 
his temple is in the tiniest flower that 
blooms. The day is coming when the 
whole earth shall be the mountain of 
God. — Dr. Joseph Parker. 

Our God is Holy. 

114. God is so holy that it was easier 
for him to be born of an humble Jewish 
virgin: easier for him to hang Stretched 
out upon the cross of Calvary, than it 
was for him to overlook one single sin. 

115. God's justice is absolute and im- 
partial. There is no real ground for 
complaint against what he does. Short- 
sighted vision may sometimes question 
the rectitude of his procedures and the 
fairness of his operations, but when the 
fullest light is thrown upon his judg- 
ments, the purest and truest on earth 
and in heaven exclaim: "Righteous and 
true are thy ways, thou King of the 
ages." "When his programme is fully 
understood and completed no exception 
will be taken to it on the day of final 
accounts. The sufferer mny compose 
his soul in patience and await develop- 
ments. He who sits upon the throne 
can do no wrong, but nietes out all 
things with an even hand. He chastens 
not unduly. — The Presbyterian. 

Our God is Lore, 
llfi. Our God is hove. The very 
name of God is a wonderful treasure- 
house, full of most precious love- 
thoughts, when we understand its mean- 
ing and history. Whi n the old Ansrln- 
Kaxons were converted to Christianity 
they sought for some word In their own 
language which would express the char- 
acter of the divine Being as revealed to 



God. 



— 18 — 



Some Attributes of God. 



them in the Bible. They thought of 
his kindness, his mercy, his forgiveness, 
his patience, his love, and asked, "What 
name will best express these attri- 
butes?" A.nd so they called him good; 
and that is the origin of the name we 
use to-day. It is simply Good shortened 
into God. What a wondrous treasure- 
mine it is! 

117. It was a hot August afternoon, 
and the clouds had long withheld their 
shadow and their rain, and a little 
Flower lay dying. As it lay there look- 
ing piteously up into the heavens, and 
longing for refreshment, a drop fell 
down, and then another, and another, 
and another, all about it, and fed its 
roots, and the Flower, refreshed and re- 
vived and brought back to life, lifted 
up its face and said, "O Drops, I thank 
you, you have saved my life." 

And the Drops said, "Thank not us; 
the Clouds sent us." And the Flower 
lifted up its face toward the heavens 
and said, "O Cloud, in thy summer 
glory, I thank thee; thou hast saved 
my life." 

And the Cloud said, "Thank not me, 
the Sun drew me from the ocean, and 
the Wind wafted me here; thank Sun, 
thank Wind." 

And the Flower, perplexed and puz- 
zled, turned its face hither and thither, 
saying to the Sun and to the Wind, "O 
Sun, I thank thee, — thou hast brought 
me this water from the far-off ocean; 
I thank thee, O Wind, that on thy wings 
thou didst bear it here for my refresh- 
ment." 

The Sun and the Wind said, "Thank 
not us; thank God who gave the Ocean 
and the Sun and the Wind, and caused 
the Drop to fall." 

And then the Christianly instructed 
Flower lifted up its face and said, "O 
God, I thank thee Who didst make the 
Ocean, and didst give the Sun its power 
to draw the Cloud from the Ocean, and 
didst give the Winds their wings to 
bring the Clouds hither, and didst drop 
Drops from the Clouds that brought me 
back my life." 

Gcd hides himself. Let it be our joy 
to find him in the manifestations of his 
love, and make all our gratitude to na- 
ture, to nation, to father, to mother, to 
companion, to friend, thanksgiving to 
him. So may we turn, in the alchemy 
of piet^, joy to gratitude. — Abbott. 

118. I say to thee, do thou repeat 
To the first man thou mayest meet 
In field or highway, lane or street, 
That they and we and all men move 
Under a canopy of love 

As broad as the blue sky above. 

— Abp. Trench. 



119. Without God the world is simply 
a place where men sit and hear each 
other groan. 

120. Some time ago there was a young- 
girl dying, and her face was lit up with 
the coming glory for which she was 
yearning. At last she seemed to fall in- 
to a kind of stupor, and, on recovering 
from it, they noticed the tears stream- 
ing down her cheeks, and asked her if 
the darkness of the shadow of death 
was hiding from her eyes her Savior. 
"Oh, no!" she said; "but I seemed to 
have a vision of his tenderness and 
goodness, and it seemed such a terrible 
thing ever to have sinned against such 
a God." That is the thought that 
should humble us. What love we have 
sinned against, what love we are reject- 
ing at this moment! We are told of an 
English drummer boy, who, on being 
taken prisoner and told to beat a "re- 
treat", said he had never learned to 
beat that in the English army. Wheth- 
er the story is true or not, I know not; 
but this, at any rate, is true, that God's 
love knows no retreat, and that it is 
ever ready and yearning to succor us. 
Do you ask me where? "He is not far 
from any one of you." — Quintin Hogg 
in "Men." 

121. This is what God's wonderful 
love does with us. What would we 
have been but for the divine care of us? 
As the strong sunshine falling upon the 
bare, dried, briery bush, unsightly and 
apparently useless, woos out leaves 
and buds and marvelous roses, so the 
warm love of God, falling upon our 
poor, sin-hurt lives, with only death be- 
fore them, awakens in them heavenly 
yearnings and longings, and leads them 
out and glorifies them. — J. R. Miller, 
D. D. 

122. God loves the just and good, and 
approves their deeds; while at the same 
time he loves the unjust and the evil, 
but with a disapproving love based up- 
on their evil deeds. Men shall reap the 
harvests they have sown; but even the 
tares and the thistles shall be more 
rank because of the blessings of the 
sun and showers they have misused. 
There is not in time or in eternity a 
place so dark, nor a being so imbued 
with hatred, but finds his torment in- 
tensified by the knowledge that the Fa- 
ther loves him even yet. God's love -is 
not stopped by the hatred of man or 
devil; and no more must ours be. He 
bestows his choice gifts upon even the 
undeserving. But his love is not for- 
giveness or pardon. The man may shut 
his eyes against the sun, and the light 
will not open them. The clouds may 
empty their cisterns of water; but if the 



— 19 — 



Some Attributes of God. 



thirsty man will not drink he shall die. 
God's love is more boundless than the 
sky; and more unfathomable than the ' 
fathomless deep: it outreaches the lim- 
its of earth and sea. Our hope is in the 
divine forgiveness, and not love; and we 
are not to get forgiveness until we are 
in a condition to receive forgiveness. 

123. The blind man is no judge of the 
paintings of Rubens and Titian. The 
deaf man is insensible to the beauty of 
Handel's music. The Greenlander can 
have but a faint notion of the climate 
of the tropics. The Australian savage 
can form but a remote conception of a 
locomotive engine, however well you 
may describe it. There is no place in 
their minds to take in these things. They 
have no set of thoughts that can com- 
prehend them. They have no mental 
fingers that can grasp them. And just 
in the same way the best and brightest 
ideas that man can form of God, com- 
pared to the reality that we shall see 
one day, are weak and faint indeed, — 
Ryle. 

121. A simple-minded Arab chief cap- 
tured a Persian noble in the wars, who 
offeied to pay as ransom any sum his j 
captor named. The old chief thought 
it all over and then determined upon 
what to him was the fabulous sum of j 
1.000 pieces of gold. To his astonish- 
ment the amount was presently handed 
to him, and his prisoner was set free. 
Later, when the armies of Islam entered 
the magnificent cities of the Persian ! 
empire and saw heaps of gold and jew- j 
els and the rarest and richest products j 
of an oriental civilization, the shaykh 
was ridiculed by his comrades for put- j 
ting such a low figure on his recent I 
captive. Whereupon the old man hon- 
estly confessed that, at that time, he did ] 
not know there was a bigger figure than 
1,000. So it is with tlie treasure we 
lta\e in God. Our biggest figure is a 
pitiable sum, a mere drop in the ocean. 

125. The sun does not shine for a few 
trees and flowers, but for the wide 
world's joy. The lonely Pine on the 
mountn in-top waves its sombre boughs, 
and cries. "Thou art my sun." And the 
little meadow Violet lifts its cup of blue, 
and whispers with its perfumed breath, 
"Thou art my sun." So God is not for 
the favored few, but for the universe of 
life; and there is no creature so poor or 
so low that he may not look up with 
childlike confidence and say, "My Fa- 
ther, thou art mine." — Beecher. 

126. The world and too many pro- 
fessing Christians look at God and his 
work through a microscope to discover 
some defect In his plan. But like the 
astronomer who looks through a tele- 



scope at the stars and planets to dis- 
cover some new beauty, so we should 
use the most powerful telescope to dis- 
cover some new shade of glory in the 
divine love. Truly no one can behold 
the glory of God's great kingdom till 
he uses a telescope whose lenses are 
made of crystallized tear-drops wrung 
from a penitent soul. 

127. A little girl was one morning 
reading with her mother in the Xew 
Testament, and this was one of the 
verses of the chapter: "For God so loved 
the world, that he gave his only be- 
gotten Son, that whosoever believeth on 
him should not perish, but have eternal 
life." Stopping for a moment in the 
reading, the mother asked, "Don't you 
think it is very wonderful?" The child, 
looking surprised, replied in the nega- 
tive. The mother, somewhat aston- 
ished, repeated the question, to whicli 
the little daughter replied, "Why, no, 
Mama; it would be wonderful if it were 
anybody else; but it is just like God." — 
Children's Visitor. 

128. That engineer who took his 
three boys with him for a ride on the 
engine, as the train pulled out of the 
Cincinnati depot might have said to 
his neighbors, "I love my children." or 
the neighbors might have inferred his 
love from the fact of his proposing to 
give them a ride. But when he saw a 
train ahead, and knew the deadly colli- 
sion must come, when he passed the 
boys one by one to safety, while he 
stood at his post and died — he need not 
speak about , his love then. Silver 
tongues could add nothing to the decla- 
ration of that broken body. So is the 
love of Christ. God might write. "God 
is love" all over the world, might use 
every star to spell it over and over 
across the heavens, might make every 
voice in nature speak those words and 
no others, it would not be such a proof 
of it, as the bent shoulders and the 
marred face of the man of sorrows. So 
all noble elements blended and harmon- 
ized in Jesus Christ show us God's love. 

129. "No man has ever written his 
name indelibly in the history of the 
American nation who has denied Hie ex- 
igence of God or scoffed at religion." — 
Bishop Whipple. 

130. An old Scotchman who had 
heard John 3: 11 quoted, said: "Ay, that 
was love indeed; I could have given my- 
self, hut not my hoy." Oh. my heart, 
thou canst not fathom it: only receive 
it, and revel in it. and rejoice in it. God 
loves me better than I can over love 
him or anybody or anything! God loves 
me In spite of my sin. and to the con- 
fusion and exclusion from my life of all 



God. 



20 — 



sin! G/3d loves me even better than he 
loved the comfort or the fellowship or 
the life of his only-begotten Son! God 
loves me! 

131. A writer tells the story of a boy 
who at the age of eight was regarded as 
being of feeble mind, hopelessly imbe- 
cile, the result of some illness in infancy. 
The boy's father was widely known as 
an educator. Inspired by his deep love 
for his child, he took personal charge 
of his boy's training, devoting himself 
to it most assiduously. If the boy had 
been sent to ordinary schools, he would 
probably never have been anything but 
an imbecile. As it was, however, he 
became bright and talented,' passed with 
honor through one of the great univer- 
sities, and became a "man of ability and 
influence. The father's gentleness made 
him great. His genius as a teacher, in- 
spired by his strong love for his child, 
took the poor, stunted life, and by pa- 
tience developed its latent possibilities 
into beauty and strength. — J. R. Miller, 
D. D. 

132. God alone fills the deepest needs 
of mankind. Bishop Bashford, in his 
new work "God's Missionary Plan for the 
"World", relates two incidents concerning 
two Chinese which show a recognition 
of their need. A Chinese student told 
Bishop Bashford that for some time he 
had been much troubled, for he was im- 
pressed with what he had heard of 'the 
true God. He hesitated to become a 
Christian, so he said, because of his 
adopted mother whom he did not want 
to make unhappy. 

At last he said: "My heart is so heavy 
and my conviction so deep that I must 
have relief, and I will trust your state- 
ments and the promises of the Bible 
and surrender." He knelt with the 
missionary and myself and made a 
heart-broken prayer for himself, fol- 
lowed by prayers on our part, and soon 
the light came to his heart. 

The president of one of the Imperial 
Colleges said to Bishop Bashford, "Jesus 
Christ is the only hope of China." 

133. The love of God is infinite. It is 

infinite in its tenderness. Human love 
is easily wearied; the divine love is in- 
exhaustible in its patience and gentle- 
ness. Looking back over his past life, 
with all its follies, failures, and sins, 
and remembering the goodness of God 
which had never given ' him up, but 
which had brought him to honor and 
power, David gave the secret of it all in 
the words, "Thy gentleness hath made 
me great." None of us know how. much 
we owe to God's gentleness. — Westmin- 
ster Teacher. 



The Trinity. 



The Trinity. (134-138, 

134. There is but one God. Father, 
Son, and Holy Ghost are all this one liv- 
ing and true God. — A. A. Hodge. 

This truth is firmly established by 
those passages of Holy Scripture which 
on the one hand prove there is but one 
God, and. on the other prove that the 
Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, 
each is God yet is a distinct person." — 
Lord. 

Each person has his peculiar work, 
yet all work together in every stage of 
revelation." — Schaff. 

135. The word "trinity" (from the 
Latin "trinus" meaning threefold) is not 
in the Scriptures, but the truth that it 
indicates is there distinctly. The doc- 
trine is, indeed, ascertained from Scrip- 
ture; substantially all that we can know 
in these premises must be obtained 
thence. 

136. As the sun has three distinct 
properties — as the .globe, the light, and 
the heat — and though each of these 
keeps its distinct traits, there is but one 
sun; so in God there is but one God. 
As the sun shows himself by his beams, 
so God the Father shows himself by his 
Son, Jesus Christ, who is the "Word and 
eternal Wisdom. As the sun by his 
heat makes us feel his force, so God 
makes us feel his Holy Spirit, which is 
his infinite power. — Cawdray. 

137. If anything is true, it is true that 
the doctrine of the Trinity is revealed in 
the Scripture. And this doctrine of the 
Trinity — of the three substances or per- 
sons in the one divine essence — is not a 
doctrine metaphysically valueless, which 
belongs to the rubbish of dusty theolo- 
gies, but is a doctrine vital. It is a doc- 
trine necessary to my thought of God. 
God the Father is the infinite One; God 
the Son is he through whom the infinite 
One passes into objectivity; God the 
Holy Spirit is he through whom Deity 
comes into spiritual relation with my- 
self. — Hoyt. 

138. The old economy may be regard- 
ed as the dispensation of the Father. 
The thirty years of the incarnation were 
the dispensation of the Son. Then 
came the dispensation of the Spirit, in 
which we are living, the end of which 
will be "the restitution of all things." 
The secret of a fervent and successful 
Christian life is to honor the Holy 
Ghost. In him we have alwo the pres- 
ence of the Father and the Son from 
whom he proceedeth; but God as offi- 
cially present is so in the person of the 
Holy Ghost. Let us therefore honor 
him. — Burrell. 



God. 



— 21 — 



The Father. Providence. 



The Father. Providence. (139—197) 

139. Our own experience, and the 
combined experiences which make his- 
tory, are giving original illustrations of 
the Biblical fact of a divine Providence. 
Today the lily wears the beauty with 
which God has clothed it, and the spar- 
row rests in a security of his watchful 
care. We have found that the winds 
and waves do obey his will. If the mir- 
acle is over, the work remains. We 
cannot read history and see through the 
words without coming upon design and 
finding the will of One who rules above 
men and nations and events. What 
good men are working for, and devout 
men are praying for, and the church is 
waiting for, is becoming true — the peti- 
tion of our childish lips, "Thy kingdom 
come, thy will be done." 

140. There are two ways of writing 
history. The one is atheistic, ignores 
God's connection with all human events. 
In the rise and fall of empires, the 
growth or decay of nations, such writ- 
ers hear no divine voice, acknowledge 
no force they cannot see. They assume 
that the darkest problems in human 
history are to be solved by isothermal 
lines and the globes. Soil, climate, to- 
pography, physical conditions and cir- 
cumstances are potential, but God has 
nothing to do with the development of 
any people, no part in the history of any 
nation. 

Now it would be unwise to forget that 
natural laws and physical conditions 
play an important part in shaping the 
destiny of men and nations. But there 
an- events for which these afford no ex- 
planation. But for the Nile, whose an- 
nual overflow clothes with fruitful har- 
vests a valley 600 miles long, the Egypt 
of history would have been impossible. 
And the Xile still flows, and the deposit 
her floods bring is as rich as \yhen hun- 
dred-gated Thebes stood in her gran- 
deur. But Egypt is but a vast sepulchre 
of departed greatness. 

The Tiber still flows through Rome, 
and the climate is as glowing as when 
it ]ii •odtic-d ;i ( 'incinnatus or a Caesar; 
but the Italian of today has none of the 
iron of the old Roman in his blood. 
Nations wax or wane In obedience to 
subtler forces, less material laws than 
those of soil and atmosphere. A true 
philosophy of history cannot be con- 
structed on such materialistic lines. We 
believe that there is a divine hand shap- 
ing human .history. So finer, no truer 
definition of history has ever been made 
th;m this: "History is the prophetical 
interpreter of that most sacred epic, of 

which God Is the poet, and bumanltj 



the theme". I know of no century 
which shows more distinctly the hand 
of Divine Providence, in planting* and 
building a nation, than that over which 
we cast our eyes to-day as citizens of 
this great republic. That hand may be 
I seen in the beginning of our history. 

111. Livingstone's deatli prompted the 
establishment of Free Town, the freed 
slave settlement near Mombassa. Sal- 
ter Price the very next year — 1874 — 
bought a tract close to the grave of 
Rosina Krapf, dug thirty-one years be- 
fore, — the first Christian grave in East 
[ Africa. Her husband's prophecy was 
I coming true: "The victories of the 
1 Church are won by stepping over the 
i graves of her members; though many 
j missionaries may fall in the fight, yet 
the survivors will pass over the slain in 
the trenches and take this great African 
fortress for the Lord." Wonderful 
Transformation! The Mombassa Free 
; Territory was bought by Britain to fur- 
nish a refuge, within which any slave 
who stepped became a free man. Bishop 
Patteson's death in 1871, in Malanesia, 
j was due to the kidnapping carried on 
| by Europeans in the South Seas, which 
] disposed the islanders to avenge their 
wrongs on the white man; and this 
started anew the movement against the 
slaves and led to the measures which, 
in 1873, brought about the treaty with 
the Sultan of Zanzibar which closed the 
slave market there — and the very 
ground it stood on, bought for the Uni- 
versities' Mission, holds the Zanzibar 
Cathedral, the communion table stand- 
ing on the very site of the old whipping- 
post! — Missionary Comments. 

142. We can succeed only when we 
i work in harmony with God's providen- 
ces. Go on the bosom of that stream. 
, It is easy to float down with the current, 
which God has made to flow from the 
' mountain-top to the great ocean-bed; 
I but let us reverse our course, and stem 
' the current; then only shall we know 
| its strength. The strongest arm is 
powt rless before it. : 1 1 i « 1 the utmost ef- 
fort impotent. So with us — we shall 
succeed if we work in harmony with 
God's plans; if we work in opposition, 
we shall be vainly striving against the 
current. — Bishop Simpson. 

148. God's operation's In Providence 
arc as varied and strange as the hus- 
bandman's in tlie lield. What seems de- 
struction proves to be resurrection, life, 
and fruitl'ulness. Suppose we were ab- 
solutely ignorant of the law of seed- 
time and harvest, knew nothing ot 
plowing, planting, growing, reaping, 
threshing, and grinding, and we wit- 
nessed for lirst now ;i farmer at his 



God. 



22 



The Father. Providence. 



work, and followed him through all the 
stages of his labor from the preparing 
of the soil with plow and harrow to the 
threshing and grinding of the grain — ■ 
with what surprise we should regard 
his actions! Forth he goes with his 
plow; remorselessly he cuts through the 
grass-covered field, destroying its beau- 
ty and burying its growth of green. 
Then taking great quantities of grain 
with him in a bag slung from his 
shoulders he paces up and down the 
brown furrows, flinging handfuls of lit- 
tle hard brown unpromising specks on 
the ground as he goes. Then no sooner 
is the field covered again with a thick 
growth of rich ripe corn than he pro- 
ceeds to cut it all down, close to the 
very surface, with the sharp scythe.* * * 
Is it not a striking picture of the ways 
of God in dealing with men? May not 
his methods be equally strange and 
equally necessary for the world's good? 
May not seeming waste and ruin be real 
gain and blessing? May not the deep 
furrows, cut by the share, be matched 
-by the keen gashes that sorrow makes? 
May not the apparent loss of the seed, 
cast upon the earth, find its parallel in 
the seeming waste of life and love 
among men, in the desolation of the 
home, when beloved ones are taken, in 
the lives that come and pass, as we 
might think, in vain? Have not the 
cutting, threshing, and grinding of the 
grain their analog in the severe disci- 
pline, the crushing experiences, to which 
"we are subject? 

144. Man has lived with catastrophes 
through all his history, and his faith 
has survived them. No number of 
them in the future will persuade him 
that the scheme of things under which 
he finds himself is a farrago of non- 
sense. He will persist rather in be- 
lieving, with Bourget, that "this obscure 
universe has a mysterious and kindly 
signification." The people of San Fran- 
cisco, we read, reared altars in the 
midst of their ruins, and on the first 
Sunday after they had lost all joined 
their voices in the worship of God. And 
many of them, we dare say, felt his 
presence as they had never felt it be- 
fore. A "Deus absconditus", a God that 
hideth himself truly, and yet One who 
in secret marvelous ways discloses him- 
self to the human spirit. 

Christianity is, in the best sense, a 
"Religion of Calamity." Goethe called 
it the religion of sorrow. Assuredly, 
as none other, it has sounded the deeps 
of sorrow and exhibited to us their 
meaning. One who had sounded those 
deeps as few have, asks, "Is not he, who 
made misery, wiser than thou art?" 
Deepest of all interpretations of calam- 



ity is the interpretation of Christ. In 
his cross we have a religion built on 
catastrophe. It is a defiance of it and 
a victory over it. In Jesus, who, while 
• enduring there the worst that nature 
and the world could inflict, breathes 
the name of "Father", we have th<* 
clearest, divinest ray of light that, from 
the darkened heavens, has ever sho<- 
athwart the deep mystery of life. — J 
Brierly. 

145. Had the Greeks been placed in 
Scandinavia or Iceland, or even Spain, 
would not their genius have been wholly 
wasted? Had their isles and peninsulas 
been occupied by a people of Roman 
type, where wou.ld have been the deli- 
cate intellectual and artistic culture'' 
Indeed, the Greeks themselves were not 
equal m all their branches. Had the 
whole race been Dorian we should 
hardly have seen an Athens. Mot onlv 
was Greece thus rightly placed with 
reference to Africa and Asia, and pro- 
vided with a people able to profit bv 
such opportunities, it had the third co- 
operating factor of physical conforma- 
tion. It was sheltered against invasion 
far more effectually than Italy, by a" 
succession of regions enclosed by lofty 
mountains like a series of water-ti^ht 
compartments in a ship. The small 
size of its isolated territories led to the 
formation of great numbers of small 
states, none sufficiently powerful to 
crush the individuality of the others — 
-Laramie. 

146. I have in my possession a letter 
written about half a century ago from a 
New England farmhouse by a mother to 
her son. After giving some family 
news, the writer says: "We are suffer- 
ing from a severe drought, vegetation 
languishes and the crops must be cut 
off in great measure. Oh, may this 
frown of Providence humble us and 
lead us to feel our dependence upon the 
Giver of every good and perfect gift." 
this is an expression of old-fashioned 
piety. People are not given to writing 
in that way in these days. But this 
was not an affectation; it was not cant. 
It was genuine, heart-felt utterance 
that marked the habit of thought, not 
only of the writer, but of a large 'class 
of people at that period. These people 
had had Puritan bringing up. They 
perhaps did not have as broad on out- 
look on life as we, but they had at least 
as large and sure an uplook into heaven. 

147. A God-led nation never stag- 
nates, neither can a God-led nation be 
finally defeated. When England had 
shaken herself free from the yoke of 
Rome, she began to make rapid prog- 
ress; but the Pope sought once more to 



God. 



— 23 — 



The Father. Providence. 



rule her, and that mighty Armada, the ! 
pride of Spain, sailed to conquer Eng- 
land and to restore once more the 
blighting influence of Rome, but God 
defended her. — Cocker. 

118. One day in the early spring a 
Scotchman was walking along the side 
of a mountain in Skye, when he came 
to a hut in which lived an old man he 
had known a great many years. He 
saw the old man with his head bowed, 
and his bonnet in his hand. He came 
up and said to him, after a bit: "I did 
not speak to you, Sandy, because I 
thought you might be at your prayers." 

"Well, not exactly that," said the old 
man, "but I will tell you what I was i 
doing. Every morning for forty years 
I have taken off my bonnet here to the 
beauty of the world." 

Beauty wherever it is seen is a reflec- 
tion of God's face, the shining of hea- 
venly light down upon the earth. 
Wherever we come upon it, it should 
touch our hearts with a spirit of rever- 
ence. God is near: we are standing in 
the light of his countenance. 

149. A diver was once working in tha 
sea when he noticed near him an oyster 
with a bit of paper in its mouth. De- 
taching the same he began reading it 
through the goggles of his head dress. 
It was a Gospel tract, and, coming to 
him thus strangely and unexpectedly, 
so impressed his unconverted heart that 
he said, "I can hold out against God no ] 
longer." Thus in the depth of the ocean | 
this man. coming face to face with ] 
God's words, was convicted of sin. — I 
Sayle. 

150. In North Tndia a few Mohamme- 
dans were discussing the affairs of a I 
certain Christian • school. They de- 
clared, "If we had our way, we could | 
come in a body, and pull down these i 
buildings, and take them away brick by I 
brick, until not one remained." A I 
young Hindu, who had happened to I. 
hear their remarks, answered promptly: I 
"You might do that, you might tear 
them down, so that not one brick was 
left standing upon .mother; but there is 

a power behind the bricks which you 
can not destroy, however much you 
may wish to do so." He was right. Be- 
hind the timbers, or bricks, or stones of 
every Christian school and mission ami 
hospital planted in these distant lands, 
there is a power which can not be de- 
stroyed, even though the buildings | 
themselves are leveled to the ground; a ! 
power which is growing ever stronger, | 
and which some time will unite the ! 
world in love to a common God and 
Savior. 



151. John Knox, the Scocch Refor- 
mer, had many enemies, who sought to 
compass his destruction. He was in the 
habit of sitting in a particular chair in 
his own house, with his back to the win- 
dow. One evening, however, when as- 
sembling his family, he would neither 
occupy his accustomed seat nor allow 
anybody else to do so. That very eve- 
ning a bullet was sent through the win- 
dow with a design to kill him. It 
grazed the chair he usually occupied, 
and made a hole in the candlestick. 

152. Rev. John Newton was in the 
habit of regarding the hand of God in 
every tiling-, however trivial it might 
appear to others. "The way of man is 
not in himself," he would say. "I do 
not know what belongs to a single step. 
When I go to St. Mary Woolnoth, it 
seems the same whether I go down 
Lothberry, or go through the Old Jew- 
ry; but the going through one street 
and not another may produce an effect 
of lasting consequence. A man cut 
down my hammock in sport, but had he 
cut it down half an hour later I had 
not been here, as the exchange of the 
crew was then making. A man made 
a smoke on the seashore at the time a 
ship was passing, which was thereby 
brought to, and afterward brought me 
to England." — The Quiver. 

153. Livingstone planned to go to 
China, but God led him to Africa, to be 
its missionary statesman, general and 
explorer. Alexander Mackay prepared 
for work in Madagascar, but was di- 
rected to Uganda, to aid in founding 
one of the most remarkable missions in 
the world. Carey proposed to go to the 
South Sea, but was guided divinely to 
India, to give the Bible in their native 
tongue to its teeming millions. 

154. The shuttles fly back and forth 
in their grooves, light threads give place 
to dark ones, literally millions of fibers 
are ' woven into each bolt of silk, — yet 
each thread has its place in the flowered 
design, and all threads conspire towards 
unity and beauty; but hack of each 
loom stands the inventor making 
grooves and shuttles to be his natural 
laws, and through the forces of steel 
and iron and gravity, weaving millions 
of threads into the richly embroidered 
robes. And behind all the laws and 
forces of nature stands God, the divine 
Designer, working now in dark colors, 
and now in colors of glowing light; 
what design he is working out. only 
those who stand behind the veil can 
know. — Newell Dwight Hillls, D. D. 

155. God has a plan, and the details 
of that plan are not revealed, and so 
we are confounded by single items and 



God. 



— 24 — 



The Father. Providence. 



incidents. In a certain room in Paris 
the observer sees a succession of frames, 
crossed with innumerable threads of va- 
rying color and size. Nothing meets 
the eye but a blur of tints and a con- 
fusion of outlines, and as the hand of 
the hidden workman passes the shuttle 
to' and fro, the wonder grows as to what 
the result is to be. But the workman 
sees what is hidden from the observer. 
Behind the screen hangs the canvas of 
some great artist whose thought of 
beauty he is copying, and every bewil- 
dering thread, .every shade and color, 
is producing some peculiarity of the 
marvelous original, and the completed 
tapestry will be the choicest treasure of 
a king's palace. The world is God's 
thought. Every man's experience is a 
strand in the great whole; but what the 
Divine intent is no man knows. We 
have only to wait and be confident. 
God can do no wrong. The confused 
colors, the snarled outlines, that so per- 
plex us now, will by and by blend in 
harmony. — Monday Club Sermons. 

156. Law is simply God's way of do- 
ing things. Law is God's organized 
thought that thinks for him. It is not 
necessary for our Father God to stop 
and think about us all the time — though 
he does — because his laws sit up night 
and day to think for him. The laws of 
Almighty God are round about us, and 
they express his divine will. So that 
when we come to study the great laws 
of nature, we know that this is God 
speaking. — Newell Dwight Hillis, D. D. 

157. When the news was flashed back 
across the Atlantic that the first cable 
message had been sent and received, it 

was announced in a large assembly. At 
first all sprang to their feet and cheered. 
On sober second thought all were 
hushed and devoutly engaged in prayer. 
"The idea that lies back of every great 
casual event in the history of civiliza- 
tion is the idea of God." All the phe- 
nomena of life are but intimations of 
his presence. 

158. Two angels of observation hover 
over this world on poised wings. The 
angel of demand and the angel of sup- 
ply keep watch, the one over the world's 
necessities, and the other over the re- 
sources of genius and the junctures of 
auxiliary circumstances. Each keeps 
time with the other, with the fidelity of 
clockwork. — Austin Phelps. 

159. We may rest assured of this, 
that all the resources of God's infinite 
grace will be brought to bear on the 
growing of the tiniest flower in his spir- 
itual garden, as certainly as they are in 



his earthly creation. — The Christian's 
Secret of a Happy Life. 

160. Every letter and word in He- 
brew, has for its meaning a material 
object. It was never allowed to be per- 
fected. In conseqence it is easy to de- 
termine the exact meaning of Old Tes- 
tament words today. — Dr. Palmer. 

161. The Hebrew language became a 
dead language, (fossilized, petrified, 
fixed in an immovable mold) soon after 
the completion of the Old Testament; 
and the Greek the same, soon after the 
New, and the Bible records were petri- 
fied in a language of stone that can 
never be changed. — Palmer. 

162. While Judaism was preparing a 
religion for the world, Paganism was 
preparing the world for religion. 

163. By a flight of paroquets God di- 
verted Columbus to the West Indies, 
and thus preserved this land from Pa- 
pal rule. 

164. Providential design. Fish which 
exercise no care for their eggs produce 
them in enormous quantities — some- 
times millions. The stickleback, which 
constructs a nest and guards the young 
for a few days, lays only from 2 to 90 
eggs. — "Ethics", by Dewey and Tufts. 

165. Edward Everett Hale, in his 

story, "Hands Off," in his "Christmas in 
a Palace," uses this incident to show 
how fortunate it is that our short- 
sighted policy is not permitted to inter- 
fere with God's all-wise providence. 
The story represents a man in another 
stage of existence, looking down upon 
Joseph as he is in the hands of the Midi- 
anites. Being an active, ingenious 
young man, Joseph succeeded in escap- 
ing from his captors on the first night of 
his captivity, and had just reached the 
outer limits of the camp when a yellow 
dog barked, awakened his captors, and 
Joseph was returned to his captivity. 
The on-looker wanted to interfere and 
kill the dog before he had awakened 
the camp. Then Joseph would have 
reached home in safety, and great sor- 
rows have been avoided. But his guar- 
dian said, "Hands off." And to let him 
see the evil of his interference, he took 
l.im to a world where he could try the 
experiment. There he killed the dog. 
Joseph reached home in safety, his fa- 
ther rejoiced, his brothers were com- 
forted. But when the famine came, 
there had been no Joseph to lay up the 
corn. Palestine and Egypt were 
starved. Great numbers died, and the 
rest were so weakened that they were 
destroyed by the savage Hittites. Civil- 
ization was destroyed. Egypt blotted 
out. Greece and Rome remained in a 



God. 



— 25 — 



The Father. Providence. 



barbarous state. The whole history of 
the world was changed, and countless 
evils came because a man in his ignor- 
ant wisdom killed a dog and saved Jo- 
seph from present trouble to his future 
loss. — Peloubet. 

106. There is one power in the world 

and none else. When accounts are set 
right at the end, you will rind that the 
power that seems to be strong, if it 
stood against God, was weak as water, 
and has done nothing, and is nothing. — 
Reader's Commentary. 

1C7. Mr. Spurgeon once had a singu- 
lar experience. He had been out in the 
country to preach, and, when traveling 
back to London, suddenly found that he 
had lost his railway ticket. A gentle- 
man, the only other occupant of the 
compartment, noticing that he was 
fumbling about in his pocket, said, "I 
hope you have not lost anything, sir?'' 
Mr. Spurgeon thanked him, and told 
him that he had lost his ticket, and 
that by a remarkable eoincidence he 
had neither watch nor money with him. 
"But," added Mr. Spurgeon, "I am not 
at all troubled, for I have been on my 
Master's business, and I am quite sure 
all will be well. I have had so many 
interpositions of Divine Providence, in 
small matters as well as great ones, that 
I feel as if, whatever happens to me, 
I am bound to fall on my feet, like the 
man on the Manx penny." The gentle- 
man seemed interested, and said that no 
doubt all would, be right. When the 
ticket collector came to the compart- 
ment, the collector touched his hat to 
Mr. Spurgeon's companion, who simply 
said, "All right, William," whereupon 
the man again saluted and retired. Af- 
ter he had gone Mr. Spurgeon said to 
the gentleman, "It is very strange that 
the collector did not ask for my ticket." 
"So. Mr. Spurgeon," he replied, using 
his name for the first time, "it is only 
another illustration of what you told 
me about the Providence of God watch- 
ing over you, even in small matters; I 
am the general manager of the line, and 
it was no doubt divinely arranged that 
I should be your companion just when 
I could be of service to you." — The 
British Weekly. 

168. Tt is a trite observation thnt 
while men individually have to answer to 
Bod for their sins, here and in the world 
that is to come, nations are judged and 
dealt with In tliis aire. Some of us are 
old-fashioned enough to lament the 
abandonment of clays of humiliation 
and days of thanksgiving, which char- 
acterized the mere reverent ages 
which preceded our own. But wheth- 
er men acknowledge God's interven- 



tion in human affairs or no, Chris- 
tians are forced to see, by his Prov- 
idential dealings, that "verily there 
is a God that judgeth in the earth. " 
Where, some one will say, are the wars, 
and famines, and. pestilences which have 
afflicted Great Britain as judgments on 
her persistent crime in the matter of 
opium? Well, it might be answered, 
look at the Afghan War and Kyber Pass 
disaster, and later on, the Indian Mu- 
tiny, as God's rebuke of this national 
crime; or the repeated Indian famines; 
these together swallowing up as much 
revenue, perhaps, as we had unholily 
gained by our opium manufacture and 
sale. — James E. Mathieson. 

169. A colporteur sold in the market 
place of Montalborejo in Spain, a large 
copy of the Word of God. A priest, just 
leaving the adjoining church, snatched 
it from the buyer and flung it to the 
ground, exclaiming, "The books of these 
heretics shall not come into our village." 
He led on an assault, in which the col- 
1 orteur, pelted with stones, was glad to 
escape with life. Five weeks after- 
ward, he passed that same hamlet at 
evening, when he thought he would not 
be recognized. But the first man who 
met him asked if he were not the Bi- 
ble-man. Truth compelled him to say 
"I am," though not without fear. What 
was his surprise, however, to find that, 
instead of stoning him, the people were 
now all clamoring for his books! And 
mark how God has brought about this 
wondrous change. A grocer, picking up 
the Bible which the priest had thrown 
to the ground, had torn out the leaves 
and used them as wrapping-paper for 
his soap and candles and cheese. 
The Spaniards unwrapped their wares, 
and were attracted to read the words 
printed in large type upon them; 
and so the precious truths taught 
in narrative and parable found their 
way into their hearts, and they went to 
the shopkeeper to get more, and when 
the stock was exhausted prayed God to 
send back the colporteur with his Bi- 
bles. His reappearance was the signal 
for the immediate sale of all his books; 
and then they begged him to stay and 
teach them the truth which the Book 
contained. — Missionary Review. 

170. Our belief in a personal God 
and an overruling Providence justifies 
us in believing that he sent Carey to 
Tndia to give so many versions of the 
Scriptures to the people. That he sent 
that copy of the Pushtoo Bible to the 
Afghan, who kept It "from fire and from 
water" for thirty years, so that when it 
was resolved to reprint this Serampore 
Version, this copy was the only one that 



God. 



— 26 — 



The Father. Providence. 



could be found in India; who guided 
that copy of the Japanese New Testa- 
ment, floating in one of the harbors of 
that empire, into lands where it was 
greatly blessed by God; who sent 
through shipwreck and heavy loss the 
ruined merchant to Mr. Ross, of Man- 
churia, when he was at a loss to find 
any one competent to assist him to 
translate the New Testament into 
Corean. Surely the God of Israel still 
guides his people, going before them in 
a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by 
night. — Rev. Edward Storrow, Mission- 
ary Review. 

171. Voltaire was made exceedingly 
bitter against God because of the great 
earthquake at Lisbon on November 1, 
1775, in which 50,000 persons perished 
in eight minutes. He found nothing 
good in nature or in history; saw only 
malevolence, misrule and disorder in the 
whole economy of nature and the on- 
goings of Providence and, contemplat- 
ing these in utter disgust and despair, 
he wished that he had not been born. 
His famous "Crush the wretch," with 
which he was accustomed to conclude 
his letters, grew more bitter and defi- 
ant as his age advanced upon him and 
his end became most sad and deplora- 
ble. Instead of impeaching the char- 
acter of God and flying in the face of his 
providence, why will not men humble 
themselves before him and confess both 
their impotence and their ignorance in 
trying to fathom "the riches both Of the 
wisdom and knowledge of God," his un- 
searchable judgments and his inscruta- 
ble ways? — Joel Schwartz, D. D. 

172. The evidence is ample of Divine 
interposition and guidance. For in- 
stance, the chief of Fallungia, "West 
Africa, prayed for twenty years for a 
missionary, and one was found in an 
unexpected manner. 

So Barnabas Shaw was thus directed 
to his important sphere. He was not 
allowed to settle near Cape Town, so he 
resolved to seek a sphere in the interior. 
For a month he traveled on, not 
knowing whither he went; but as he 
halted, the chief of Little Namagualand, 
with four attendants, halted beside him. 
They were on their way to Cape Town 
in search of a missionary, now greatly 
desired by their tribe. They and he 
thought they saw in this unexpected 
meeting the finger of God; and Shaw's 
great success in subsequent years 
proved that they were not mistaken. 

Hundreds of missionaries, looking 
back on their past careers, have been 
conscious that they were guided to their 
scenes of labor by God, and have noted 
numerous events in their history which 



neither chance, nor coincidence, nor hu- 
man aid adequately explain. — Rev. Ed- 
ward Storrow. 

173. Dionysius of Halicarnassus said: 
"History is philosophy teaching by ex- 
ample." The Christian believer mounts 
higher and declares that history is God, 
teaching by his providence and grace. 
Nature does not bear marks of a design- 
ing mind and hand as clearly as human 
history, and pre-eminently the history 
of missionary enterprise reveals the 
plan and presence of an infinite God. 
No man with eyes open, and mind open 
to conviction, can long resist this evi- 
dence. The history of missions not only 
reveals miracles, it is itself a miracle. 
It is a demonstration and an illustration 
at the same time that, high above and 
far beyond all human actors on the 
stage, is a divine director and controller. 
He shifts the changing scenery to suit 
every new act in the drama of the ages; 
and he shifts the positions, yea, and the 
persons of the actors, too. When he 
wills, when his work demands it, and 
his time has fully come, they enter and 
take up their part; and, as surely, when 
he wills it and his time has fully come, 
they leave the stage and give place to 
others. "God buries his workmen but 
he carries on his work," is one of the 
sayings of John Wesley, carved on his 
monument in England's great Abbey. 
But it is not less true that he raises up 
a Pharaoh and Cyrus and girds those 
who have not known him, to show forth 
his power in them, and in spite of them 
carry on his eternal covenant purpose. 
— Rev. A. T. Pierson, D. D. 

174. Providence is the key to our 
national history. The British lion 
chained at the 49th parallel of north 
latitude; Mexico backed by France ren- 
dered powerless by the previous con- 
quest of her western territory; and Cali- 
fornia pouring her gold and her men 
into the Union side during the struggle 
for freedom are God's providential way 
of saying to a missionary age, "one hun- 
dred fold in this world and in the world 
to come eternal life." — Missionary Re- 
view. 

175. A company of Covenanters in 
Scotland had been pursued by their per- 
secutors, until their strength was ex- 
hausted. Reaching a little hill that 
separated them from their pursuers, 
their leader said, "Let us pray here, for 
if the Lord hear not our prayer and 
save us, we are all dead men." He 
then prayed, "Twine them about the 
hill, O Lord, and cast the lap of thy 
cloak over poor old Saunders and these 
poor things." Before he had clone 
speaking, a mist rose up about the hill 



God. 



— 27 



a ml wrapped the devoted little band 
about like the very cloak of the Lord 

he had prayed for. In vain their en- 
emies sought to find them. And while 
they were wearying themselves to find 
them, an order came, calling them away 
in an opposite direction. 

176. Providential Protection. The king 
of Abyssinia took a British subject 
named Cameron, about forty years ago, 
carried him up to the fortress of Mag- 
dala, on the heights of a rocky moun- 
tain, and put him into a dungeon, with- 
out cause assigned. It took six months 
for Great Britain to find that out. Then 
Great Britain demanded his immediate 
release. King Theodore refused the re- 
lease. 

In less than ten days after that re- 
fusal was received ten thousand British 
soldiers, including five thousand Sepoys, 
were on board ships of war, and were 
sailing down the coast. When they had 
disembarked, they were marched across 
that terrible country, a distance of seven 
hundred miles, under a burning sun, up 
the mountain, up to the very heights in 
front of the frowning dungeon; then 
gave battle, battered down the iron 
gates of the stone walls, reached down 
into the dungeon, and lifted out of it 
that one British subject, King Theodore 
killing himself with his own pistol. 

Then they carried him down the 
mountain, across the land, put him on 
board a white-winged ship and sped 
him to his home in safety. That cost 
Great Britain twenty-five million dol- 
lars, and made General Napier Lord Na- 
pier of Magdala. 

That was a great thing for a great 
country to do — a country that has an 
eye that can sec all across the ocean, 
all is. loss the land, away up to the 
mountain heights, and away down to 
the darksome dungeon, one subject of 
hers out of her thirty-eight millions of 
people, and then has an arm strong 
enough and long enough to stretch 
across the same ocean, across the same 
lands, up the same mountain heights, 
down to the same dungeon, and then 
lift him out and carry him to his own 
country and friends. In God's name, 
who would not die for a country that 
will do that? — Senator Frey. 

177. They tell the story of a wreck off 
Cape Cod where all hands were lost and 
only one body came ashore — that of a 
little child. They buried It at the head 
of the beach and somebody wrote on 
the slab "God Knows." I think he does. 
Are we not thus led out into some real- 
ization of one of the deep truths of this 
mystery of life, and led to recognize 
that no life is insignificant because all 



are a part of infinite design? No man 
is forgotten before God. You and I live 
in God's thought and we cannot sink 
below his care or drop out of his plan. 

The infinite power is behind us all, 
working through us all. It is as when 
you have stood on the seashore rocks 
watching the incoming tide. How the 
waves reached on and up as if in end- 
less aspiration and then fall back and 
the swash of the ebb seems the echo of 
baffled human endeavor. 

178. When Dr. Moffat was on his 
missionary explorations in South Africa, 
his wants were miraculously met. He 
had been a day and a night without 
food. He was greatly exhausted, and 
had no prospect of immediate relief, 
when he saw in the distance a line of 
dust coming with the fleetness of an 
ostrich. It came within two hundred 
yards of him and proved to be a spring- 
bok chased oy a wild dog. The dog 
overtook and killed his game at that 
place, and the missionary and his party 
received it with thankfulness as food 
from God. 

179. God's Guidance. — The torpedo, 
equipped with its own motors, a com- 
plete vessel in itself and steered by 
wireless telegraphy, is cast into the sea. 
All visible connection with the ship is 
severed. Its motor is started and it 
goes on its way alone. Henceforth its 
course is determined by its own motors 
and steering-apparatus. It, is free. The 
uninformed observer would say: "There 
is no connection between the ship and 
the torpedo.. I neither see nor feel any 
power passing from the ship to the tor- 
pedo. The torpedo must determine its 
own course." But on the 'ship at the 
telegraph instruments is a man who 
turns the torpedo as he wills. If the 
torpedo had intelligence it would say 
when asked why it turned this way or 
that: "Oh, I just had an impulse to set 
this or that motor at work and so turned 
to the right or left." 

As the man on the ship sends out the 
electric waves and guides the torpedo in 
its course, so God sends out his silent, 
unseen, spiritual forces which act upon 
' the secret springs of action in man's 
Innermost soul. And thus without vio- 
lence to the human will God directs and 
controls the actions of men. — Homiletic 
Review. 

180. In the Memorial Hall at Harvard 
t'niversity are some beautiful sentences 
frescoed on the walls in Latin. I'.ut as 
the workmen painted them, they could 
only put the colors and letters as they 
were told, without understanding the 
wonderful meaning wrapped up In them. 
So we often write our lives in an un- 



God. 



— 28 — 



The Father. Providence. 



known tongue; we can only do as we 
are bidden, but in God's good time there 
will be read out in some heavenly lan- 
guage a life-story we never dreamed of, 
full of glory and blessing. — The Sunday 
School Chronicle. 

181. God and Catastrophies. — The 

common interpretation of these calami- 
ties — that they are entirely indiscrimi- 
nate in their dealing with men, striking 
down with the same indifference inno- 
cent and guilty, saint and sinner — is 
equally wide of the mark. Here again 
we see how the surface view, the ap- 
peal to the physical consciousness blinds 
us to the ultimate fact. The most 
striking feature of these events is the 
entire and delicate discrimination with 
which they distribute their effects. Na- 
ture, even in her earthquake moods, 
grades her dealings with the nicest ex- 
actness. The one event may smite us 
all, but each will take it in a different 
way. And our separate way will be in 
strict accord with our entire inner state 
and training. How different the same 
pain to the weakling who howls under 
it, and to a Posidonius, who in his tor- 
ture says to Pompey, "Pain do what 
thou wilt, I shall never be drawn to say 
thou art an evil!" It is a sense of this 
which leads Plato to his great declara- 
tion in the "Republic", that "the just 
man, though stretched on the rack, 
though his eyes are dug out, will be 
happy," and to that even more wonder- 
ful word of his, in which he anticipates 
St. Paul, where, speaking again of the 
just man, he says, "Even when he is in 
poverty and sickness, or any other seem- 
ing misfortune, all things in the end 
will work together for good to him in 
life and death." The outer edge of an 
event is in fact always the least part 
of it. The essential is its relation to 
our mental and spiritual state. — J. 
Brierly. 

182. It would be fearfully easy for 
God to get nothing more out of the 
world than softlings. Just a little extra 
warmth close beside the equator — com- 
forting, agreeable warmth to the people 
accustomed to it- — robs a host of men 
completely of the zest — even of the ca- 
pacity — to accomplish effects by their 
labor. Can heaven be content with a 
lazy, dawdling world? 

Never! So God must take enough of 
the race for his purpose, and sting it 
with his harsh north winds of cold until 
it bestirs itself to escape freezing to 
death. So civilization is achieved. The 
tingling .pain of freezing limbs blesses 
men with industry — and the blessing is 
worth the pain, for the man who works 
is liker to God. 



So with a thousand comforts that God 
may even yearn to wrap consolingly 
around his creatures. If he did, he 
would lull them into lassitude — and he 
would afflict them with any hardship 
rather than bring them to that. — The 
Interior. 

183. An architect had just designed a 
large and beautiful dwelling, and he laid 
the sketch before his brother, who ad- 
mired the stately front and delicate, re- 
fined decorations. "It is fit for a prince 
to live in!" he said. "What delight it 
must be to form a conception of such a 
beautiful building, and then make it 
real!" 

The assistants were busy with draw- 
ing up the specifications for the house, 
to be given to the builders. They ap- 
pealed to him at every point. 

"Of what size shall this waste-pipe be, 
sir?" queried one. 

"What will be the dimensions of the 
pantry sink, sir?" said another. 

"Of what wood shall the dado in the 
dining-room be?" asked a third. 

An hour later, when the brothers 
were alone, John said: "Do you look 
after all the petty details of the build- 
ing? I supposed the grand plan was 
yours, hut that you personally entrusted 
the minor details to subordinates." 

"And yet the strength and beauty of 
the whole building depend on my atten- 
tion to the details," he said. "Until the 
house is finished I oversee everything. 
That which seems to us to be one of the 
most petty may be one of the most im- 
portant parts of the building." He was 
silent for a moment and then said ear- 
nestly: 

"Do you not think, that the great , 
Architect who plans a human life knows 
and cares for each incident in it, how- 
ever small? Why not carry your little 
needs as well as your great troubles to 
him? 

As he went back to his home that day, 
he had a new view of the fatherhood of 
God. — Youth's Companion. 

184. As of old, God raises up leaders 

and priests and prophets. The Christ 
finds and calls apostles. He rules ill 
men. He governs events. From a brass 
screw comes a boatload of bread for 
starving Turks and fighting Englishmen, 
and from the bread rises Robert College 
to hold up the flag of our republic above 
the Bosphorus, and bring in liberty and 
truth. An embroidered slipper, grow- 
ing under a Christian woman's hands, 
opens the sealed doors which imprison 
the Zenana women of India, and lets in 
comfort and light. Read the story of 
Christian missions to find the Bible in- 
cidents repeated in the signal working 



God. 



— 29 — 



The Father. Providence. 



of God's providence in the line of his 
own plan. 

185. It is the worldly man or woman 
who, when suffering comes, asks, Why 
has God so afflicted me? The affliction 
may have come from God, possibly in 
the necessary operation of his good laws, 
more probably by disobedience to his 
laws. In either case, the devout heart 
submits, whether to the necessity of 
God's rule, or to the penalty of the re- 
bellion, and says: "True and righteous 
are thy judgments." It is an unspeak- 
able injustice and insult to God to im- 
pute to his providence "the results of our 
own disobedience to laws which he has 
clearly imposed on the universe, and 
under which he has required us to live. 

186. Divine Providence, using many 
forces and inweaving many circumstan- 
ces, creates the epoch. The epoch calls 
for a man with certain Qualities. God 
has the man ready — Luther for Ger- 
many, John Knox for Scotland, John 
Wesley for England, William of Orange 
for Holland. Washington, Lincoln and 
Grant for America. These men were 
hinges and on them swung the gates of 
history. Not only for Israel, but for 
the whole future of the human race, we 
can now see what a pivotal period were 
those forty years of the Exodus, the 
Desert and the Promised Land. And no 
man ever moulded a great change more 
than Moses moulded this wonderful 
epoch. 

18". A young man was once employed 
as clerk in a telegraph office in a town 
in England. In some way or other God 
led him to sec that lie was a sinner and 
this caused him great distress of mind. 
The young man went to the office one 
morning greatly troubled, and praying 
"God be merciful to me a sinner," when 
the click of his machine told him a 
message was coming. He looked and 
saw that it was from Windermere up 
among the beautiful lakes. There was 
first the name and residence of the one 
to whom the dispatch was sent, and 
then followed these words from the Bi- 
ble: "Behold the Lamb of God which 
taketh away the sin of the world." 
(John 1:29.) and "In whom we have 
redemption, through his blood, the for- 
giveness of sins according to the riches 
of his grace." (Eph. 1:7.) Then fol- 
lowed the name of the person sending 
It. This was a strange message to send 
by telegraph! The explanation of it 
was this: a servant girl living in the 
town was distressed about her sins; hav- 
ing a Christian brother she wrote to 
him of her condition, asking the ques- 
tion. "What must I do to be saved?" 
The brother, being unable to write her at 



once, sent her the dispatch. The poor 
girl found her way to Jesus through the 
sweet words from her brother, and so 
did the young telegraph operator. This 
was a veritable telegram from Heaven 
to them both. God's word did the work. 

188. Standing on the top of the Che- 
viot Hills, a little son's hand closed in 

, his, a father taught the message of the 
measureless love of God. Pointing 
northward over Scotland, then south- 
ward over England, then eastward over 
the German Ocean, then westward over 
hill and dale, and then, sweeping his 
hand and his eye round the whole circ- 
ling horizon, he said, "Johnny, my boy, 
God's love is as big as all that!" "Why, 
father," the boy cheerily replied, with 
sparkling eyes "then we must be in the 
middle of it!" — Thoughts for the King's 

I Children. 

189. God rules among the nations. 
One hundred Puritans sail across the 
ocean on the "Mayflower", and in New 
England find a home where they can 
serve God according to the dictates of 

I their conscience. Persecution in Eng- 
i land being continued, men cross the At- 
' lantic to join the Pilgrim Fathers, in a 
j land where religion and liberty have 
I found a sure home. In ten years twen- 
ty thousand persecuted Englishmen find 
' a refuge in that Western land. A Prot- 
estant colony is founded by sturdy, reso- 
lute men; not only were they religious 
! men, but they were the noblest class of 
emigrants who ever left the shore of 
' any land, and in that new land God's 
i Church prospered, and to-day Protes- 
tant America is the result of men flying 
from one land too another for liberty to 
serve God. He guided the Mayflower 
across the sea. and watched over the in- 
fant colony and founded his church on 
free American soil. 

190. The Minuteness of Providence. 

A gentleman tells of an interesting visit 
to the observatory of Harvard Univer- 
sity, just after a new astronomical in- 
strument had been purchased. Ac- 
cording to astronomical calculations 

| contained in a little book ten years old, 
which calculations were based upon ob- 
servations thousands of years old, a star 
was due at 5:20 P. M. When the hour 

) drew near, the instrument was at once 
directed to the star, and prone on his 
back under the eye-piece lay the enthu- 
siastic professor. It was agreed that 
when the star which came moving along 
in the heavens crossed the spider-web 
line stretched across the lens of the in- 
strument, the professor who was watch- 
ing should pronounce the word "Here." 
It was also agreed that the assistant 

, who watched the second hand of the 



God. 



— 30 — 



The Father. Providence. 



clock should let a hammer fall on a 
marble table the instant the clock said 
it was 5:2 0. The professor was watch- 
ing the star and could not see the clock. 
Just as the clock indicated 5:20, the 
Professor said "Here", and the assistant 
tapped. So exact are the movements of 
God's universe. 

191. The point at issue at the battle 
of Taunton, between the Duke of Mon- 
mouth and James II., in 1865, was liber- 
ty of worship; although the Duke's 
small army, composed chiefly of miners 
and ploughmen, was defeated by the 
King's trained soldiers, yet a remnant 
that proved sufficient remained, and a 
faith and faithfulness remained in which 
we plainly see the meeting of God and 
man to carry out the event. And no- 
where is this more apparent than in the 
case of Lady Alice Lisle, who after this 
battle gave shelter to two of the hunted 
soldiers — a minister and a lawyer. On 
the following day her house was 
searched, and fugitives discovered, and 
Lady Lisle herself sent to prison. The 
judge who tried her was Jeffries, and he 
sentenced her to be burned. On the en- 
treaty of friends, however, this cruel sen- 
tence was not carried out, and instead 
she was ordered to be beheaded, which 
cruel and unjust penalty she calmly suf- 
fered at Winchester. And before three 
years had passed, King James himself 
was a. fugitive from his own kingdom, to 
which he never returned; while the in- 
famous Jeffries was also captured, as he 
was attempting to escape from the coun- 
try, and sent to the Tower, where he 
died four months after. 

192. It is related of Augustine that he 

was going on one occasion to preach 
at a distant town, and took a guide to 
direct him on the way. By some means 
the guide mistook his way and got into 
a by-path. It was afterward discovered 
that a party of miscreants had designed 
to waylay and murder him, and that his 
life was saved through the guide's mis- 
take. — The Quiver. 

193. Howard, the philanthropist, was 

once preserved from death by what some 
would call mere chance, but which was 
no other than a special providence. He 
always set a high value on Sabbath 
privileges, and was exact and careful in 
his attendance on the means of grace. 
That he might neither increase the la- 
bor of his servants nor prevent their 
attendance on public worship, he was ac- 
customed to walk to the chapel at Bed- 
ford where he attended. One day a 
man whom he had reproved for his idle 
and dissolute habits, resolved to way- 
lay and murder him. That morning, 
however, for some reason or other, he 



resolved to go on horseback, and by a 
different road. Thus his valuable life 
was preserved. 

191. Carlyle once told of an aged man 
whose home was on a small farm not 
far from the Solway shore. In conse- 
quent e of frequent rains and high winds, 
the harvests were often late and very 
hard to save. It would rain for days at 
a time with only an occasional day's in- 
termission. These brief dry days were 
precious and had to be made the most 
of. Everything else had to give way to 
frantic endeavors to get the crops in be- 
fore the rains began again. One morn- 
ing as this old man, a devout Christian, 
was conducting family worship, a man 
came rushing in telling him the wind 
was rising and would sweep the shocks 
into the sea if they were not rescued 
at once. "Wind", he answered, "canna 
get a straw that has been appointed 
mine. Sit down and let us worship 
God." And they quietly continued their 
service of prayer. 

195. 5000 beeves were toiling over a 
lonely trail from New Mexico to Kan- 
sas, leaving behind them a swath as 
bare as if swept by a simoon. Suddenly 
the leader, a huge steer, started back in 
terror, snorted, and moved to the right 
and passed on. Those immediately in 
his rear, turned to the right or left, and 
their example was followed by the oth- 
ers. When the herd had passed there 
was one little spot of luxuriant grass, 
untrampled — an oasis. A herdsman 
rode up expecting to find a rattlesnake. 
Instead, he found the nest of a plover, 
with the mother bird fluttering her 
wings beneath the tuft of grass which 
covered it. The steer had mistaken her, 
seen indistinctly through the grass, for 
a rattler, and thus she had shielded her 
young from the deadly hoofs of the 
herd. So God's providential care shields 
his children from threatening evil. — Dr. 
Banks. 

196. The statesmen of the civil war 
remarked the good fortune of the Union 

in the discovery of the Pennsylvania oil 
fields when we needed a new product 
for exchange with Europe, to take the 
place of blockaded cotton. — Austin 
Phelps. 

197. Charles of Bala was once saved 
from death by what some would call a 
foolish mistake. On one of his jour- 
neys to Liverpool his saddle-bag was 
put oil the wrong boat. He had taken 
his seat when he discovered it, and had 
to change at the last minute. At first 
he was vexed and disappointed, but tie 
afterward learned that the boat in 
which he intended to go was lost and all 
its passengers drowned. 



God. 



— 31 — 



God in Nature. 



God in Nature. (198-212) 

198. The mountains are great preach- 
ers. They teach us at once our weak- 
ness and our strength. "The mountains 
bring peace." Yes, as they speak of the 
steadfastness of God, whose purposes 
are firm as "the everlasting hills." But 
they bring, too, awe and fear, and some- 
times terror and despair, as in telling or 
a creative power they tell also of a pow- 
er that can destroy. It was from a 
mountain that God gave the law. It 
was itself the symbol of majesty and 
authority, and never can we come into 
such a presence without a vague sense 
that we are standing. before the Throne. 
And what better preacher can we find 
to teach us the lesson of man's mor- 
tality? How little is the span of our 
earthly existence beside these hoary 
summits that have stood the storms of 
thousands of years? Well may we ask, 
what is our life? It is but a vapor — 
like one of the wreaths around these 
mountain tops — "that appeareth for a 
little time and then vanisheth away." 
It is a stream like that which glides be- 
neath us to the sea. In the presence 
of such greatness, we feel our littleness, 
and should be quite overwhelmed by 
the sense of utter insignificance were It 
not that we can fall back upon One who 
is greater than all that he has made. — 
Henry M. Field, D. D. 

199. "The unclevout astronomer is 
mad." 

200. "I am thinking God's thoughts 
after him," said the great astronomer. 

201. "What do you see?" was asked 
of the famous botanist, who was scru- 
tinizing a flower. "I see God," was the 
reverent answer. 

202. "Lord Tennyson, what do you 
think of Christ?" asked a friend, who 
had heard that Tennyson was a Uni- 
tarian, as they walked in the Poet's gar- 
den. Stooping down and caressing a 
flower at his feet, the Laureate an- 
swered impressively ;"\Vliat the sunshine 
is to that flower, the Lord Jesus Christ 
Is to my soul." 

20:?. "I have found a universe worthy 
of God," said a Christian microscopist, 
turning from his microscope. 

201. They tell a story of a great sci- 
entist, n groat naturalist, who, one love- 
ly summer day a year ago, went out in 
the Highlands of Scotland with his mi- 
croscope to study the heather hell in all 
its native glory, and, in order that he 
might see it In Its perfection, he got 
down on his knees, without plucking the 
flower, adjusted his Instrument, and was 



revelling in its color, its delicacy, its 
beauty, lost "in wonder, love and 
praise." How long he stayed there he 
does not know, but suddenly there was 
a shadow on him and his instrument. 
He waited for a time, thinking it might 
be a passing cloud. But it stayed there, 
and presently he looked up over his 
shoulder and there was a fine specimen 
of a Highland shepherd, watching him, 
and, without saying a word, he plucked 
; the heather bell and handed it, with the 
I microscope, to the shepherd that he, 
I too, might see what he was beholding if 
he had vision. And the old shepherd 
put the instrument up to his eyes, got 
the heather bell in place and looked at 
it until the tears ran down his rugged 
face like bubbles on a mountain stream, 
and then, handing back the little heath- 
er bell tenderly, and the instrument, he 
said, "I wish you had never shown me 
that. I wish I had never seen it." 
"Why?' asked the scientist. "Because", 
he said, "mon, that riule foot lias trod- 
den on so many of them." When once 
you get your eyes open and look 
through the telescope — God's telescope 
of the love of Calvary; at God's dear 
Lamb for sinners slain, you will accuse 
yourself because you ever treated him 
badly for a moment — when you have got 
sight, when you have seen him. The 
Lord open our eyes! — Gipsy Smith. 

205. Professor Farrar, professor of 
Natural History at Harvard two-thirds 
of a century ago, possessed a great en- 
thusiasm. One day the class entered 
the lecture room to find the Profes- 
sor walking to and fro with kindling eye 
and radiant face, holding a ball in his 
hand. After a moment he turned to 
the class, exclaiming, and suiting the ac- 
tion to the word: 

"I toss this ball into the air; the earth 
rises up to meet it and the stars bow 
down to do it reverence!" 

This was in sublimated form an ab- 
solutely accurate lesson in physics. 
Professor Farrar had caught a moun- 
tain-top view of this stupendous truth, 
and thrilled his students with it in a 
way they could never forget. 

20(5. I will frankly tell you that my 
experience in prolonged scientific inves- 
tigations convinces me that a belief in 
God — a God who Is behind and within 
the chaos of vanishing points of human 
knowledge — adds a wonderful stimulus 
to the man who attempts to penetrate 
Into the regions of the unknown. Of 
myself, I may say that I never make the 
preparations for penetrating Into some 
small province of nature hitherto undis- 
covered without breathing B prayer to 
the Being who hides his secrets from 



God. 



— 32 



God in Nature. 



me only to allure me graciously on to 
the unfolding of them. — Agassiz. 

207. And the remarkable thing about 
this teaching is that it is so close at 
hand. In Thomas Hardy's story, "Jude, 
the Obscure," we are told of a young 
man's thirst for knowledge, of his piti- 
ful and unavailing struggle to enter an 
English university, and of his final death, 
within sight of the walls of the educa- 
tional institution whose doors had been 
closed to him. Certainly no man is de- 
barred from entering God's university 
of nature. Its . roof is as broad as the 
sky; its instructors as many as the 
blades of grass, and everywhere and al- 
ways it speaks of God in accents clear 
and distinct. 

208. We have a blind girl, and a deaf 
girl, and a dumb girl in one girl over in 
the United States - — a very wonderful 
girl named Helen Keller. Now, Helen 
has learned by her teacher putting the 
fingers on the throat finally to un- 
derstand that the orange has a golden 
heart, and that the rain is grateful to 
the thirsty fields. When Phillips Brooks 
came to her when she was six years of 
age and told the teacher to spell out 
something about God, and tell her that 
God was her Father, Helen spelled back 
on the lips of her teacher these words, 
"I felt him in my heart, but oh! I did 
not know what to call him before." You 
see, God had been speaking to her. Helen 
Keller's mother used to hang over little 
Helen's cradle — where Helen was all en- 
tombed there in her little body that 
weighed fifty pounds, and her ears were 
deaf — saying, "Oh, Helen, Helen, how 
I love you! Oh, Helen, what your fa- 
ther and I would do for you! We 
would work our fingers to the very bone 
if you could only understand." The mo- 
ther sobbed her love over little Helen, 
the dumb girl and the blind girl, and 
there were not many things in the world 
so heart-breaking as that mother, as 
she held this little girl to her bosom. 
And yet, all the time Helen Keller was 
saying to herself, "Oh, if mother would 
only speak to me! Oh, why are mothers 
giving only the whisperings of their 
love?" Even little Helen would say, "I 
wonder if I have a father and mother, 
and if I have, why clouds and darkness 
are round about them." When she was 
seven years of age she began to think 
that fathers and mothers were seen on- 
ly through a glass, darkly; and yet her 
father and mother were breaking their 
hearts trying to reveal themselves to 
Helen. Oh, piteous symbol of the 
heart-broken God leaning over the bat- 
tlements of his heaven, speaking to us 
through' all the summers, unrolling his 



will through all the procession of the 
seasons, giving to us his music in all the 
solemnity of sweet sounds — the laws of 
nature themselves; nothing but divine 
strings on his great harp of nature from 
which there drop lyric thoughts out of 
his almighty solitude. — N. D. Hillis, 
D. D., in Homiletic Review. 

209. When William Blake, the paint- 
er, was asked if he had seen the sun- 
rise, h.e exclaimed, "No! No! I saw the 
heavenly host, and I heard them chant- 
ing: 'Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Al- 
mighty, Heaven and earth are full of 
thy glory!' " 

210. Nature has no songs for the 
night. The woods, meadows, and fields 
are vocal with music during the day, 
and the melody hallows the gathering 
twilight. But when the night deepens, 
when the sky is overcast, when the 
muttering of distant thunder trembles 
in the air, then all song ceases. So, 
likewise, there are songs in the soul 
during the day of health, youth, pros- 
perity, and success, but when the deep 
night of sickness, sorrow, loss, and 
death comes on there is no song for him 
who knows only the natural and is a 
stranger to the supernatural. The nat- 
ural cannot inspire songs for the night. 
Science speaks only of facts and phe- 
nomena. These cannot satisfy the soul 
in the time of storm. But while nature 
has no song for the nights of the soul, 
God has. He gave a song to President 
McKinley when the gloom of death fol- 
lowed the assassin's bullet, and he 
chanted "Nearer, my God, to Thee, 
Nearer to Thee." — Dr. Polemus H. 
Swift. 

211. One looks out in the great wide 
world and soon perceives with Plato 
that the Creator is the great mathema- 
tician. The crystal at our feet is 
shaped in perfect mathematical propor- 
tions; its lines and angles are the lines 
and angles of geometry. We study a 
snowflake and learn that it is a mathe- 
matical gem. Its center, its star-points, 
and its axes stand in such ma>thematical 
relations that they can be translated in- 
to terms of thought and written in fig- 
ures and equations on a board. God 
has stamped his mathematical thoughts 
in snowflakes and crystals and leaves 
and blossoms, and we can translate that 
thought into our human thinking be- 
cause God has honored us with a men- 
tal life akin to his own. When the 
scientist discovers and announces the 
laws of nature he is simply translating 
into human language the thoughts of 
God, he is simply reading out of nature 
what first was woven in. Kepler, the 
astronomer, after long and weary labor, 



The Son. 



— 33 — 



His Deity. 



had worked out a certain theory as to 
the movements of the planets. That the- 
ory was just the product of his own 
reasoning Then he turned to the tele- 
scope to see whether the planets actual- 
ly moved in the times and orbits that 
he had determined for them; and when 
he realized that the trigonometry of his 
own brain was also the trigonometry of 
the sky, he took his eyes from the glass 
and shouted out into the silence of the 
night, "Oh, God! I am reading thy 
thoughts alter thee." — Hillis. 

212. One goes into the fields in au- 
tumn, when the landscape is aglow with 
a thousand shades from the crimson of 
the sumach to the green of the pine; 
from the purple of the oak to the ame- 
thyst of the horizon's haze, and we 
watch and enjoy the picture which the 
great Artist has drawn on his gallery 
wall. We are able to enjoy the great 
artist's work because he has made us 
in his image with a nature akin to his 
own. If a violin be placed in the back 
part of the audience-room, tuned to the 
pitch that the pipe-organ is, and the 
organ is played, the strings of the vio- 
lin will catch from the vibrating air 
the passing music, and even though no 
hand is near, it will answer back note 
for note. It is pitched to the same key 
and capable of the same music. There 
come to us all flashes of beauty, notes 
of melody, glimpses of things divine, 
from sunset glory, from mountain's 
grandeur, from the forest's solitude, 
from the old ocean's shoreless expanse, 
from landscape's color, and they awak- 
en in us an answering note; they are 
wandering tones from the great cen- 
tral source of beauty and melody, and 
our lives catch them and respond to 
them because we are tuned to the infin- 
ite and are partakers of his image and 
nature. — Hillis. 

The Son. His Deity. (213-224) 

213. If men ask us what is the sub- 
stance of the Christian belief, we point 
them to Christ, as predicted by the 
prophets, as disclosed by the Gospels, 
as interpreted by the Kpistles. and as 
living today in the hearts of his people." 
— Harrows. 

211. A gentleman once gave his chil- 
dren a dissected map of the United 
States to put together. They puzzled 
over It for quite a while, nnd then were 
about to give it up. discouraged, be- 
cause they could not make everything 
fit. Accidentally, one of them turned ;t 
piece of the map over and discovered on 
the back of the picture a part of a 
man's hand. Turning another piece, 
they found a part of a man's face. Af- 
3 Prnc. 111. 



ter they had examined other pieces, with 
similar results, it dawned upon them 
that it would be easier to put the pic- 
ture together by the back than by the 
front, and the result was a picture of 
Washington on the one side and the 
map of the United States on the other. 

There is a lesson here for us, the 
learning of which will solve many of 
life's problems. 

So the Word of God is a picture of 
Jesus. There may be that which is 
called doctrine, and that which we call 
biography, and that which we call par- 
able, and that which we call poetry, 
and that which is chronological, and 
questions that concern authorship; but 
the purpose of it all, from Genesis to 
! the Revelation, is to reveal Jesus the 
! Son of God, that we may live on him by 
I faith; feed on him, the living Bread 
I from heaven. * 

215. If I were to attempt to prove the 
divinity of Christ, instead of beginning 
with mystery or miracle or the theory of 
the atonement, I should simply tell you 
the story of his life and how he lived 
and what he said and did and how he 
died, and then I would ask you to ex- 
plain it by any other theory than that he 
is divine. Reared in a carpenter's shop, 
having no access to the wisdom of the 
other races and people, he yet, when 
about thirty years of age, gave to the 
world a code of morality, the like of 
which the world had never seen before, 
the like of which the world has never 
seen since. Then he was put to death. He 
was nailed to the cross in shame, and 
those who followed him were scattered 
or killed. And then, from this little be- 
i ginning, his religion spread until hun- 
| dreds of millions have taken his name 
upon their lips, and millions have been 
j ready to die rather than surrender the 
faith that he put into their hearts. To 
me it is easier to believe him divine than 
to explain in any other way what lie 
said and did. 

210. What touching grace in his in- 
struction! What sweetness, yet what 
purity in his manners! What loftiness 
| in his maxims! What profound wis- 
dom in his discourses! What an empire 
1 over his passion! Here is a man who 
knows how to act and to suffer, and to 
! die without weakn?ss and without os- 
tentation. — Rousseau. 

217. Christ represents within the re- 
| ligious sphere the highest point, beyond 
which posterity cannot go; yea, whom it 
cannot equal. inasmuch as Whoever 
hereafter climbs the same height can 
only do it with the help of Jesus who 
first attained it. He remains the high- 
est model of religion within the reach 
I of our thought, and no perfect piety Is 



The Son. 



— 34 — 



The Incarnation and Birth. 



possible without his presence in the 
heart. — Frederick Strauss. 

218. It was a custom of old among 
shepherds to clothe themselves with 
sheepskins to be more pleasing to the 
sheep; so Christ clothed himself with 
our flesh that the divine nature might 
be more pleasing to us. — Thos. Watson. 

219. Mr. Moody tells of a visit to 
Prang's chromo establishment in Bos- 
ton. Mr. Prang showed him a stone, 
on which was laid the color for making 
the first impression toward producing 
the portrait of a distinguished public 
man; but he could see only the faintest 
possible line of tinting. The next stone 
that the paper was submitted to, deep- 
ened the color a little, but still no trace 
of the man's face was visible. Again 
and again was the sheet passed over 
successive stones, until at last the out- 
lines of a man's face were dimly dis- 
cerned. Finally, after some twenty im- 
pressions, from as many different 
stones, were taken upon the paper, the 
portrait of the distinguished man stood 
forth so perfectly that it seemed only to 
lack the power of speech to make it 
living. Thus it is with Christ in the 
Scriptures, especially in the Old Testa- 
ment. — Pentecost. 

220. Whatever be the surprises of 
the future, Jesus will never be sur- 
passed. His worship will grow young 
without ceasing. His legend will call 
forth tears without end. His sufferings 
will melt the noblest hearts. All ages 
will proclaim that among the sons oE 
men there is none greater than Jesus. — 
Renan. 

221. Whatever else may be taken 
away by rational criticism, Christ is 
still left a unique figure. It is useless 
to say that Christ, as he is exhibited in 
the Gospels, is not historical. Who 
among his followers or his proselytes 
was capable of inventing the sayings 
ascribed to Jesus, or of imagining the 
life and character revealed in the Gos- 
pels?" — John Stuart Mill. 

222. But anyway, Jesus Christ is not 
a mere man. The lines of his being, 
like the curve of the parabola, starts 
with a direction we can determine but 
with an illimitable sweep which can 
never be put into terms. So God is 
seen in Christ, as with us in certain ele- 
ments of character which we can ap- 
preciate and somewhat understand, and 
then going out into that divine Father- 
hood which is so great that it never can 
be overtaken by our thought. He is fa- 
ther, but an infinite Father. What a 
range for compassion and love the con- 
ception of such a being gives to us. 



With what confidence we can come to 
him in prayer, with what faith and 
hope, in our sorrows and our sins, we 
can draw near to that heart of infinite 
love. 

223. Of old, a young apprentice 
picked up the chips of glass dropped by 
the master who was completing on oriel 
window for the cathedral. Bringing 
those chips together so as to repeat the 
face of a lustrous angel that had ap- 
peared to him in a vision of the night, 
the boy constructs from the fragments 
one of the priceless gems of art. And 
if thy duties seem humble, thy hours 
fragments, thy tasks broken and ob- 
scure, behold, the Christ is a pattern 
who can transform these fragments in- 
to a dream of spiritual beauty. All in- 
spirations toward knowledge, all stim- 
ulants toward supremacy of mind have 
their supreme excellence in that divine 
One, who is higher than earth's noblest 
spirits, wiser than earth's most gifted 
teachers, purer than earth's whitest 
martyrs. 

224. In the Hebrides, Scotland, on 
Arnish Rock, Stornaway Bay, is a light- 
house without a lamp, but simply a mir- 
ror reflector, upon which at night a 
light from another lighthouse five hun- 
dred feet away falls and is reflected to 
an arrangement of prisms, and through 
them converged to a focus outside the 
lantern, from which they diverge in the 
necessary direction. The human soul, 
in its most perfect state, is a reflecting 
mirror that takes up and causes to shine 
abroad and into the darkness of the world 
the light which comes from Christ. — 
The S. S. Journal. 

The Incarnation and Birth. (Christmas.) 

(225-236) 

225. Tradition tells us that a century 
after the first Christmas a missionary 
stood on the banks of the Arno, telling 
the story of the Christ Child. That 
night a Roman prince returned to his 
stone mansion, to feast. Suddenly in 
the dark he heard a tap on the window, 
and beheld a child's face, a face beauti- 
ful enough to have been a model for 
Raphael's cherubs, and lo. a voice like 
music in the air whispered "The Christ 
Child is hungry." Irritated, the prince 
sent his soldiers to drive the child away, 
but from that moment his rich viands 
became tasteless and as ashes and sand. 
Once more he looked up, startled by a 
tap upon the window, and beheld the 
radiant child, standing at the window, 
in the darkness and the storm. Then 
came the voice saying, "The Christ 



The Son. 



— 35 



The Incarnation and Birth. 



Child is cold." In his selfishness again 
he bade the soldiers drive the child 
away, and told his servants to draw the 
curtains close. In that moment the 
very fire grew cold, and the blazing em- 
bers threw off darkness, and a chill 
crept to the heart of the selfish prince. 
And then the ice began to melt. Spring- 
ing up, he flung wide the door and 
plunged into the darkness, calling for 
the child. Faster and faster fled the 
vision, until it came to a house, where 
a widow was dead, and a group of little 
orphan children were sobbing in the 
night. Obedient to the Child's com- 
mand, the prince and his servants took 
them to his stately house, and brought 
other hungry children in, and feasted 
them, and henceforth his table was their 
table, his house their home, his sword 
their shield, his feet their wings. Some 
had thought that happiness was not for 
him, but in giving happiness to Christ's 
children, his heart became the very 
citadel of joy and gladness. — Hillis. 

226. Some one tells of seeing a little 
lame dog trying to climb up the curb- 
stone from the street to the pavement. 
But the poor creature could not quite 
reach the top — he would always fall 
back. A hundred people passed by and 
watched the dog. laughed at his efforts 
and failures, and went on. No one 
offered to help him. Then a working 
man came along, a rather rough look- 
ing man. He saw the dog and pitied 
him, and getting down on his knees be- 
side the curb, he lifted the little crea- 
ture up to the sidewalk and then went 
quietly on. That man possessed the 
true spirit of love. That is what Jesus 
would have done. Lore is shown quite 
as unmistakably in the way a man treats 
a dog as in the spirit he shows toward 
his own fellows. Christmas in our own 
hearts will make us kind. — J. R. Mil- 
ler, D. D. 

227. The General Court of Massachu- 
setts, following the example of Parlia- 
ment in 1059, enacted that "anybody 
who is found observing, by abstinence 
from labor, feasting, or any other way, 
any such day as Christmas day, shall 
pay for every such offence five shillings." 
Christmas was restored to England with 
royalty; in Massachusetts the anli- 
CnrJstmas statute was repealed in 1681. 

228. Do we need a reminder that the 
spirit of the Christ Child most truly an- 
imates that Christmas-tide which is 
most lovingly unselfish? Do we bestow 
on the children its best opportunities 
when we load them with benefits, yet 
Impress on them no wish to give pres- 
ents In their turn? Is there any true i 
Christmas sweetness In which there is | 



not a drop of self-denial? Of these 
things, familiar by frequent repetition, 
at Christmas-tide we may well think 
once more. 

229. In that far-off day none did sus- 
pect that the Child in the manger was 
to revolutionize all thoughts of child- 
hood. The Magi, kneeling, brought 
their gifts of gold and gems, and lo! the 
leaders of modern society are bringing 
the best treasure the nation possesses to 
offer at the feet of little children. If 
once society despised the child, exposed 
the weak born, strangled the unwel- 
come, now the cradle has become a tem- 
ple, the babe the divinity, father and 
mother and teachers and friends the 
Magi, and, above every kindergarten 
and schoolhouse is heard the angels' 
song. Once the long weak childhood 
of unproductiveness made even philoso- 
phers despise children. Now we see 
that John Fiske has put into scientific 
form Christ's statement as to the length 
of childhood. The twenty years of 
physical growth mean plasticity, recep- 
tiveness and ability to advance by leaps 
and bounds. Therefore, for the child's 
sake, society exists to-day. Every law 
and institution revolves around the cra- 
dle. For the child's sake all the fac- 
tories are set up and the harvests sown 
and reaped; to instruct the child all 
books are written and schools founded; 
to inspire the child all songs are sung; 
to release the child from all drudgery, 
all tools are invented and all ships set 
sail. — Hillis. 

230. The traveler southward from Je- 
rusalem soon sees a little village strag- 
gling along the western slope of a rocky 
hill, crowned by an enormous pile of 
buildings called the Convent of the Na- 
tivity. The village is Bethlehem: the 
convent is said by a tradition, reaching 
back beyond Oonstantine into the second 
century of the Christian era, to stand 
over the birthplace of Christ. In the 
limestone rock under this huge build- 
ing is a vault, or cave, called the Grotto 
of the Nativity. (To this day in that 
country, caves are frequently used as 
stables.) In this rock grotto one sees, 
by the dim light of swinging silver 
lamps, a silver star sunk into a marble 
slab in the floor to mark the supposed 
spot of the birth of Jesus. Standing 
over It one wonders if proud Bethlehem 
caught the reflection of the wise men's 
star In a mirror, by some art fixed it 
there, and cut out the Image with a dia- 
mond to sink it permanently upon th:^ 
spot where Mary brought forth her 
Babe; and looking down upon it. the 
christian traveler Is moved by a feeling 
of reverence which, when it turns 



The Son. 



— 36 — 



The Incarnation and Birth 



toward the divine, is worship. — William 
V. Kelley, D. D. 

231. The most obvious lesson in 
Christ's teaching is that there is no hap- 
piness in having and getting anything, 
but only in giving. I repeat; there is no 
happiness in having or in getting, but 
only in giving. And half the world is 
on the wrong scent in the pursuit of 
happiness. They think it consists in 
having and getting, and in being served 
by others. It consists in giving, and in 
serving others. He that would be great 
among you, said Christ, let him serve. 
He that would be happy, let him re- 
member that there is but one way; it is 
more blessed, it is more happy, to give 
than to receive. — Professor Drummond. 

232. Italy celebrates Garibaldi, but 
Italy alone; Germany recalls Bismarck 
and the old Emperor, but not Prance; 
France remembers Napoleon, but Eng- 
land despises him; no foreign nation 
keeps Washington's Birthday. What a 
tribute to greatness would be found if 
some one hero could command the ad- 
miration of a foreign people. But Jesus 
belongs unto all the nations of the earth. 
He reigns supreme as the universal 
Master. 

233. A visitor going into the studio of 
a great painter found on his easel some 
very fine gems, brilliant and sparkling. 
Asked why he kept them there, the 
painter replied: "I keep them there to 
tone up my eyes. When I am working 
in pigments, insensibly the sense of color 
becomes weakened. By having these 
pure colors before me to refresh my 
eyes the sense of color is brought up 
again, just as the musician by his tun- 
ing-fork brings his strings up to the 
concert pitch." For right living we 
need clear conceptions of the perfect 
One. Such conceptions only produce 
high moral impressions. We need to be 
toned up. We need the high and holy 
life of the perfect Man, Christ Jesus. — 
David Gregg, D. D. 

234. Several years ago, in one of our 
Western cities, the church was prepar- 
ing to entertain a conference of Chris- 
tian workers. Among those who were 
expected, was a man whose reputation 
was almost world-wide. Because of his 
saintliness, and because of his splendid 
powers of mind, even the great had de- 
lighted to do him honor. When it was 
known that he would honor the con- 
ference with his presence, there was a 
sharp strife among the good women as 
to who should have the privilege of en- 
tertaining the distinguished guest. By 
and by, it was decided that he should 
stay in the home of the wealthiest man 
in the church. 



Late on the night before the opening 
of the conference, there came a ring at 
the door of the rich man. Upon open- 
ing the door, the mistress of the house 
found a plainly-dressed old man, who 
explained that he had been told he was 
to be entertained at this place. The lady 
replied somewhat sharply that it was a 
mistake, as she had no room, other than 
for those she had promised to take. 
Seeing the hurt look on the old man's 
face, she told him he might try the 
house across the street, as she knew 
they had promised to accommodate 
several of the delegates. The stranger 
did as she suggested, but with like re- 
sult. As there was no hotel in this 
suburb, there was nothing for him to do 
but to return to the little waiting-sta- 
tion and there pass the night. Imagine 
the chagrin of the rich woman and her 
neighbor when they learned that the 
man they had turned away was the one 
they had so desired to honor. If the 
faithful Jews in the town of Bethlehem 
could have known that they were miss- 
ing the opportunity of taking into their 
homes him whom they had longed to 
honor, there would have been many 
open doors to the weary pilgrims that 
memorable night. 

235. An artist once wrote the consti- 
tution of the United States in such a 
way as to represent the face of Wash- 
ington. This was discernible only at a 
certain angle and from a certain dis- 
tance. So Christ may be seen — from 
the proper angle — on every page of 
God's Word. 

236. It is related of a wise Eastern 
ruler that when he died he left word to 
his people that his son would be their 
king, and though they had never seen 
his face, they would judge of his gov- 
ernment by his acts. The people prom- 
ised obedience. The influence of the 
hew ruler was wise and kind, and like 
the beams of the sun, it streamed out 
of the royal palace, bringing joy to 
every subject. The people marveled and 
said, 'We see him not; how does he un- 
derstand us so well? They came to the 
palace gates and said, "Let the king suf- 
fer us to see his face." The king came 
forth to them in his royal robes, and 
when they saw him they rejoiced and 
said, 'We know thy face." He had 
walked so often with them as their 
friend, showing love and kindness to all, 
that when they saw him in the palace, 
his kingly robes did not disguise him. 
They knew him. 

In the incarnation our King comes to 
the palace gate and lets us see his face. 
"The Word became flesh and dwelt 
among us, and we beheld his glory, the 



The Son. 



— 37 — 



Christ's Words and Works. 



glory of the only begotten from the Fa- 
ther, full of grace and truth." 

God was in the world before, ruling 
in love and wisdom. We did not recog- 
nize or know him; but we felt his power 
and received of his grace. He was 
among us, as we might say, incognito. 
He was with us all the while, ruling and 
defending us, conquering all his and our 
enemies — our loving, wise and ever- 
mindful King. But in the incarnation 
of Christ he revealed himself; he made 
himself visible to us; he permitted us to 
realize who the one that had been our 
benefactor really was, and something of 
the depth of the love he felt. — G. B. F. 
Hallock, D. D. 

Christ's Words and Works. (237-244) 

23". Christ Compared With Human 
Teachers. — A man had fallen into a 
deep, dark pit, and lay in its miry bot- 
tom groaning and utterly unable to 
move. Confucius walking by, ap- 
proached the edge of the pit, and said, 
"Poor fellow! I am sorry for you. Why 
were you such a fool as to get into this? 
Let me give you a piece of advice: If 
you get out, don't gat in again." A 
Buddhist priest next came by, and said, 
"Poor fellow! I am very much pained 
to see you there! Scramble up two- 
thirds or half of the way, and I will lift 
you up the rest." But the man was en- 
tirely helpless. Next Christ came by, 
and. hearing the cries, went to the very 
brink of the pit, stretched down and 
laid hold of the poor man, brought him 
up and said, "Go and sin no more." — A 
Converted Chinaman. 

238. Shakespeare borrowed much of 
his raw material from Jesus. Milton 
was suckled at the breast of Bethlehem. 
The green pastures of the New Testa- 
ment color Dante's blood. Tennyson 
sweeps his harp in hymns of homage to 
the divine Pilot. Poets linger round 
his story as bees around a flowerage. 
Word- worth takes an "excursion" into 
the fields of nature and soaks himself in 
the Bible he carries with him. Similar- 
ly Coleridge and Browning. Their 
brightness is derived. They are Inter- 
preters, not revealers. They are satel- 
lites, not suns. The more they absorb 
of Him the more brilliant their crea- 
tions, as pearls increase in value by ex- 
posure to the glare of day. All light is 
sunlight — the tint of each tulip, the red 
of each rose. There Is no Alpine edel- 
weiss blooming on summits cold and 
lonely that is not a child of the sun. 
There could not be an iceberg without 
the sun. There could not be » Voltaire 
without a Christ. If. as the philosopher 
says, the greatest star is the one looking 



at the little end of the telescope, then 
the Son of Mary must be the supreme 
child of genius; nearly all mind-stars 
of the first magnitude has he discovered. 
If his teachings inspire the greatest in- 
tellects, surely he must be above and 
beyond. Gold crystal is not quarried 
from coal beds. — McLeod. 

239. A story is told of the casting of 
a great bell in Peking. It is the bell on 
which midnight is sounded, and it was 
cast a century and a half ago. Two at- 
tempts at casting were made and ended 
in failure, whereat the emperor sent for 
Kuan-Yin, the official in charge of the 
task, and told him he would be killed 
if he failed. Ko-ai, the man's beautiful 
daughter, consulted an astrologer, who 
told her that unless a virgin's blood 
were mingled with the metal the third 
casting would fail. She obtained per- 
mission to be present when the attempt 
was made, and just as the white-hot 
metal was rushing from the furnace in- 
to the great mold the devoted girl 
sprang forward with the cry, "For my 
father!" leaped into the fiery stream, 
added her life-blood to its composition, 
and won her father's success and safety. 
This is a legend, says an exchange, but 
we know a still more lovely and heroic 
truth. The great bell of humanity was 
out of tune. It swung gloomily and 
sadly, and its music was all harsh, grat- 
ing, discordant. Then our Saviour 
threw himself from the heights of hea- 
ven. His life-blood entered into a world's 
alloy, and, ever since, the vast bell has 
been growing sweeter and more attuned 
to the heavenly music. — The Ram's 
Horn. 

210. His speech is not big in bulk. 
St. Augustine asks for thirty volumes to 
systematize his theology; John Calvin is 
even more ambitious; he calls for forty 
folios. lint Christ can he read in half 
an hour. He never tried to preserve it 
himself and he never asked another to 
preserve it. But there is no speech like 
it. It is so simple in phrase that a 
child need stumble not; it stands alone. 
Goldsmith says of Dr. Johnson, "You 
make your little fishes talk like whales." 
There is a foolish fondness in many 
literatures for swollen language; yet he 
spoke of heavenly things in homely 
garb and humble fashion. Nothing 
could be simpler or freer from sign of 
effort than the mountain talk. — McLeod. 

211. There was a certain atmosphere 
around Christ that made it easier for 
hi- followers to believe in goodness. 
Men were at their best In his company. 
They were conscious of an uplift. King 
Arthur'* sword had a blade so bright 
that men were blinded. It was the Be- 



The Son. 



— 38 — 



Christ's Death — Atonement — The Cross. 



cret of his strength. When Excalibur 
disappeared beneath the waves of the 
dark mere, just before his death, it 
meant that the world was left without 
a model, his secret died with him. 
Christ too, .carried the enchanted armor. 
Never has it been worn by other; it 
never will. 

242. Miracles. — Christ's mighty works 
were signs confirming faith. The driest 
place on earth is said to be between 
the two lower falls of the Nile; 
rain has never been known to fall 
there; and the inhabitants do not believe 
travelers when they say water can fall 
from the sky. The South Sea Islanders 
did not believe that water could be 
found in the earth; they were sure that 
water only came from the clouds; and 
when Dr. Paton dug a well and found 
water in the earth, they were sure that 
was a miracle. There are many things 
which are miraculous to those who have 
never seen them, but it is not well to 
pronounce a thing impossible because it 
is beyond the range of our experience. 
The things which are miraculous to sav- 
ages are- simply commonplace to intel- 
ligent men, and things which are impos- 
sible to infidels may be possible to 
Christian men who walk with God. The 
Saviour has said concerning a certain 
thing, "With men this is impossible, but 
with God all things are possible." 

243. A miracle is only miraculous to 
us. It implies no wrecking of the great 
machinery of nature. And so, for aught 
you can say, it may be with the miracles 
of the Bible. They were prepared and ar- 
ranged by him who stands at the head 
of all things, and sees the end from the 
beginning, and orders all things after 
the counsel of his will. 

244. One of England's chancellors 
tells us of falling asleep and dreaming 
that every idea traceable to Christ had 
been wiped from his law books. Open- 
ing the aforetime friends he found every 
second page gone and the remnant 
meaningless. Christ is the pillar of the 
universe. When he falls, law falls, 
litany falls; art, eloquence, sermon, song, 
code, constitution, philosophy, history, 
poetry, all tumble in the ruins. 

Christ's Death— Atonement— The Cross. 

(245-263) 

245. If we care to know any further 
than our own experience has taught us 
of what human sin is, we only need to go 
to Calvary; there we may see it as a 
base revolt against goodness and mercy, 
as a savage delight in vengeance; as 
the ingratitude, that rewards the Re- 
deemer with the cross; as the outcome of 
God's patient love with his chosen peo- 



ple, visiting death on him in whom the 
Father is well pleased. 

246. Whether we measure Christ by 
the shadow he has cast upon each cen- 
tury or by the light he has thrown 
across it, he is equally great. He called 
himself the light of the world: it takes 
light to create shadow, and the greatest 
shadow is the shadow of himself — the 
Cross. Certainly more hearts have been 
touched by the shadow than the bright- 
ness. The death of Jesus is the divine 
centre of Christianity, the culmination 
of his ministry, and the controlling 
chapter of the Gospel story. Of Tis- 
sot's 365 paintings 310 are on the Minis- 
try and Passion. "If I be lifted up 
from the earth, I will draw all men un- 
to me." "His sufferings," says Renan, 
"will melt the noblest hearts until the 
end of time." 

247. You say, "I cannot understand 
the Atonement." It is not needful to 
understand it, but to see that Jesus cru- 
cified saves you. A missionary went to 
a town in Mesopotamia to labor among 
the Syrians, Mohammedans and others 
there. Thirteen long years he toiled 
among them before he had a single con- 
vert. • "Your words sound well," they 
told him, "but we cannot understand 
them. Why should you come to us 
with these words? Why are you not 
content to leave us as we were?" Then 
came the cholera. Those who could, 
fled, leaving the sick to die uncared for. 
The missionary stayed. He went into 
home after home and cared for the 
stricken ones, till at last, his life utterly 
spent with weariness, he succombed 
himself to the disease. Those whom he 
had saved bore his body without the 
city wall'- and tenderly buried it. 

Long after vards another missionary 
came to that city. He expected to find 
the work of his predecessor forgotten, 
but, nine miles out from the city, the 
people met him with great Joy. They 
took him to a grove outside the city and 
showed him a grave. "This is the grave 
of the man who died for us," they told 
him. They understood now the words 
the missionary had spoken, and they 
built a fine, large stone church and ded- 
icated it to his memory and to the ser- 
vice of the God whom he served. 

Jesus lived and labored among men, 
and comparatively few there were who 
understood his teachings. And then he 
gave his life for them upon the cross, 
and marvelous was the growth in num- 
bers of his followers. He had died for 
their sins. How his death was an 
atonement, an at-one-ment, reconciling 
them to God, they could, perhaps, not 
understand, but the sacrifice of the cross 



7 



The Son. 



39 — 



Christ's Death — Atonement— The Cross. 



they could see, and the power of the 
cross they could feel, for, being lifted 
up, he drew all men unto him. — Tar- 
bell's Teachers' Guide. 

248. A busy judge was about to rebuff 
a poorly-clad and trembling soldier who 
had entered his office, when he caught 
the handwriting of his own son in the j 
rryssive he extended. It read like this: 

"Dear Father. — The bearer of this is I 
a soldier friend, discharged from the : 
hospital, going home to die. Assist him 
in any way you can for Charlie's sake." 

All the tender feelings of the father's 
heart gushed out. He let him sleep in | 
Charlie's bed and clothed and supplied 
him with every comfort, for the sake of 
his own dear boy. 

What will not God, the loving heaven- 
ly Father, do for his dear Son when he 
presents his pierced hands, and pierced 
feet, and pierced side, and precious 
blood, and says, "Father, they confess 
their sins, £or my sake forgive them?" 

219. The greatest are those who serve. 
The cross of Christ became the founda- 
tion of all true chivalry. Here is An- 
tigone dying rather than desert the 
body of her dead brother. Here is 
John Brown, his flesh pierced with bul- 
lets, stooping to kiss the colored child 
on his way to the gallows. Here is Liv- 
ingstone on his knees in prayer and 
dead, in the heart of Africa, and with 
the open scroll before him on which 
was written in letters of blood and blot- 
ted with tears, "Oh God, when will the 
open sore of the world be healed?" 
Here is George Atley, a young English- 
man in the Central African Mission, with 
the instincts and heart of a hero. The 
story came to us last year of his being 
attacked by a party of natives; he had 
with him a Winchester repeating rifle 
with ten chambers loaded; he had the 
party completely at his mercy; calmly 
and coolly he summed up the situa- 
tion. Finally he concluded that if he 
killed them he would do more harm to 
the mission, than were he to let them 
take his own life. So as a lamb to the 
slaughter he was led, and when his 
rl < • ; i c l body was found in the stream the 
rifle was also found in his pocket, its 
ten chambers untouched. Here is a 
yaung doctor dying recently in one of 
our hospitals. In a case of malignant 
diphtheria it became necessary to clear 
the throat of the sufferer by suction. 
He knew the outcome of the experi- 
ment; yet In the interest of science and 
suffering he volunteered. — McLeod. 

250. One evening two soldiers were 
placed as sentries at the opposite ends 
of a sallyport, or Innsr passage, leading 
from the Hock of Gibraltar to the Span- 



ish territory. One of them, from the 
reading of the sacred Scriptures, was re- 
joicing in God his Saviour; while the 
other, from the same cause, was in a 
state of deep mental anxiety, being un- 
der strong conviction of sin and earnest 
ly seeking deliverance from the load of 
guilt that was pressing upon his con- 
science. On the evening alluded to, one 
of the officers who had been out dining 
was returning to the garrison at a late 
hour, and coming to the sentry on the 
outside of the sallyport — who was the 
soldier recently converted — he asked as 
usual for the watchword. The man, ab- 
sorbed in meditation on the glorious 
things that had recently been unfolded 
to him, and filled with devout gratitude 
and love, on being roused from his mid- 
night reverie, replied to the officer's 
challenge with the words, "The precious 
blood of Christ." He soon, however, re- 
covered his self-possession, and gave the 
correct watchword. But ■ his comrade, 
who was anxiously seeking the Lord, 
and who was stationed at the other or 
inner end of the sallyport, a passage 
especially adapted for the conveyance 
of sound, heard the words "the precious 
blood of Christ" mysteriously borne up- 
on the breeze at that solemn hour of 
midnight. The words came home to 
his heart as a voice from Heaven; the 
load of guilt was removed; and the pre- 
cious blood of Christ spoke peace to the 
soul of the sin-burdened soldier. 

251. The greatest money indemnity 
ever asked, and moreover paid and paid 
promptly, was the $1,000,000,000 which 
the new-born Empire of Germany de- 
manded from the conquered French in 
1871. The French could not bear to see 
those uniformed German "men in pos- 
session" in every city of France, and 
every peasant gave liberally of his mea- 
ger earnings to pay the indemnity. This 
indeed was an indemnity of war, but the 
greatest of all indemnities was paid by 
one man for the purchase of peace. 
Jesus Christ paid an indemnity for us 
which we could not have paid. To pay 
this debt would have bankrupted, would 
have ruined every sinful son of Adam. 
Jesus Christ should ever be man's dear- 
est friend, for he satisfied the claims of 
divine justice. We should as peasants 
of this earthly kingdom pay our best to 
him who paid his all for us. The only 
interest he asks on this investment, 
which he made wholly for us, is that we 
give h.'m a share of our love. He does 
not ask a "quid pro quo;" He asks that 
we give i. mi our hearts. When heaven 
makes a demand on a man it Is, "My 
son, give me thine heart." — New York 
Observer. 



The Son. 



— 40 — 



Christ's Death— Atonement — The Cross. 



252. In the Dore Gallery in London 
there is a picture, the foreground of 
which consists of a group of people of 
every condition, all turning beseeching 
looks upon a far-away figure. It is the 
Christ, wearing robes of dazzling white- 
ness, bearing a cross, with a hand up- 
lifted beckoning to these weary, broken- 
hearted ones to come to him. That is 
the Christ who draws all men unto him- 
self. A Christ who is only a heavenly 
teacher, a faultless pattern, a strong 
friend, is not what this sorrowing, sin- 
ning world needs most of all. It needs 
one who is pitiful toward the penitent, 
who has power to forgive, who can re- 
store ruined lives. — Westminster Teach- 
er.. 

253. There was a prisoner in one of 
the dungeons at the time of the French 
Revolution who was much beloved by 
many people. But there was one love 
which surpassed them all. It was the 
love of his father; and this was the 
proof of it. The two men bore the same 
name, and when the son's name was 
called from among those who were to 
die, the father answered to it, and took 
his place, and went to the scaffold, and 
laid his head upon the block. The blade 
of the guillotine flashed; the head fell; 
the father died for the son he loved. 
That is what Christ has done for us. 
"When we believe this we know what 
love means. But think what it means 
to know that this love which has done 
so much for us is the love of the Son of 
God. It sets the seal of eternity upon 
it. It lifts the sacrifice of Jesus, and 
lifts us with it, up into the very heart 
of God. — Henry van Dyke. 

254. There is a legend of a monk at 

whose door stood one who said he was 
Jesus Christ. After a searching look 
the monk quietly asked, "Where is the 
print of the nails?" This mark of the 
true Christ was wanting, and the pre- 
tender was exposed. One has given this 
testing: "There are many hands offered 
to help you; how shall you know the 
right one? Because in the center of the 
palm there is the scar of a wound re- 
ceived long since, but now glorious with 
light." There is need at this very time 
for applying this test. There are many 
religions offered which are clearly not 
of Christ at all. Then there are presen- 
tations of Christ which lack the print of 
-the nails. There is a presentation of 
Christ in which there is no cross. — J. R. 
Miller, D. D. 

255. I returned home from the chase 
and wandered through an alley in my 
garden. My dog bounded before me. 
Suddenly he checked himself and moved 
forward cautiously, as if he scented 



game. I glanced down the alley, and 
perceived a young sparrow with a yel- 
low beak and down upon its head. It 
had fallen out of the nest (the wind was 
shaking the beeches in the alley vio- 
lently), and lay motionless and helpless 
on the ground, with its little unfledged 
wings outstretched. The dog approached 
it softly, when suddenly an old sparrow 
with a black breast quitted a neighbor- 
ing tree, dropped like a stone right be- 
fore the dog's nose, and with ruffled 
plumage and chirping desperately and 
.pitifully, sprang at the opening mouth. 

She had come to protect her little 
one at the cost of her own life. Her 
little body trembled all over, her voice 
was hoarse, she was in agony — she of- 
fered herself. The dog must have 
seemed a gigantic monster to her. But 
in spite of that, she had not remained 
safe in her lofty bough. The dog 
stood still, and turned away. It seemed 
as though he also felt this power. I 
hastened to call him back,- and went 
away with a feeling of respect. Yes, 
smile not! I» felt a respect for this 
heroic little bird and for the depth of her 
maternal love. Love is stronger than 
death and the fear of death; it is love 
that supports and animates all. — Tour- 
genieff. 

256. Sargent's acknowledged master- 
piece is his mural decoration in the 
Boston public library, called "The Dog- 
ma of Redemption." On the cross 
hangs the dying Saviour. Bound up 
with him, as by a common girdle, is on 
the one side Adam, the father of all 
mankind, and on the other, Eve, the 
mother of all the race. Each holds, 
with outstretched hand, the loving cup 
to catch the drops of blood falling from 
the pierced hands of the dying Christ. 
Beneath is a stork driving its beak into 
its very vitals, to take its own life-blood 
to bring its dying offspring back to life. 
Underneath all are these words, "He 
died to redeem our bodies and to cleanse 
our hearts." — Rev. Frank N. Riale. 

257. Substitution: On t?t.e 10th of 
June, 1770, the town of Port au Prince 
in Hayti was entirely overthrown by an 
awful earthquake. The inmates had 
fled from the falling houses, all except 
a negro woman, the nurse of her mas- 
ter's infant children. She would not 
desert her charge, though the walls 

I were even then giving way. Rushing 
; to the child's bedside, she stretched 
forth her arms to enfold the child. 
The building rocked to its foundation — 
the roof fell in. Did it crush the help- 
less pair? The heavy fragments fell 
indeed on the woman, but the infant 
I escaped unharmed, for its noble pro- 



The Son. 



— 41 — 



Christ's Death— Atonement— The Cross. 



tectress extended her form over its 
body, and at the sacrifice of her life 
saved the child from destruction. 

258. How many of God's children, 
dear through all time, if called, would 
bear testimony to the saving power of 
Christ's life thus voluntarily laid down 
that he might take it again, and infuse 
into the believer his own glorious resur- 
rection power of holiness! When Satan 
appeared to Luther with that long cat- 
alogue of his sins, to affright him away 
it was only needful for Luther to re- 
mind his Satanic majesty of the fact 
that he forgot to write underneath it: 
"The blood of Jesus cleanseth from all 
sin." Said Campbell of Kingsland: "I 
love to be near the blood of sprinkling; 
all I want is to feel my arm 'round the 
cross!" Said Banyan, the tinker of 
Bedford: "When tears, prayers, repent- 
ings would not do, one drop — one shin- 
ing of virtue of the blood, of the blood 
that was let out by the spear, has in 
such a blessed manner delivered me. 
and its life and power quenched all the 
outcries, fiery darts and flames of hell- 
fire, begotten by the charges of the law 
and Satan, and doubtful remembrances 
of my past life, that I have been made 
to marvel greatly." — Rev. Henry B. 
Ketcham. 

259. A soldier, worn out in his coun- 
try's service, took to the violin as a 
mode of earning his living. He was 
found in the streets of Vienna, playing 
his violin; but after a while his hand 
became feeble and tremulous, and he 
could no more make music. One day, 
while he sat there weeping, a man 
passed along and said, "My friend, you 
are too old and too feeble; give me your 
violin;" and he took the man's violin, 
and began to discourse most exquisite 
music, and the people gathered around 
in larger and larger multitudes, and the 
aged man held his hat, and the coin 
poured in until the hat was full. 

"Now," said the man, who was play- 
ing the violin, "put that coin in your 
pockets." The coin was put in the old 
man's pockets. Then he held his hat 
again, and the violinist played more 
sweetly than ever, and played until 
some of the people wept and some 
shouted. And again the hat was filled 
with coin. Then the violinist dropped 
the instrument and passed off, and the 
whisper went, "Who is it? who is It?" 
and some one just entering the crowd 
said, "Why, that is Bucher, the groat 
violinist, known all through the realm; 
yes, that is the great violinist." The 
fact was. he had JllSl taken that man's 
place, and assumed his poverty, and 
borne his burden, anil played his music, 



and earned his livelihood, and made 
sacrifices for the poor old man. 

So the Lord Jesus Christ conies down, 
and he finds us in our spiritual penury, 
and across the broken strings of his 
own broken heart he strikes a strain of 
infinite music, which wins the attention 
of earth and heaven. He takes our 
poverty. He plays our music. He weeps 
our sorrow. He dies our death. A sac- 
rifice for you. A sacrifice for me. — The 
Christian Herald. 

260. Some years ago in one of the 
provinces of Central Africa occurred an 
incident well worth repeating. A coun- 
cil of the four hundred most influential 
men of a certain tribe had been called 
by the priests to consider how they 
might pacify their god. Their crops 
had been failures, no wild fruits had 
grown up; the animals which they used 
for food were all eaten; the waters of 
their streams had nearly all dried away; 
apparently the god had hidden his face 
behind a cloud and looked upon them 
no longer. 

At last the assembly, after listening 
to the voices of the priests, came to a 
decision — one of their own number must 
offer himself as a voluntary sacrifice to 
the god. A great silence fell upon the 
gathering. The king sat with his face 
hidden in his hands; the people sat with 
bowed heads; no one dared to raise his 
eyes but the priests, and they gazed 
sternly and silently over the audience, 

( waiting for some one to speak his own 
death-warrant. Finally they began to 

j chant, and as the chant proceeded they 
slipped away, one by one, to make ready 
for the sacrifice, until only one priest 
was left. When all the others had 
gone, he ceased his chanting and 
stretched his arms toward the still silent 

1 body of men. "Who will stand up?" 

| he asked slowly. "Who will stand up? 

! Come, the god awaits us." Then the 
king's youngest son, although he knew 

! that he would at once be led to his 

' death, arose to his feet. "Here", he 
said, "T will stand up." And With firm 

, step, he followed the priest to the altar. 

201. There was pardoned from the 
Federal prison of Ft. Leavenworth a 
man whose release was sought by fifty 

• thousand persons in a petition sent to 
President Roosevelt. He will endeavor 

I to have his citizenship restored, and if 
successful, will ask the courts to change 

| his name for the protection of his wife 
and child. Human courts of law may 
pardon and set a man free from the 
hand of law, but they can not rub out 
the stain of sin, or remove the guilt. 
There Is only one who can do this. 
The Blood of Jesus Christ, his Son 



The Son, 



— 42 — 



The Resurrection. Immortality. 



cleanses us from all sin. When we ac- 
cept Jesus Christ as a Savior he at once 
adopts us into his family. We are 
made the heirs of all his benefits. — Wm. 
Barnes Lower. 

262. In the olden time, when a man 
traveled on horseback, it was the cus- 
tom at the close of day to dismount be- 
fore entering a village, and repair to 
some stream for cleansing. Looking 
down into the clear water, nature's mir- 
ror, the dust-stained traveler would dis- 
cern on his face the grime and soil of 
the journey, and then dipping his hands 
into the stream he would wash the dust 
away. The same stream revealed his 
stain and removed it. Sueli is the aton- 
ing work of Christ. He is the One who 
reveals to us the exceeding sinfulness 
of our lives, while in the same revela- 
tion he comes to cleanse us from every 
stain. Christ our mirror, Christ our 
fountain — we need no altar of burnt 
offering, no temple of sacrifice, no vail, 
no incense, no blood of beasts, no high- 
priest, no scapegoat to bear our sins 
away. "Behold the Lamb of God that 
taketh away the sin of the world!" — C. 
H. Patton. 

263. Tradition says that Christ's 
cross was the one prepared for Barab- 
bas. 

The Resurrection. (Easter.) Immortality. 

(264-301) 

264. The other day some lilacs came 
to us from a Southern friend. They 
were placed in a vase in my bedroom. 
That night I was awakened by their 
rich, • honey-like fragrance. My mem- 
ory awoke, too, and then there was no 
more sleep for me. I thought of the 
lilac tree that grew by my window in 
my father's house, and I began to turn 
over the pages of memory like the pa- 
ges of a book. On every ' page there 
was a picture and beautiful they were 
to me. I was out in the fields again 
picking violets in the springtime with 
my little flaxen-haired sister. Together 
we made play houses on the dark edge 
of the woods, and carpeted them with 
moss. I saw my first sweetheart with 
her freckled face and red hair. I 
stood before the teachers I loved. I 
went fishing. I felt the plunge in the 
cool water of the old swimming hole. 
I bagged my first game, and was so ex- 
cited that I threw down my gun and 
ran home to exhibit it. I lived over 
the sweetly sad day when I left home 
for college. I stood up to speak on 
commencement day. I wept again over 
defeats that hurt, and I shouted anew 
over victories that were earned. I went 



over all my life. It was like reading a 
tale, and I said it is all mine. I am the 
boy in the story. And then I said, "Am 
I?" There is not a hair in my head 
that was in the head of the boy. Not 
an ounce of blood, or bone, or flesh, 
not a single muscle or nerve, not a sin- 
gle particle of matter in that boy's body 
is in my body today. If the body is I, 
I am not the same fellow. The body 
of the boy is dead and buried in the 
vaults of Nature. My body has been 
buried once every seven years. If the 
body is life I have had several lives. 

I know I am I. I have kept my iden- 
tity though my body has been dying 
all the time. I have actual demonstra- 
tion that the death of the body does not 
harm the soul. Indeed the soul has 
grown stronger all the time. Indeed 
the dying of the body is necessary for' 
the development and largest good of the 
soul. If all the death we know about 
deals with the soul, why should we not 
say of the death we do not know all 
about, "Dust returns to the earth 
whence it came, but the spirit returns 
to God, who gave it." I believe then in 
the immortality of the soul. — Dr. N. Mc- 
Gee Waters. 

265. Looking across from the Caith- 
ness Heights in Scotland, one can catch 
sight of the hills in the Island of Hoy. 
In the clear air, though miles off, they 
seem comparatively near. A stranger is 
told that these hills are in Orkney; but 
perhaps for the moment he forgets that 
between where he stands, and those pre- 
cipitous sunlit hills there is the stormy 
Pentland Frith, with its rapid and un- 
certain tides, and its shores where the 
wreck of many a vessel lies. To-day 
it may be a picture of peace, tomorrow 
a scene of wild grandeur and warring 
elements. How like the view that the 
believer gets of the next world and its 
glories! He beholds the land very far 
off, yet it seems near. The view makes 
him forget the swift and stormy pas- 
sage of death, where many a man ' has 
made shipwreck. The believer thinks 
not of what lies between. To Kim there 
is no danger, because he sails accom- 
panied by the best Pilot. He is like 
Paul, who wrote to Timothy about be- 
ing ready to be offered, and at the same 
time referred to "the crown of right- 
eousness." The Christian is "the man 
of faith" (or, "the son of faith") to 
whom the future is far more real titan 
the present. — A. L. S. in Horn. Review. 

266. A young Scotch girl, who was 
taken ill in this country, knowing that 
she must die, begged to be taken back 
to her native land. On the homeward 
voyage she kept repeating, "O, for a 



The Son. 



— 43 — 



The Resurrection. Immortality. 



glimpse o' the hills o' Scotland!" Be- 
fore the voyage was half over it was 
evident to those who were caring for 
her that she could not live to see her 
native land. 

One evening, just at the sun-setting, 
they brought her on deck. The west 
was all aglow with glory, and for a 
few minutes she seemed to enjoy the 
scene. Someone said to her, "Is it not 
beautiful?" She answered, "Yes, but 
I'd rather see the hills o' Scotland." 

For a little while she closed her eyes, 
and then opening them again, and with 
a look of unspeakable gladness on her 
face, she exclaimed, "I see them noo, 1 
and aye they're bonnie." Then, with 1 
a surprised look, she added, "I never 
kenned before that it was the hills o' 
Scotland where the prophet saw the j 
horseman a'nd the chariots, but I see ; 
them all, and we are almost there." j 
Then, closing her eyes, she was soon 
within the vale. Those beside her 
knew that it was not the hills of Scot- 
land, but the hills of glory that she 
saw. Perhaps there are some fair hills 
toward which you are now looking, and , 
for which you are now longing, and you 
may be thinking that life will be in- 
complete unless you reach them. 'What 
will it matter if. while you are eagerly 
looking, there shall burst upon your 
vision tlie King's country, and the King 
himself comes forth to meet you and to 
take you into that life where forever 
you shall walk with him in white be- 
cause you are found worthy? "For the 
sufferings of this present time are not 
worthy to be compared with the glory 
which shall be revealed to usward." 

2C7. A friend of mine, a minister, 
was conversing with a lady, somewhat 
blatently confessing skeptical opinions. 
"Do you really believe, sir," she said, 
"that you have a soul?" Instantly my 
friend replied: "No, madam, I do not 
believe that I have a soul." She re- 
torted that, being put to it, as my friend 
was, such an answer was just what she 
expected. And she went on criticising 
my friend, and ministers generally, for | 
their insincerity, asking how he, refus- ; 
ing to believe that he had a soul, could i 
in any honest way go on exercising the i 
functions of a minister. But my friend ' 
made further reply: "Madam, I am a 
soul: i have a body." And that was so 
true to the facts of her own conscious- 
ness she could be ready with no further 
word. Yes, each one of us must say, I 
"I am a soul: I have a body." The 
body is something other than the soul. 
The entity of the body is not the soul's 
entity. The body is but the house, the 
garment, the instrument of the soul. — 
Wayland Hoyt. 



268. I visited a band of pagan In- 
dians in the far north, and found them 
utterly unresponsive to Gospel truth 
until I shouted out, "I know where all 
your children are, — all jour dead chil- 
dren.'' They quickly uncovered their 
faces and manifested intense interest. 
I went on: "They have gone from your 
wigwams and your campfires. Your 
hearts are sad and you mourn for the 
children you hear not. But there is 
only one way to the beautiful land, 
where the Son of God has gone, and 
into which he takes the children, and 
you must 'come this way if you would 
be happy and enter in." As I spoke a 
stalwart Indian sprang up and rushed 
towards me. "Missionary, my heart is 
empty and I mourn much, for none of 
my children are left among the living; 
very lonely is my wigwam, I long to see 
them again and clasp them in my arms. 
Tell me, what must I do to enter that 
beautiful land, and see my children?" 
And others quickly followed him seek- 
ing for instruction. — Dr. Egerton Young. 

269. On an island north of Scotland 
there is a slate quarry. The workmen 
descend to it by means of a ladder. 
One evening a sudden and violent storm 
drove the quarrymen from their work, 
and in their haste the ladder v as left 
fastened to the cliff. The night was 
dark and stormy. A ship was driven 
close to the island by the waves, and 
her crew knew that if they were 
wrecked on that steep coast they 
would be lost. The waves dashed over 
her, filled the cabin with water and 
drowned the wife of the captain. Then 
the sailors took to the rigging, but they 
were at the mercy of the wind and the 
waves even there. They gave them- 
selves up for lost as she struck. But 
lo. as she struck, their terror was 
changed into joy. For there beside the 
cliff was a ladder that seemed to have 
been placed there on purpose. They 
hastily climbed up to it and reached the 
top in safety, while the vessel went to 
pieces at the bottom. 

270. Mr. Latham finds a new argu- 
menl for the resurrection of Jesus in 
the peculiar words with which the 
grave-clothes and napkin are spoken of. 
The body of Jesus was laid on a ledge 
in the rock-hewn sepulchre with the 
head on a slightly elevated step. On 
the resurrection morn when John en- 
tered the empty tomb, "he saw and be- 
lieved." "What did he see? He saw the lin- 
en clothes lying, but the body gone out 
of them. There lay the clothes as if 
the body were still In them, only lying 
slightly flat, but not displaced. Th 
body had just slipped out of them, and 



The Son. 



— 44 — 



The Resurrection. Immortality. 



where the head lay he saw the napkin 
lying by itself, the rolled-round napkin, 
the curled-up head-dress, a little flat, 
but not displaced, the roll still in it. The 
body could not have been stolen, for 
that act would have necessitated the un- 
wrapping of the clothes which were left. 
Nor could friends have removed the 
body and left the linen clothes as they 
were lying. The spices were not scat- 
tered from unwoven cloths, indicative 
of hasty removal. If John had seen the 
cloths unwound and folded, it would 
have suggested the removal of the body. 
But no hands had been there. The 
body had passed out of the clothes and 
left them undisturbed. That is what 
John saw and that is why he believed. 

271. Jesus is our authority in religion. 

About all the things of which he knew 
he spoke truly. The world has taken 
him at his word in all that he has said 
about greatness, character, religious ser- 
vice, the Fatherhood of God and the 
brotherhood of man. In all these things 
Jesus uttered the final word. We doubt 
none, we question none. We are only 
striving to grow up to his levels. Not 
one word he said is antiquated; not one 
truth is outgrown; not one promise has 
failed. Trusting him and proving him 
right in all beside, shall I not trust him 
in this question of eternal life? 

272. Bryant believed that God would 
be as good to the man as he was to the 
bird. This instinctive expectation led 
Franklin to write as his epitaph: "The 
body of Benjamin Franklin, like the 
cover of an old book, its contents torn 
out and stripped of its leather and gild- 
ing, lies here, food for the worms; yet 
the work itself shall not be lost, for it 
will, as he believes, appear once more 
in a new and more beautiful edition, 
corrected and amended by its author." 

"Ideals are overtures of immortality," 
said the eloquent Cicero. "Men who 
have renounced their individual happi- 
ness never doubt their immortality," 
says quaint Tolstoy. The poet Gilder 
sings: 

Then fearless give thy body to the clod, 
For naught can quench the light that 
once it filled. — Dr. C. E. Locke. 

273. Easter has a message that gives 
a warmth to friendship's grasp, a depth 
to pity which makes the tears of sym- 
pathy to flow. Easter tells us of light 
and love, because no life can be ma- 
tured apart from love. 

The night has a thousand eyes 

And the day but one; 
Yet the light of a whole world dies 

With the dying sun. 



The mind has a thousand eyes 

And the heart but one; 
Yet the light of a whole life dies 

When love is done. 

— Rev. C. C. Walker. 

274. That thrilling passage in the 
marvelous fifteenth of 1st Corinthians, 
at which a believer's Bible ought to, 
like good Bishop Ken's Greek Testa- 
ment, open of itself. — Rev. G. C. Henry. 

275. "If a man die shall he live 
again?" There is but one response. 
The Hindoo, the Chinese, the Persian, 
the Grecian, the Roman, the Egyptian, 
the continental, the islander, the savage, 
the philosopher, all answer with a gen- 
erous affirmative, more forceful and in- 
sistent as they have been advanced and 
cultured. Socrates speaks for his age 
when he says: "I believe a future life 
is needed to avenge the wrongs of this 
present life. Those who have done 
their duty, in that future life shall find 
their chief delight in seeking after wis- 
dom.'" Cicero speaks of his era: "Yes, 
oh, yes! But if I err in believing that 
the soul of man is immortal, I willingly 
err, and if after death I shall feel noth- 
ing, as some philosophers think, I am 
not afraid that some dead philosopher 
shall laugh at me for my mistake." — 
Locke. 

276. The doctrine of immortality in a 

world to come has not in the teachings 
of Jesus the appearance of a fresh phil- 
osophical theory or of a new truth, 
kindling in him a constant surprise and 
intensity. It seems rather like uncon- 
scious knowledge. He speaks of the 
great invisible world as if it had always 
lain before him, and as familiarly as to 
us stretches out the landscape which 
we have seen since our birth. The as- 
sertion of a future state is scarcely to 
be met within his teachings: the as- 
sumption of it pervades them. — Henry 
Ward Beecher. 

277. The mere mortal history of 
Christ would have settled with us the 
question of futurity. For the great es- 
sential to this belief is a sufficiently ele- 
vated estimate of human nature: no 
man will ever deny its immortality who 
has a deep impression of its capacity 
for so great a destiny. And this im- 
pression is so vividly given by the life of 
Jesus — he presents an image of the soul 
so grand, so divine — as utterly to dwarf 
all dimensions of its present career, and 
to necessitate a heaven for its reception. 
— James Martineau. 

278. Browning's last words were: 
"Never say that I am dead!" No, not 
dead; no man is dead until his work is 
done! Can it be that men can do im- 



The Son. 



— 45 — 



The Resurrection, imm ortality. 



mortal things and not be themselves 
immortal ? 

The faith of the soul easily accepts 
Tennyson's prophecy, "One law, one 
element and one far-off divine event to | 
which the whole creation moves," and 
with him each one may say: 
I falter where I firmly trod 

And falling with my weight of cares 

Upon the great world's altar stairs 
That slope through darkness up to God. 

Oh, let us descend to the blue marge 
not only with hearts full of faith, but 
with our hands heavily burdened with 
sheaves for the Master's feet! Love 
demands a future life. Even Hume's I 
skepticism was insecure as he pathetic- f 
ally confesses that whenever he thought 
of his mother he believed in immor- 
tality. 

279. If death be a transition to an- 
other place, and if it be true, as has 
been said, that all who have died are 
there — what, O judges, could be a great- 
er good than this? For if a man, being 
set free from those who call themselves I 
judges here, is to find, on arriving in 
Hades, these true judges who are said 
to administer judgment in the unseen 
world . . . will his transition thither be 
for the worse? What would not any 
one of you give to converse with Or- 
pheus and Musacus and Hesiod and Ho- 
mer? I would gladly die many times, 
if this be true. ... To dwell and con- 
verse with them and to question them 
would indeed be happiness unspeaka- 
ble! — From Socrates' Apologia as re- . 
ported by Plato. 

280. A physician once told me of a 
unique experience of his. He was per- 
forming a slight operation that required ( 
the administration of an anaesthetic, 
but did not seem to him to demand the 
presence of a second doctor. The oper- 
ation was well advanced when he dis- 
covered symptoms of collapse. Imme- 
diately he examined the pulse and found 
that the heart had stopped. He put 
his ear upon the patient's chest, and 
could detect no possible sign of breath- 
ing. 

The man to all appearances was 
dead; but believing there was at least 
a possibility of recalling life, he instant- 
ly brought into service every known 
means and method of resuscitation, and 
after the lapse of a half hour, he had 
the immense satisfaction of seeing the 
patient's lips slightly twitch and the 
heart give evidence of the faintest flut- 
ter; an hour more, and life was fully 
restored. Now if life could leave ihe 
body for a few minutes and return, I- 
It Inconceivable that (be two Blight he 
separated for centuries and then be re- 



united? And if a physician by the use 
of material aids and agencies could re- 
suscitate life, is it difficult to believe 
that the Great Physician, who has all 
power in heaven and on earth, can 
bring life back into the human body at 
the resurrection? There can be no 
question — even in the minds of the most 
skeptical — as to the possibility of im- 
mortality. — Dr. John Balcolm Shaw. 

281. Man s soul is in exile. Like the 
homing pigeon, when he is released, 
man flies back to God. The race is 
homesick. Man is not forever satisfied 
with humanity — divinity is planted 
within him. With Victor Hugo, every 
true man, the nearer he approaches 
the end, the plainer he hears around 
him the symphonies of the world which 
invite him. Man knows death does not 
end all, because when he approaches 
the grave he feels, with Hugo, that he 
has not said the thousandth part of 
what there is in him. The soul intui- 
tively reaches for life, and the God who 
gave man this reach will see to it that it 
comes to his grasp. 

282. That same Christ has always 
been the power that purifies, ele- 
vates and ennobles men. It is not 
his teachings that have been the su- 
preme dynamic of Christianity. Great 
and marvelous both in character and in 
degree, as those teachings are, Christ 
himself has always been greater and 
mere marvelous than his teachings. 
Not even the exact significance of his 
death has been the pre-eminent force of 
Christianity, for opinions have differed 
widely as to the meaning of the atone- 
ment. But differ as such opinions 
may, one supreme commanding figure 
—the figure of him who died on Cal- 
vary and rose again — has unceasingly 
aroused the hearts of men to bis obe- 
dience. 

283. The death of Jesus was essential 
to the breaking down of the barrier 
which sin had set between God and the 
soul. When Jesus became sin, and 
dead unto sin and the hope of the world 
seemed to have perished, then came 
God's hour and power in the resurrec- 
tion. Louis the Fourteenth's court 
preacher, Bossuet, once said, "When 
God desires to show that a work comes 
entirely from bis hand, he reduces 
everything to impuissance and despair, 
and then he acts." So was it in the 
death of Jesus. — The Westminster. 

281. At the grave of his brother Mr. 
Ingersoll gave utterance to these words, 
"In the ni^lit of death hope sees a slur 
and Untuning love can bear tin- rustic of 
a wing." 

That Is a beautiful sentiment, a most 



The Son. 



— 46 — 



The Resurrection. Immortality. 



helpful thought, but where did he get 
it? Not from the gardens of infidelity 
or the fields of free thought. No, it 
is a rose plucked from the garden 
where Christ sle'pt and rose again. — Mc- 
Caughtry. 

285. A German youth was taken 
prisoner by the Turks, and, since no 
one effected his release, was compelled 
to live among these fanatical followers 
of Mohammed. He grew to man's es- 
tate, but never relinquished his Luther- 
an faith. Jesus was his Savior, Jesus, 
the blessed Lord who died for our of- 
fenses and was raised again for our jus- 
tification. One Easter morning he had 
to plow His Mohammedan master's field, 
but none the less as he followed the 
plow he kept the great festival day in 
mind and his heart rejoiced in the risen 
Lord. As he walked in the furrow be- 
hind the plow, he sang in his mother 
tongue one of Luther's good old Easter 
hymns: 

"Jesus Christ to-day is risen, 

And o'er death triumphant reigns; 

He has burst the grave's strong prison, 
Leading sin herself in chains. 
Kyrie eleison." 

At that moment the representative 
of the German government, who was 
stationed at Constantinople, happened 
to be riding by. Amazed at hearing a 
German religious hymn in that land and 
place, he got out of his carriage and 
went to the singer. The man told him 
his story, and closed by saying: "I 
don't think that I'll ever be enabled to 
return to my fatherland, but I shall 
preserve my Christian faith, though I 
live among Turks. I know that this is 
Easter day, and though I am physically 
far removed from my fellow Christians, 
nonetheless I celebrate the joyous res- 
urrection festival in spiritual commun- 
ion with them." The officer of the Ger- 
man government succeeded in obtaining 
the man's freedom, and he went back 
to the fatherland where he lived to cel- 
ebrate many an Easter day with the fol- 
lowers of the risen Lord. 

286. "On pain of death," said the 
Eastern despot, "let no man name 
Death to me." He was not a coward, but 
he loved life, and in the hour of death 
the gods of the heathen are no gods. 
Tne creeds of heathendom, even if they 
give vague hints of lasting life for the 
soul, make no mention of the resurrec- 
tion of the body. Christ alone assures 
ns that the seeds planted in God's Acre 
will come up. — Christian Work. 

287. The fact of the resurrection, and 
not its mode, receives chief emphasis in 
the New Testament. The fact is cer- 



tain, and it is portrayed constantly as 
a spiritual experience and process. 
Physical resurrection, without redemp- 
tion, could hardly be considered a boon, 
but if the soul can be purified and 
saved, then immortality is full of bles- 
sed promise. Easter proves Christ's 
power to redeem. It is they who are 
"dead through trespasses and sins that 
are raised up with Christ and made to 
sit with him in the heavenly places." 
The proof of this glorious fact and mir- 
acle is present spiritual resurrection, 
and not future physical resurrection. 
"If then ye were raised with Christ" 
(an already accomplished fact, and a 
word addressed to the living, and not 
to the dead), "seek the things which 
are above." The present resurrected 
life of the redeemed sold is a "life hid 
with Christ in God." — Dr. D. M. Pratt. 

288. "No unquickened man saw Jesus 
after the resurrection." 

"The resurrection of the body and 
the immortality of the soul need to be 
sharply marked off from each other." 

"The resurrection was the Law's re- 
ceipt in full for every debt we owe: 

If Jesus had not paid the debt 

He ne'er had been at freedom set." 

"The cross is the ground of our rec- 
onciliation, the sepulchre the guaran- 
tee." 

289. The crowning lesson of the great 
miracle is the mingled exhibition that 
it makes of the humanity and divinity 
of our Lord. At no time in all his life 
did he appear more perfectly human 
than when he burst into tears before the 
grave of Lazarus. At no time did he 
appear more divine than when with a 
loud voice he cried, "Lazarus, come 
forth," and at the voice the dead arose 
and came forth. — William Hanna. 

290. Bunyan relates that Christian 
pushed his feet into the dark rolling 
waters of the river of death, and, be- 
ginning to sink, cried out in fear. Then 
Hopeful, at his side, said, "Be of good 
cheer, my brother; I feel the bottom, 
and it is good." Still Christian was not 
delivered from his trepidation, and 

j again Hopeful called, "Be of good cheer, 
: Jesus Christ maketh thee whole." Then 
Christian's eyes were opened and he 
exclaimed, "Oh! I see him again; and 
he tells me, When thou passest through 
the waters, I will be with thee; and 
through the rivers, they shall not over- 
flow thee.' " This is the meaning of 
Easter: that Christ is the light of this 
world and that all the most coveted 
boons of the next world are contingent 
upon our fellowship with him. — Dr. H. 
P. Dewey. 



The Son. 



— 47 — 



The Resurrection. Immortality. 



291. There is no death! The stars go 

down 

To rise upon some fairer shore: 
And bright in heaven's jeweled crown 

They shine forevermore. 
"There is no death! The leaves may fall 

And flowers may fade and pass away; 
They only wait through wintry hours 

The coming of the May. 
"And ever near us, though unseen, 

The dear, immortal spirits tread 
For all the boundless universe 

Is life — there are no dead." 

— Lord Lytton. 

292. There were two United States 
Senators very fond of discussing spec- 
ulative questions. Whenever possible 
they would meet and find relaxation in 
talking of themes other than political. 
Their favorite topic was the immortality 
of the soul: but they could find no rea- 
sons for believing it that satisfied them. 

They separated, one going to a dis- 
tant State. After twenty-five years they 
met at a crowded reception in the White 
House. After shaking hands cordially, 
they stepped aside for a moment, when 
one said to the other, "Any light, Al- 
bert?" "None," was the reply. After 
a pause the other inquired, "Any light, 
Lewis?" The answer was, "None." 
They shook hands, looked into each 
other's eyes in silence, separated, and 
never met again. Emerson declared 
that the impulse that prompted these 
men to try to find proofs of Immortal- 
ity was itself the strongest of all proof. 
It certainly is one proof. The soul of 
man yearns for immortality, for a fu- 
ture life better than the present, and 
this points to its reality. — Horn. Review. 

293. On the Tomb of Dr. John Con- 
dor, in Bunhill Fields, London, is this 
inscription : 

"I have sinned, I have repented-; 

I have trusted, I have loved; 

I rest, I shall rise; 

And through the grace of Christ, how- 
ever unworthy, I shall reign." 

291. On earth our best music is dis- 
sonant, for our instrument is sadly out 
Of tune. To die is to be set in tune to 
God's eternal keynot» — love. It is to 
come into harmony with one's self, and 
therefore with God; It is to come into 
h;irmony with God and therefore with 
one's self. 

295. There is a beautiful story, says 
Dr. J. R, Miller, of a boy whose young 
sister was dying. He had heard that if 
he could secure but a single leaf from 
the tree of life that grew in the garden 
of God, the illness could be healed. He 
Bel out to find the garden, and Implored 
the angel sentinel to let him have one 
leaf. The angel asked the boy If he 



could promise that his sister should 
never be sick any more if his request 
were granted, and that she should never 
be unhappy, nor do wrong, nor be cold 
or hungry, nor be treated harshly. The 
boy said he could not promise. Then 
I the angel opened the gate a little way 
bidding the child to look into the gar- 
den for a moment, to have one glimpse 
of its beauty. "Then, if you still wish 
it," said the angel, "I will myself ask 
the King for a leaf from the tree of 
life to heal your sister." The child 
looked in; and, after seeing all the 
wondrous beauty and blessedness with- 
in the gates, he said softly to the angel, 
"I will not ask the leaf now. There is 
| no place in all this world so beautiful 
: as that. There is no friend so kind as 
the Angel of Death. I wish he would 
take me, too." 

296. The dead are the living. Every 
1 man that has died is at this instant in 

full possession of all his faculties, in 
the intensest exercise of all his capaci- 
ties, standing somewhere in God's uni- 
verse, ringed by a sense of God's pres- 
ence, and feeling in every fibre of his 
being that life, which comes after 
' death, is not less real, but more real, 
I not less great, but more great, not less 
| full or intense, but more full and 
intense, than the mingled life, which, 
I lived here on earth, was a center 
! of life surrounded with a crust and cir- 
cumference of immortality. The dead 
are the living. They lived while they 
died; and after they die, they live on 
forever. — Dr. Maclaren. 

297. A young monk saw the bright 
, faced boys from Britain exposed for 
I sale in the slave-marts of Rome. His 
I heart was drawn toward them, and 
! filled with the spirit of missions. 'When 

he became pope he sent Augustine to 
carry them the everlasting Gospel. 
Reaching the shores of their native land 
he sought the authority of the King for 
his mission. When the king had as- 

; sembled his council, and laid before 

1 them the missionary's request, he called 
for an expression of opinion. One of 

! his nobles arose in the rude torch-lit 
council chamber and said: "Oh my lord 
and king; sometimes when we are gath- 

! ered here of an evening, I have seen a 
swift-winged swallow dart in through 
yonder window, flutter about awhile 
dazzled by the flaming torches, and at 

i last dart forth again into the darkness 
without. It seems to me that this Is 

I the story of our lives. We come, we 

! know not whence; we flutter ■ about 
dazzled by earth's glamor, for awhile; 
and then we no forth into the darkness, 

I we know not whither. If the book 



f 



The Son. — 48 — Christ's Ascension. Intercession. 



which this man brings can tell us aught 
concerning that dark future, I, for one, 
give my voice in his favor." And that 
Book, and that Book alone, can sound 
the depths of life's mystery. 

298. They of blessed memory help us, 

for they make it easy for us to believe 
in goodness and God and eternal life 
and heaven. They are even our last 
strand in the evidence for personal im- 
mortality, for we cannot believe that all 
that power of loving and all that wealth 
of grace and all that beauty of charac- 
ter have ceased. He lives a poor, at- 
tenuated life who has never thrilled . to 
the mystic union, who does not know 
that 

"There are two societies alone on earth: 
The noble living and the noble dead." 
And sometimes even we see that they 
are not two but one great society, the 
one irrefragable bond of souls, the one 
communion of the saints. The memory 
of the just is blessed — a blessing to us 
more than we can put into words, not 
only in stimulating us to emulation, not 
only exciting us and guiding us to all 
good, but also establishing us in faith 
in the good and faith in that we too have 
the same real vocation, to which we are 
called to walk worthily. — Prof. Hugh 
Black. 

299. An army chaplain tells of hav- 
ing bivouacked with his brigade upon 
an open field with nothing over him 
but the cold, cloudy sky. On arising 
the next morning, all over that field 
were little mounds like new-made 
graves, each covered with a drapery of 
snow which had fallen two or three in- 
ches during the night and covered each 
soldier as with the winding sheet of 
death. While he was gazing upon the 
strange spectacle, here and there a man 
began to stir, rise, shake himself and 
stand in momentary amazement at the 
sight. It was a beautiful symbol of 
the resurrection. 

300. In a certain seminary a prize 
was offered for the best design for an 
Easter card. All labored hard ex- 
cept one, who seemed kept from try- 
ing by a lingering illness. She felt the 
disappointment keenly. On a flower 
stand in her room stood a rose-bush, 
whose flowers were gone and leaves 
withering, and by its side a beautiful 
lily just opening. She could think of 
nothing but the awarding of the prize. 
Pointing to the ugly caterpillar on the 
rose-bush, she said, "That is just like 
me." Her friend replied, "Out of such 
caterpillars, butterflies are born." Soon 
after, lo! on the lily was a beautiful 
butterfly, which had left the skeleton of 



the caterpillar in the rose-pot. The suf- 
ferer cried out, "I have got the design 
for my picture." And lo! when the 
award of prizes was made, her pic- 
ture of the butterfly on the lily gained 
the prize. Out of her sorrows she rose 
to a new life. 

301. An ancient legend tells how a 
monk in days long gone by found the 
crown of thorns which had encircled the 
Saviour's brow. He laid it on the altar 
in the chapel on Good Friday, and he 
and his flock looked with reverent awe 
on the dreadful relic, so rugged, so 
cruel, with its awful stains of blood. 
Very early on Easter morning, the monk 
came to the church to remove the 
thorn-crown, which would be so strange- 
ly out of harmony with the bright 
thoughts of Easter Day. When he 
opened the door he found the chapel 
filled with a wondrous perfume. The 
early sunlight, shining through the 
eastern window, fell upon the altar. 
There the monk saw the crown of thorns 
still living, but it had burst into roses 
of rarest loveliness and sweetest fra- 
grance. 

Christ's Ascension. Intercession. 

(302-308) 

302. Christ ascended to heaven and 
led captivity captive; but only that 
through his victory he might make us 
also conquerors by his descending 
power. 

Christ ascended to heaven and re- 
ceived gifts, not for his own enrichment, 
but that he might bestow them upon us 
in the descending blessing. 

Christ ascended to heaven . that he 
might carry on his continual work of 
intercession; but only that its results 
might be felt in their descent to the 
earth. 

Christ ascended to heaven that he 
might come into possession of the glor- 
ious kingdom; but only that his joy 
might descend to the hearts of his sub- 
jects and remain in them, making their 
own joy full. 

303. The ascending Christ preaches 
to us a gospel of encouragement. These 
lives we live would lose the cheap and 
dull and mean appearance they often 
wear in our own eyes, if we could only 
now and then unlink them from the as- 
sociations of time, and link them to the 
associations of eternity. Any one hu- 
man life, looked at all by itself, is al- 
most necessarily insignificant. . . What 
we need is to have opened to our sight 
the generous spaces and long vistas of 
the heavenly country. The ascension 
does this for us. We see our Elder 



The Son. 



— 49 — 



The Holy Spirit. 



Brother going up to take possession of 
his throne, and with something, even 
though it be ever so little, of his nobil- 
ity, we are ourselves ennobled as we 
look. — W. R. Huntington, D. D. 

304. The Captain of our salvation has 
not withdrawn to a safe height, leaving 
us to fight his battles; but as the first 
martyr saw him standing in attitude of 
eager sympathy and swift help, so he 
is with all his struggling servants a 
presence nearer than all others, and ne- 
ver withdrawn from the trustful heart. 
His name is Immanuel, — God with us, — 
till the end of the ages, when he will 
take us from toil to rest, and "so shall 
we ever be with the Lord," who was 
"with us" while change and sorrow and 
conflict pressed us sore. — Alexander Mc- 
Laren, D. D. 

305. Christ's life here assures us of 
his kinship with us on earth; his ascen- 
sion enables us to feel our kinship with 
him in heaven. Earth is not more 
lonely because of his return, but heaven 
becomes more clearly the home to 
which our hearts are to turn. He went 
before in order to welcome us when we 1 
are summoned to follow. But for the ' 
present struggle of life, also, his ascen- 
sion has its significance. — A. W. Kelly. 

30fi. The great lesson for us all is. that 
the posture of those who love Christ 
must henceforth be one not more of 
retrospect than of expectation. It is 
well indeed that you should treasure in 
your mind the thought of him as he 
was on earth. To live in his wonderful 
works, in his perfect example, in his di- 
vine words, is the safe and blessed priv- 
ilege of the faithful. And to look up 
after him, into heaven, and see him 
DOV by faith as he lives there, the me- 1 
diator and the intercessor and the high- ] 
priest of man; the resurrection and the 
life, first of the soul, and hereafter also 
of the body, of each one of his people; 
to ascend thither, in heart and mind, 
after him. and with him continually to 
dwell; to seek and to set your affection 
on things above, where Christ sitteth 
at the right hand of God; this Is one 
great part of the secret of the Chris- 
tian life below: thus It is that men are 
made strong for conflict, victorious over 
temptation, and at last fit for heaven. [ 
But all this is a different thing from 
vain regret and from Idle contempla- 
tion. To gaze up into heaven after one 
who is gone. Is not the work of his ' 
church below. Rather is it to gaze up 

into heaven for One who will conic. — 
Vaughan. 

307. When Dr. Doddridge lived at 
Northampton there was a poor Irish- | 
i Prnc. 111. 



man condemned for sheep stealing. In 
those days the statutebook of England 
was very cruel. He scarcely thought 
that there was proof of the man's guilt, 
and he believed in the book that teach- 
es that a man is better than a sheep. 
He traveled, toiled and tried hard to 
get the man a reprieve, but unsuccess- 
fully; he came back, and the man was 
hanged. On the road to execution the 
convict got them to stop the cart just 
opposite Dr. Doddridge's house, and, 
kneeling down, he said, "God bless you, 
Dr. Doddridge; every vein in my heart 
loves you, every drop of my blood loves 
you, for you tried to save every drop 
of it." There was a man! What love 
he has for the intercessor who had 
failed. But Christ has succeeded, and 
what a price he has given. Oh, that 
every one would feel this, and be led to 
exclaim, "Every vein of my heart loves 
thee, O Christ, every drop of my blood 
loves thee, for thou hast died to save 
me, and dost live to intercede for me." 

308. In one of our villages in Xorth 
India a missionary was preaching in a 
bazaar, and after he had closed a Mo- 
hammedan gentleman came up and 
said: "You must admit we have one 
thing you have not, and it is better than 
anything you have." The missionary 
smiled and treated him as a gentleman 
and said: "I should be pleased to hear 
what it is." The Mohammedan gentle- 
man said: "You know when we go to 
our Mecca we find at least a coffin. But 
when you Christians go to Jerusalem, 
which is your Mecca, you find nothing 
but an empty grave." And the mission- 
ary smiled and said: "That is just the 
difference. Mahomet is dead. Mahomet 
is in his coffin." And all false systems 
of religion and philosophy are in their 
coffins. But Jesus Christ, whose king- 
dom is to include all nations and kin- 
dreds and tribes, is not here; He is 
risen. And all power in heaven and 
earth Is given unto I)lm. That is our 
hope. 

The Holy Spirit. (309-340) 

301). The Holy Ghost la so called, not 

hecause he is holier than the other Per- 
sons of the Godhead, but because one 
of his special functions is to sanctify, 
that is, to cultivate holiness in man. 

S10. \\ c cannot have the Father and 
the Son without the Spirit. Neither can 
we have the grace of Christ and the 
love of God without the communion )f 
the Spirit. The Spirit Is the abiding 
representative of the Godhead in tin- 
heart of the believer. He is the omni- 
present teacher, comforter and sane 1 1 - 
fler. Hence this Is the dispensation of 



The Holy Spirit. 



— 50 — 



His Character and Mission. 



the Spirit; and all the life and power of 
the gospel are from him. When he re- 
veals himself the truth is all aglow, the 
hearts of Christians are warm and the 
consciences of sinners are awakened. 
"When he is grieved away, or his light 
is quenched, formalism and fear, unbe- 
lief and worldliness prevail. If we 
would have the grace that is in Christ 
and the love of God shed abroad in our 
hearts we must secure the communion 
or fellowship of the Holy Spirit. 

311. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit, 
whose office it is "To convince the world 
of sin, of righteousness, and of Judg- 
ment to come." He locates us on the 
chart by pointing out sin; shows us the 
way by marking the position of right- 
eousness; and stimulates our desire for 
the true life by declaring the "judg- 
ments", the awful results of continued 
wandering. And now, knowing where 
God is, and where we are; where the 
path of life is, and the direction in 
which we have wandered from it; 
though the stars be still hidden from 
our sight, we can take our bearings, 
and safely trust the compass to guide 
our steps over the way marked out for 
us on the God-given chart. Not con- 
science alone, then, but conscience illu- 
minated by the Holy Spirit and instruct- 
ed by Divine Revelation, is the safe 
guide. Let us seek to be led by an en- 
lightened conscience. — Chas. T. Wing. 

312. It is the great defect of the 

teaching as to the Holy Spirit in our day 
that evidences of his presence or the 
attractiveness of his fullness are based so 
largely upon mystical experiences or 
even "upon power for service. Instead 
of shutting up this great, animating 
power to ministers, evangelists, reli- 
gious services, and occasional spiritual 
experiences, what is needed is its exten- 
sion into the rank and file of the profes- 
sing church and into every business and 
occupation of life. Pentecostal seasons 
are blessed but they are exceptional, 
and by their very nature must be so. 
But the duties of life are ever with us. 
To have business men, students, mo- 
thers, and all controlled by the Holy 
Spirit would make a heaven of earth 
and of life. — Alex. Patterson. 

313. What the light is to the mari- 
ner's compass, or the wind to the sail of 
the ship, or the oil to the lamp, or the 
sap to the tree, rising up softly and dif- 
fusing its life to the farthest leaf of the 
remotest branch, that the Spirit is to the 
Christian work. I should as soon at- 
tempt to raise flowers if there were no 
atmosphere, or produce fruits if there 
were neither light nor heat, as to at- 



tempt to regenerate men without the 
Holy Spirit. — Beecher. 

314. Standing on the deck of a ship 
in mid-ocean, you see the sun reflected 
from its depths. From a little boat on 
a mountain lake you see the sun reflect- 
ed from its shallow waters. Looking 
into the mountain spring not more than 
six inches in diameter, you see the same 
great sun. Look into the dewdrop of 
the morning, and there it is again. The 
sun has a way of adapting itself to its 
reflections. The ocean is not too large 
to hold it, nor the dewdrop too small. 
So God can fill any man, whether his 
capacity be like the ocean, like the 
mountain lake, like the spring, or like 
the dewdrop. Whatever, therefore, be 
the capacity, there is opened up the 
possibility of being "filled with the full- 
ness of God." 

315. Stephen was full of the Holy 
Ghost before he did his miracles, as the 
wire is full of electricity before you 
turn on the light. As occasion required, 
the Holy Spirit worked through him to 
perform these wonders. — Major D. W. 
Whittle. 

316. God works through means in spir- 
itual things as well as in material. The 
church is his instrument. God will 
not and cannot violate his laws. Elec- 
tricity is the best physical agent known 
by which to illustrate the workings of 
the Holy Ghost. Electricity can do al- 
most anything, but only in conformity 
to law, only by means of conductors, 
only as its way is prepared. Let the 
machinery be in order, and see how the 
electricity flies along the wires carrying 
your messages, pushing 'your cars, fur- 
nishing your light; but let the machin- 
ery be out of order, let the wire be cut, 
and where is your electricity? Even 
so the Holy Ghost. Let the conditions 
be complied with, and how he flashes 
forth light, power, salvation! Let the 
wire be cut, and even the Holy Ghost 
cannot overleap the break. The fire 
from heaven cannot come. — P. R. Berry. 

317. The Spirit is "given to them that 
obey him." The greatest obstacles in 
the way of God's entrance to our lives 
are not in our heads, but in our hearts. 
For one who fails to experience his 
power because of trouble with the 
thinking, there are many who shut him 
out by their living. "If any man is 
willing to do his will, he shall know" 
the essential things. Much confusion of 
thought would be cleared up to the soul 
which prays "Lord what wilt thou have 
me to do?" It may not be a great duty 
which we have neglected; it may be 
what we regard as a small section of 
our hearts which we close against him; 



The Holy Spirit. 



— 51 - 



His Character and Mission. 



but it is enough to prevent the working 
of his power. Any cherished sin or 
act of disobedience produces the same 
result. 

318. We must be emptied. Dr. Gor- 
don reminded us that the wind always 
blows toward a vacuum. So in that up- 
per chamber, the disciples were being 
emptied, and a vacuum was being made. 
The son of thunder was emptied of the 
thunder, that he might be filled with 
love. The doubting Thomas was emp- 
tied of his doubt, that he might be 
filled with light. The presumptuous 
and vacillating Peter was emptied of 
his presumption and his fickleness, that 
he might be filled with all the power of 
God. And then there came the sound 
as of a rushing mighty w.ind, and God 
came into them and used them. 

319. It is possible to take a large 
box and fill it with cannon balls. They 
will be six or eight inches in diameter. 
The box may be packed until not an- 
other ball can be put into it. No re- 
shaping of the cannon balls can give 
space for even one more ball. The 
box is full, absolutely full of cannon 
balls. Then when this has been done, 
we can go to the box and pour pail after 
pail, pail after 'pail of water into this 
box. The box was full, and still there 
was room for the water. There the 
water is, flowing in and around and 
covering all. It has displaced nothing. 
There was room for it. So in our hu- 
man life, crowded full as it may be with 
work and care and study, there is al- 
ways room, always time for this in- 
flowing and indwelling of a spiritual 
fullness which may supplant nothing 
but may give environment and tone to 
everything. — McClure. 

320. The root idea of Christianity is 

men and women carrying on Christ's 
work in the power which fitted him for 
his service — the power of the Holy 
Ghost. — Rev. Mark Guy Pearse. 

321. When a shipload of sacred earth 
was sent from Jerusalem to mingle with 
the common soil in the fampo Santo at 
Pisa, a new flower sprang up, the deli- 
cate and graceful anemone, which may 
still be found in the long grass of the 
place. So, when the good Spirit of God 
comes Into our hearts and abides there, 
something brighter and bettor than the 
wind-flower will appear. All the beau- 
tiful blossoms of his grace will begin to 
bloom in our life. The fruit of the 
Spirit is love, Joy, peace, long-sufforing, 
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meek- 
ness, temperance. 

322. By Cleansing Us. The floor of 
an old castle was always found as free 



from dust as if it had been recently 
swept. But as no maid's care was ever 
bestowed upon it, there was a supersti- 
tion, and the uneducated of the neigh- 
borhood actually believed, that a good- 
natured fairy constantly swept the neg- 
lected floor. The real cause of the phe- 
nomenon is supposed to have been 
found in the constant draft of air which, 
rushing through the crannies of the 
rock, effectually carried off the dust be- 
fore it had time to accumulate. For 
cleansing the ever-accumulating dust 
and filth of sin in the human heart, 
other than mere human agency is un- 
questionably necessary. God's spirit, 
compared to the wind "blowing where 
it listeth," is the only power equal to 
this stupendous task. — G. D., Horn. Re- 
1 view 

323. Conviction of Sin. At a meet- 
ing of the college men of the Chris- 
tian associations of the State of Ohio, 
when I was speaking of the deadening 
influence of unconfessed sin upon the 
life of a Christian, one of the students 
fairly sobbed aloud in his distress, and 
at the close of the meeting went to his 
room in the hotel and wrote this letter: 
"Dear Father: Last summer I went to 
your private drawer and took out $20. 
I am not now able to return it, but I 
write to you to ask your forgiveness, as 
I have already asked God." And when 
the letter was signed and sealed and 
dropped into the post box the burden 
of sin rolled away from the heart of 
that man. and he entered upon a ca- 
reer of Christian service he never had 
even dreamed of before. Testimonies 
received concerning him have revealed 
the fact that God has simply led him 
from one place of power to another 
since that time of sharp struggle when 
• the day broke upon him. — Chapman. 

321. Christian Life without the Spirit 
Impossible. There is not .a daisy, that 
was not organized to be a daisy, but I 
should like to see one that did not have 
the sun to help it up from the seed; 
there is not an aster that was not or- 
ganized to be an aster, but where is 
there one that grew independent of the 
sun! What the sun is to flowers, that 
the Holy Ghost is to the soul. 

32."). Have you been filled with the 
Holy Ghost for the development of 
Christian character, love, joy, peace, 
long-suffering. gentleness, goodness, 
faith, meekness and self-control 7 Mr. 
Finney used to say that it was just as 
wicked for a man to be disobeying the 
command to be filled with the Spirit, 
as for an Impenitent person not 
to yield the will to the eternal t'.ort. and 
I almost believe It — nay, I do believe It. 



The Holy Spirit. 



— 52 — 



His Character and Mission. 



But that is a great word — "filled with 
the Spirit of God." There is room for 
various things in this tumbler, but if it 
were filled with water there would not 
even be room for the atmosphere. 

326. The following instance was fre- 
quently cited by Rev. Dr. A. J. Gor- 
don: An American with an English 
gentleman was viewing the Niagara 
whirlpool rapids, when he said to his 
friend: "Come, and I'll show you 
the greatest unused power in the 
world;" and taking him to the foot 
of Niagara Falls, "There", he said, "is 
the greatest unused power in the 
world!" "Ah, no my brother. Not so!" 
was the reply. "The greatest unused 
power in the world is the Holy Spirit of 
the living God." 

327. The Greek or Roman advocate 
helped his client in two different ways. 
Sometimes he spoke for the client be- 
fore the tribunal, as our advocates do, 
and it is in this sense that Christ is 
called our Advocate, pleading for us be- 
fore the throne. But in other cases the 
advocate merely prepared a speech 
which the client might speak for him- 
self. It is in this sense that the Holy 
Spirit is our Advocate. He teaches us 
what to pray for. — John A. Broadus, 
D. D. 

328. The Spirit gives us wisdom. Ma- 
dam Guyon lived in the darkest of 
times, and kept alive a spark of God's 
grace and a manifestation of the Holy 
Ghost. At one time, when her husband 
was called into court this woman spent 
some time in prayer with God. Then 
she went into the court-room, and 
standing there before the judges, she 
so spoke by the spirit of God that she 
revealed what their stupid understand- 
ing had not seen about that ease until 
they reversed their rulings and set her 
husband free. After her husband had 
died she had been made an arbitrator in 
a suit of great importance, in which 
there were twenty-two contestants, who 
knew that if they took ther suits into 
court somebody else would get the mo- 
ney rather than any of the twenty-two 
contestants. "While this complicated 
case was still pending, these twenty- 
two contestants came to this godly wo- 
man and said, "We believe in you and 
we will put this case into your hands." 
Only for this one thing, that she might 
be the cause of avoidance of strife 
among her fellows, she said she would 
consider it. She took one month — nev- 
er going out of her room save to her 
meals and to the place of public prayer 
of waiting before God, receiving in an 
especial manner the Holy Spirit for that 
purpose. She made the contestants ac- 
cept her decision before the sealed pa- 



pers were opened, and after they were 
opened every one of the twenty-two 
contestants expressed a satisfaction with 
the justice of her decision and with 
the award that she had made. — Mills. 

329. Years ago I was called in early 
spring to preach to a church which had 
been greatly rent and torn by discord 
and divisions among its members. I 
knew of the fact, but took no part in it; 
indeed, not the slightest notice of it. 
The subject of my first discourse was 
the necessity of honoring the Holy 
Spirit. Then showed the need of pray- 
ing to him for a baptism of patience, 
forbearance, and especially more of the 
Father's love. Did not Jesus say, "He, 
the Spirit, shall take of mine" ? Yes, 
and this was a strong argument for en- 
forcing this duty; What was the re- 
sult? you ask. From that very day a 
quickening spirit entered the church. 
Dry bones began to live, alienated 
hearts were sweetly, lovingly drawn to- 
gether; the spirit of repentance and 
confession prevailed among the mem- 
bers; confessing their faults to one an- 
other in the prayer-meeting was quite 
common. Very soon some of the vilest 
sinners were convicted of sin and of 
judgment, and fear came upon many 
and many were drawn unto him. This 
state of things continued all summer, 
and finally reached the Sabbath-school. 
Several of the older scholars were hope- 
fully converted and united with the 
church. The wilderness became a gar- 
den, and this desert church blossomed 
as the rose. It looked as though the 
old prophet had returned to earth and 
was praying for us the old-fashioned 
prayer: Awake, O north wind, and 
come thou south. 

330. S. D. Gordon thus illustrates the 
meaning of Comforter and his method: 
"Here is a boy in school, head down, 
puzzling over a 'sum'. It won't 'come 
out.' He figures away, and his brow is 
all knotted up, and a worried look is 
coming into his face, for he is a con- 
scientious little fellow. But he can- 
not seem to get it fight, and the clouds 
gather thicker. By and by the teacher 
comes and sits down by his side. It 
awes him a little to have her quite so 
close. But her kindness of manner 
mellows the awe. 'How are you get- 
ting along?' Won't come out right,' fit 
a very despondent tone. 'Let me see — 

did you subtract that ?' 'Oh-h-! I 

forgot that,' and a little light seems to 
break, as he scratches away for a few 
moments; then pauses, 'And this figure 

here, should it be— ?' 'Oh-h-h, I 

see'. More scratching, and a soft sigh 
of relief, and the knitting brows un- 



The Holy Spirit. 



— 53 — 



His Character and Mission. 



ravel, and the face brightens. The 
teacher did not do the problem for him. 
She did better. She let him feel her 
kindly interest, first of all, and gave just 
the light, experienced touch that showed 
him the way out, and yet allowed him 
the peculiar pleasure of getting through 
himself. — That is what 'Comforter' 
means". 

331. An inventor was talking about 
electric conduits. "Do you know that 
great power-house of the traction com- 
pany on the avenue? Well, the mana- 
ger will tell you that 40 per cent, of the 
electricity generated there is lost be- 
cause of imperfect conduits. Think of 
that for prodigious waste! Almost half 
of the product of that great plant for 
nothing!" 

Well might the inventor wax em- 
phatic over this excessive waste of en- 
ergy. But while he was talking our 
mind turned to a similar waste of great- 
er power, and for the same reason. The 
thought is surely not irreverent that the 
very power of the Spirit of God is ren- 
dered unavailing because it must flow 
through human conduits that are im- 
perfect. — The Wellspring. 

332. There is nothing more clearly 
taught in the Bible than that the Holy 
Spirit guides in our work as well as in 
the study of the Word. Too frequently 
this is ignored. Christians believe 
this guidance is for the preacher. 
Lay Christians are allowed to choose 
for themselves this or that kind of work, 
and this or that place of work. Very 
little is thought of submitting them- 
selves to the guidance of the Spirit in 
the matter of service. Surely this must 
be the reason why so many in our 
churches are doing nothing. There is 
no duty in the church in which he will 
not direct us, and no soul he will not 
guide to the place he would have him 
fill. — Len G. Eroughton. 

333. At the great engine factory of 
Bolton & Watt, the first factory worked 
by steam, Mr. Bolton said to Dr. John- 
son "Sir, we sell here the thing all 
men are in search of — power." 

331. There Is a curious little inven- 
tion of Japan, by which small dry 
wisps of wood or straw, by some magic, 
when dropped Into a bowl of water, 
spread Into flowers, and stars, and 
graceful shapes. One moment they 
seem dry and dead; the next, as by a 
miracle, they expand, blossom, change 
Into strange beauty. Thus, by the 
power of the Holy Spirit, a human soul, 
chill, dry. barren. Is bathed in a flood 
of heavenly enthusiasm, and from that 
baptism, arises, mighty to help the 



Lord in the salvation of the world. — 
Margaret E. Sangster. 

335. What a green and pleasant 
country England is! Even the winters 
are genial. And the spring is soon 
when the hawthorn blossoms and the 
nightingales sing. But England is in 
the latitude of Labrador. Brief are 
the summers there; for almost the 
whole year reign there the chill and the 
grip of winter. Sailing homeward once 
by the northern route it was not long 
before the mists and cold which be- 
longed to Labrador caught and kept the 

: steamer. Why? We had sailed be- 
yond the genial current of the Gulf 
Stream. Those warming waters, wrap- 
ping England, enable it for its 'fertility 
and its verdure. 

Do we not need such enabling for the 
noble living our religion demands? It 
is for us — is another essential meaning 
of our religion: it is for us in the Holy 
Spirit. Says a rare, sweet Hindu Chris- 
tian — "While the old Hindu Scriptures 
have given us some beautiful precepts 
of living, the new dispensation of Christ 
has given us grace to carry these prin- 
ciples into practice; and that makes all 
the difference in the world." — Wayland 
Hoyt, D. D., In Christian Intelligencer. 

336. Assurance. A pastor in a cer- 
tain city had a Sunday-school superin- 
tendent who was a man who fulfilled 
every religious duty faithfully, as it 
seemed, but he said to the pastor one 
day, "I never knew whether I was 
saved or not; I have always been trou- 
bled about that. I have gone about my 
duties as faithfully as I might, but I 
have never known whether I was a 
child of God or not." The pastor said, "I 
can tell you how you may know. 
Promise me this, that every time that 
God calls this thought to your heart, 
you will kneel down and say, 'Oh, God, 
send thy Holy Spirit fully into my heart 
that I may know that I am a child of 

! God. You will do it for Christ's sake. 
1 Amen.' " The next morning he rose up 
i and came down stairs and took his 
newspaper to read and he thought of 
his promise about that prayer, and he 
' knelt down and prayed, "Oh God, send 
i Thy Holy Spirit in his fullness into my 
heart, that I may know that I am a 
child of God. You will do it for Christ's 
I sake. Amen." After a while he went 
I to his office and there came to him 
again this thought, and he went into a 
secret place, and there he knelt down 
! and prayed the same prayer. Over and 
over again that day he prayed this 
j>rayer, until there began to dnwn into 
I his soul a new confidence. The next 
I morning, before he took up the paper. 



The Holy Spirit. 



— 54 — 



His Character and Mission. 



he knelt down and offered the same 
prayer, and when he rose up and took 
his paper again to read it, he could 
not read it. It seemed to him as 
though the page was blank, until at 
last he bowed again before God and 
God poured into liim the fullness of the 
confidence of a child of God in that 
marvellous manifestation of the help- 
ful presence of the Holy Ghost. — Mills. 

337. The Spirit will enable the wit- 
ness-bearer to speak with boldness. 

"When they were all filled with the 
Holy Spirit, they spake the "Word of 
God with boldness." What a change 
came over the disciples on the Day of 
Pentecost. A short time before, they 
were afraid to acknowledge that they 
even knew Christ. Peter denied him, 
and swore in order to give the denial 
emphasis. After his crucifixion, they 
were hiding away in a little upper room, 
fearing lest they should be mobbed. 
But after they were filled with the Holy 
Spirit Peter, with the other disciples, 
faced the Jewish mob and preached 
Christ unto them. Afterward, Peter 
and John were arrested and commanded 
not to speak at all nor teach in the 
name of Jesus, but no Sanhedrin or 
court could frighten them now. They 
declared they would obey God rather 
than man, and would boldly speak the 
things which they had heard and seen. 
There is nothing that will give the 
Christian such boldness as the conscious 
realization that God Almighty, with all 
the power of heaven and earth, stands 
by him to furnish him all needed as- 
sistance in accomplishing his mission. 

338. The earnest of the Spirit. We 

do not have an earnest in these days 
and in these countries, although they 
still do in some Oriental countries. In 
the old way of transacting business, if 
a man bought a piece of property, when 
the transfer was made, in order to in- 
dicate that it had been completed, the 
former owner of the property took a 
bag of dirt, or a handful of it, and 
handed it over to the next proprietor, 
and when he received that he owned the 
whole field. He did not have it all 
where he could put his hands upon it 
in a second, but he owned it all, and he 
did have some of it of the very same 
character and quality as the rest. And 
this is what I believe about the fullness 
of the Holy Ghost. I do not think as 
yet that my soul has been large enough 
to appropriate him all, and I still do hun- 
ger, waiting for the redemption of the 
body; but I have some of everything that 
I am going to" have in the eternal world 
of glory, something for my body, some- 
thing for my mind and for my soul, and 



I expect to have nothing differing in 
quality but only in degree when I shall 
stand clad in the white robes of the 
Lord Jesus — no difference between his 
face and mine, or between his heart and 
that which shall beat within my breast. 
Some of it I have. He has given me 
the earnest of his Holy Spirit, if I will 
only realize it, something of all the life 
or the infinite glory that is to come. 

He has given me this earnest to be as 
a seal. What does a seal do? Stamp 
it on the wax and take it up, and there 
on the wax is exactly the thing that 
was on the seal. The Holy Spirit has 
come to me to be to me something of 
all that is coming unto me, and stamped 
upon me to make me over again into 
the likeness. of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

339. A boy had a dove so tame that 
it would perch upon his shoulder and 
take food from his hand. One day he 
held out a tempting morsel, and, being 
in an ill-natured mood, just as the dove 
was about to eat he closed his hand. 
The bird turned away disappointed. 
He held out his hand again, the dove 
came forward timidly, but once more 
the hand was closed. With drooping 
wings the dove went to the farther cor- 
ner of the room. Once more the hand 
was extended. This time the bird hesi- 
tated, finally it came forward slowly, 
hesitatingly, it was just about to take 
the food when the hand was again 
closed. Then the dove spread its wings 
and flew away, and the boy never saw 
that dove again. 

The Holy Spirit may be grieved, ef- 
fectually grieved. His gentle monitions 
may be so slighted, his wooing influen- 
ces so evil-entreated, that in sorrow he 
will retire or suspend his gentle minis- 
try. 

340. Hear the pledge of Jesus Christ: 
"I will not leave you comfortless: I 

will come unto you. Lo! I am with you 
alway, even unto the end of the world." 
As long as God lives and our souls live, 
so long does this pledge stand. It is true, 
we cannot always feel this presence. But 
we can always know that it is there, al- 
ways think of it, so long as thought en- 
dures, always rest upon it forever and 
forever; and the reason why this prom- 
ise is given is that we may hold fast to 
this truth. There may be a moment in 
the very depths of sorrow and anguish 
when the presence is hidden from us. 
But is it not because we are stunned, 
unconscious? It is like passing through 
a surgical operation. The time comes 
for the ordeal. The anaesthetic is ready. 
You stretch out your hand to your 
friend: "Don't leave me, don't forsake 
me." The last thing you feel is the 



Sin. 



— 55 — 



The Fall. Sin's Beginnings. 



clasp of that hand, the last thing you 
see is the face of that friend. Then a 
moment of darkness, a blank — and the 
first thing you see is the face of love 
again. So the angel of God's face 
stands by us, bends above us, and we 
may know that he will be there even 
when all else fails. . . Amid the mists 
that shroud the great ocean beyond 
the verge of mortal life, there is one 
sweet, mighty voice that says: "I will 
never leave thee, nor forsake thee. In 
all thy afflictions I will be with thee, 
and the angel of my face shall save 
thee". — Dr. Henry van Dyke. 

S I N. (341-623) 

The Fall. Sin's Beginnings. (341-344) 

341. The Surrendered Fort. Let us 
take an illustration of what we are now 
speaking about. Suppose we compare 
the soul of Adam to a fort, or palace. 
When God created him good, and put 
him in the garden of Eden, then that 
fort belonged to God, with all the goods 
that were in it. It was God's fort, and 
God's flag was flying on the walls of it. 
Satan wanted to conquer that fort, and 
get possession of it for himself. He 
knew that God, the owner of this fort, 
was stronger than he was, and so he 
did not try to storm the fort, or take 
it by violence^. He saw that there was 
only one way in which he could suc- 
ceed, and that was by deceit and treach- 
ery. He could not batter down the 
walls of the fort, or force open the 
gates. So he came to Adam and Eve, 
and told them lies about God, and tried 
to persuade them to open the gates of 
the fort, and let him in. And this is 
just what they did when they broke 
God's law, and obeyed Satan rather than 
God. They opened the sates of the 
fort to him, and let him in. He took 
possession of it as his own. He hauled 
down God's flag from the walls of tha 
fort, and ran up his own flag in the 
place of it. 

312. A true Christian living in the 
world is like n ship sailing on the 
ocean. It is not the ship being in the 
water which will sink it, but the water 
getting into the ship. So in like man- 
ner, the Christian is not ruined by liv- 
ing in the world, which he must needs 
do whilst he remains in the body, but 
by the world living in him. The world 
in the heart has ruined millions of im- 
mortal souls. How careful is the mar- 
iner to guard against leakage, lest the 
water entering into the vessel should, 
by imperceptible degrees, cause the 
vessel to sink; and ought not the Chris- 
tian to watch and pray, lest Satan and 



the world should find some unguarded 
inlet into the heart? — New York Obser- 
j ver. 

343. At a TT. S. Arsenal in New York 

a large gun lay, marked "condemned". 
I asked the attendant why that appar- 
ently perfect piece of work was con- 
demned. He pointed out some little in- 
dentations about the size of a pin head, 
! which dotted the gun in a dozen places, 
f These seemed insignificant. They seemed 
; very minute in comparison with the size 
| of the steel ingot. They did not ap- 
■ pear to go deeper than a thirty-second 
of an inch; and yet the gun was con- 
demned. Xo one could tell what the 
1 extent would be of the influence of 
those bubbles. For all that could be 
I determined there might be a weakness 
' extending through the entire piece of 
metal, so that in the crisis of war or 
battle, the mighty engine capable of 
hurling half a ton of metal a dozen 
miles and hitting a target with fine ac- 
curacy, might, nevertheless, under the 
j heat of battle and the strain of powder, 
burst into a thousand fragments. We 
can not afford to ignore our slightest 
faults. Some basic flaw may destroy 
our characters and ruin others, be we 
ever so perfect in other points. "Cleanse 
thou me from hidden faults." Remem- 
ber the pinhead spots that ruined the 
gun. 

344. Tertullian called sin "the Great 
Interloper." 

Sin's Nature— Growth— Methods. 

(345-369) 

345. Satan is loath to relinquish his 
hold upon his servants. Dr. W. 1j. Wat- 
kinson tells us of how some misguided 
scientists have recently succeeded in 
producing what he calls a diabolical 
fad. By grafting a. portion of one in- 
sect on the body of another, they have 
made new organisms in which are con- 
joined beings of directly opposite na- 

' tures — miserable" creatures, with the 
clash of irreconcilable impulses, and in- 

1 stincts that tear each other! The doc- 
tor imagines a spider-butterfly, with "a 
passion for the sunshine and a love for 
darkness, with a longing for roses and 
a thirst for blood, demanding inconsis- 
tent satisfaction; the creature perplexed 
within itself, afraid of itself, devouring 
itself." 

Yet there is that selfsame thing in us. 
We are that spider-butterfly. "The 
thing that I would. I do not. . . I delight 
In the law of God after the inward 
man. But I find a law in my members 
warring against the law of the spirit of 
my mind." That is the antagonism. 
! We are in a hopeless struggle with a 



Sin. 



— 56 — 



Sin's Nature— Growth — Methods. 



monster that cleaves to us, and from 
which we cannot extricate ourselves be- 
cause it is a part of ourselves. That is 
the dreadful "body of death" which 
Paul pictures, and which we recognize 
as our very own. 

Stevenson's "Strange Story of Dr. 
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is not so strange 
to us, for the two men of diverse char- 
acters are both present in us, joined in 
a mystery of one personality. With far 
more searching insight than Stevenson 
does Edgar Allan Poe represent this 
same antagonism in "William Willson", 
who was constantly encountering a 
gentler man of the same name, and with 
a manner and voice which were won- 
drously like his own, yet as unlike as 
sanctity is unlike depravity. This 
namesake dogged his steps, thwarted 
his purposes, dashed the evil cup from 
his lips, and intruded upon every crit- 
ical hour with an uplifted finger of 
warning. Tormented by his impertinent 
intrusion, William, on one occasion, 
drew his rapier and thrust his gentle 
double through and through. The dy- 
ing man uttered these awful words: 
"Henceforth art thou also dead — dead 
to the world, to heaven, and to hope! 
In me didst thou exist; and in my death, 
see by this image, which is thine own, 
how utterly thou hast murdered thy- 
self." All of which is in full accord 
with Paul's powerful picture of the 
moral perversion and degeneration of a 
soul divided against itself, or the con- 
flict between the lower and higher na- 
tures. 

Hawthorne impersonates Egotism, as 
poor Roderick Elliston carrying in his 
bosom an enormous green reptile, with 
an ice-cold lengthy body, and the dead- 
liest poison in his sting. It ate into and 
absorbed his very being. It stung him 
when he thought of a brother's excel- 
lence, and gave him pleasure when ca- 
lamity overtook a friend. It awakened 
a preternatural insight into others' 
defects,- which he delighted to expose. 
It turned his face into a sickly green, 
mingling with his natural deadly white. 
It put poison into his breath, and turned 
his speech into a revolting hiss. He 
was a crawling, shuddering thing. That 
was bad enough; but what made it 
worse was, wedded to this repulsive 
thing, was sweet love. One might be 
content to be just a serpent; but to be 
both a serpent and a dove, is to writhe 
in the Inferno of contention. — The Liv- 
ing Word. 

346. It is not enough to apply the 
teachings of the Bible merely to our 
outward acts — we must apply them also 
to all our inner life, our thoughts, our 



feelings, our desires, our motives, our 
intentions. Thoughts are things. Bad 
thoughts may stain a life till nothing 
about it remains clean, while no outward 
sin has been committed. There are 
people who never think for a moment 
of killing anybody and yet their hearts 
are full of hatred, of unforgiveness, and 
of all bitter feeling against others. 
They never think of having broken the 
Sixth Commandment, but Jesus says 
they have broken it. The obedience 
Christ wants is obedience of the heart. 
He teaches us to love others. Unloving 
thoughts, he tells ub, hinder us in our 
praying. If we come to worship God 
and remember that we have done any 
wrong to another person, we are to go 
away first and confess our wrong and 
seek forgiveness and then come back 
and go on with our worship. We are 
to keep our hearts pure, for impure de- 
sires and feelings grieve God, even 
though we do no impure act. We are 
not to ' be revengeful, paying back in 
kind those who have harmed us, an eye 
for an eye, but are to bear wrongs pa- 
tiently, forgiving those who injure us. 
We are to love not only those who love 
us, but also those who hate us. Some- 
one said divine love is loving people we 
do not like. 

347. Sin always hides its face with 
some sort of veil or curtain. The Israel- 
ites pretended not to be real idol-wor- 
shippers like the heathen. This 
was to be an image of the true 
God, — disobedient to him, they did 
not forsake him. This sort of 
self-deception is shown in the old story 
of Alcibiades, of whom it is said that 
he embroidered a curtain with lions and 
eagles, the most stately of beasts and 
birds, that he might the more closely 
hide the, picture that was under, full of 
owls and satyrs, the most sadly remark- 
able of other creatures. Thus Satan 
embroiders the curtain with the image 
of virtue, that he may easily hide the 
foul picture of sin that is under it. 

348. No one lets sin into our lives but 
ourselves. Satan cannot force the gates. 

Our sin is never anyone's fault but our 
own. Sometimes it is hard to recog- 
nize this, and sometimes it is easy; but 
recognize it we must if we would ever 
hope to overcome sin. Every sin is a 
defeat, and defeat is possible in this 
warfare only through the aid of those 
within the garrison. There is not much 
credit to ourselves, in this thought, for 
past defeat; there is a world of encour- 
agement here for future victory, if we 
will put the keeping of the garrison in- 
to the hands of One whom sin has never 
conquered. But the first step toward 



Sin. 



— 57 — 



Sin's Nature — Growth — Methods. 



such victory is to acknowledge the 
whole blame of every failure. 

349. The Scriptural teaching that sin 
consists, not so much in the outward 
act, as in the intention, the will, the 
wrong attitude of the soul, is well illus- 
trated by an event which happened in 
Prussia: An aged and wealthy physician 
was found dead in his bed with finger- 
marks around his throat and a knife- 
wound in his chest; his house had been 
plundered. Soon after this event an 
upholsterer in a neighboring town was 
arrested with some of the stolen pro- 
perty in his possession. He made a 
full confession, telling how he had 
killed the aged physician in his sleep. 
The case seemed to be perfectly clear, 
but at the trial the doctors, who made 
the autopsy, testified that the physician 
died that night of apoplexy and must 
have been dead for some time before 
the. burglar broke into the house. In 
spite, therefore, of his murderous inten- 
tion and attempt the burglar could be 
punished only for burglary. 

350. The little sins get in at the win- 
dows and open the doors for the big 
house-breakers. 

351. You need not break the glasses 
of a telescope, or coat them over with 
paint, in order to prevent you from 
seeing through them. Just breathe upon 
them, and the dew of your breath will 
shut out all the stars. So it does not 
require great crimes to hide the light of 
God's countenance. Little faults can do it 
just as well. 

3.">2. Sin as a caterpillar, is bad 
enough, but sin as a butterfly is a thou- 
sand times worse. On every wing there 
is a picture as varied as the rainbow. 
There is a power in sin to make itself 
attractive. Sin beautifies itself by as- 
suming and wearing the wings of wit, 
the wings of fashion, the wings of art, 
the wings of attractive and pleasing 
names. — David Gregg. 

:',.">:?. There is a form of deafness 
known to physicians in which the per- 
son affected is able to hear everything 
except words. In such a case the ear, 
as an apparatus for mere hearing, may 
be so perfect that the tick of a watch or 
the song of a bird is readily appreciated, 
but owing to a local injury deeper than 
the ear, — for it is in the brain itself, — 
all spoken words of his mother-tongue 
are as unintelligible to the sufferer as 
those of a foreign language. Give him a 
book, and he may read as understand- 
ingly as ever, but every word addressed 
to him through his ear reaches his con- 
sciousness only as a sound, not as a 
word. There is a moral deafness which 
corresponds to this physical infirmity, 



but which, instead of being rare, is as 
common as it is harmful and disabling. 
To all men there is given an inner ear, 
which has been fashioned to hear wis- 
dom's words, but often seems so dull of 
hearing that there appears no sign of re- 
sponse to her utterances. — W. H. 
Thompson. ' 

354. A church bell was out of order, 
and gave out a shrill sound. They sent 
to the firm which made the bell — they 
must know what was wrong. And the 
firm sent a man to discover, if possible, 
the secret. And he did discover it. 
Just a few drops of oil had dropped 
down when some one had oiled the 
bearings above, and had settled upon 
the lower rim of the great bell! That 
was all; but it had proved to be enough 
to raise the tone of the bell several de- 
grees. The man wiped the oil away, 
and the bell came back to its accus- 
tomed sound. How much this is like 
the result of the wrong acts we do! 
Often we call the deeds we perform so 
small that they will make no difference 
to any one in the world. They are hid- 
den away, so we think, in the secret 
recesses of our own hearts. No one 
knows anything about them except our- 
selves and God, and he will forgive us, 
he is so merciful. But there they are, 
like the tiny drops of oil trickling down 
the side of the bell, and by and by they 
will surely change the tone of the song 
we are trying to sing. — The Classmate. 

355. Sin's spread is like that of a 
great plague. Between A. D. 250-262 
a pestilence raged all over the Roman 
Empire, from Egypt to the Hebrides. 
In some Italian cities, three-fourths and 
even four-fifths of the population per- 
ished. Men died like flies. Gibbon 
says that statisticians of the succeeding 
age estimated that half the human race 
perished in twelve years. — Phelps. 

356. There is in every heart a dark 
chamber. There are very, very few of 
us that dare tell all our thoughts and 
show our inmost selves to our dearest 
ones. The most silvery lake that lies 
sleeping amidst beauty — itself the very 
fairest spot of all — when drained off, 
shows ugly ooze and filthy mud, and all 
manner of creeping abominations in the 
slime. I wonder what we should see 
if our hearts were drained off. and the 
very bottom layer of everything brought 
Into the light! Do you think you would 
stand it? Well, then, go to God and ask 
him to keep you from unconscious sms. 
— Alex. Maclaren. 

857. Our besetting sins are peculiarly 
humiliating. They cling to us so firmly 
after we have determined to be rid of 
them. It is no excuse for us, but It is 



Sin. 



— 58 — 



Sin's Nature — Growth— Methods. 



comforting to remember that everybody 
else is tempted similarly and that our 
heavenly Father understands the situa- 
tion even better than we do. It is a 
strong temptation to make special ex- 
cuses for such sins. Sometimes and to 
some extent this is proper. For exam- 
ple, he who, like so many, has inherited 
the desire for strong drink certainly has 
in that fact a special excuse for com- 
mitting that sin. He is not to blame 
for the hereditary taste which he cannot 
help having'. It is his misfortune and 
not his fault. But this excuse is not a 
justification. He is actually and seri- 
ously to blame for yielding. The 
knowledge of his inherited tendency 
should serve as a special and solemn 
warning and restraint, fortifying him 
against tampering with the temptation 
which he knows is graver for him than 
for others. Besetting sins are to be 
conquered, like any other, by prayer and 
faith and courage and sturdy resistance. 

358. Sir Richard Temple, who lived 
in the time of the French Revolution, 
recovered a ring that was a family relic. 
In it was a very delicate music-box, and 
whenever a little spring was touched a 
beautiful tune was rendered. The own- 
er of this ring was arrested and impris- 
oned. During his lonely hours he could 
touch the tiny spring, put the ring to 
his ear and be cheered by its old sweet 
song. When his head was placed on 
the guillotine, the spring was touched 
and the song began. Upon the death 
of the owner, the ring was lost and, 
long afterward, when recovered, it 
would not sing — the song had ceased. 
Sir Richard took it to a jeweler in Lon- 
don who discovered a tiny blood-clot in 
the minute mechanism of the ring. This 
being removed, the song began again. 
The Christian heart filled with the love 
of Christ has its song of joy and peace. 
But sin — a very small sin — will silence 
that song. If we would have it begin 
again we must bring our sinful heart 
to Jesus who can remove the clot of sin. 

359. A famous ruby was offered for 
sale to the English government. The 
report of the crown jeweler was that it 
was the finest he had ever seen or heard 
of; but that one of the "facets", one of 
the little cuttings of the face, was slight- 
ly fractured. The result was that that 
almost invisible flaw reduced its value 
by thousands of pounds, and it was re- 
jected from the regalia of England. 

When Conova was about to commence 
his famous statue of the great Napoleon 
his keenly observant eye detected a tiny 
red line running through the upper por- 
tion of the splendid block that at infin- 
ite cost had been brought from Paros, 
and he refused to lay a chisel upon it. 



In the story of the early struggles of 
the elder Herschel, while he was work- 
ing out the problem of gigantic telescop- 
ic specula, you will find that he made 
scores upon scores before he got one to 
satisfy him. A scratch like a spider 
thread caused one to be rejected, al- 
though it had cost him weeks of toil. 

360. Rev. G. P. Merrick, of Holloway 
Prison, England, has compiled statistics 
which show that crime is not very re- 
munerative. For 3 72 cases of house- 
breaking, which "gave employment" to 
488 men, the average "earnings" were 
only $63.50. Four hundred and twenty- 
two pickpockets had to divide the pro- 
ceeds of 364 successful attempts, the 
average takings being $22.75. Defraud- 
ing pays better. In 309 eases of this 
sort, each partner received, on an aver- 
age, $731.75. But as there is a long 
time of inaction between each case, 
criminals are among the worst "p,aid" 
individuals. 

361. It is a startling truth that God 
knows all the details of sin in a man's 
life; every movement of the unreason- 
ing, obstinate resistance to the influence 
of holiness, every undiscovered down- 
ward step in sin; till, when the persuad- 
ing hand is utterly cast off, the voice of 
mercy completely drowned, he applies 
some decisive test, which perhaps would 
be an upward inspiration to a struggling 
soul, but which there provokes the drun- 
ken debauchery, or the stroke of for- 
gery, or the murderous blow, or the 
outburst of blasphemy, which proclaims 
to the world not only the justice, but 
the necessity of divine vengeance. Men 
are. startled and amazed. But God is 
not overtaken by surprise. He is only 
showing to men the fact which has re- 
sulted from those secret processes of re- 
sistance to truth which have been from 
tlielr beginning before his eyes. 

362. Sin is unbelief. Martineau speaks 
of men who "if they were told some 
day that God was dead, would go on 
pretty much as they do now." 

363. Unbelief breeds a spirit of ma- 
terialism which, as Matthew Arnold 
said, "Considers it the highest pitch of 
civilization if it can only make its trains 
run every half hour between one dis- 
mal little village and another, and carry 
messages to and fro of the dismal life 
in each." 

364. Sin is disobedience. A man, who 
had been a drunkard with all a drun- 
kard's hard knocks, lay dying, now 
reconciled to God. A preacher said to 
him, "Yes, I know this is a hard old 
world." "No," said the dying man, 
"don't say that. It is just what we 
make it. The world is all right. We 



Sin. 



— 59 — 



Doubt. 



alone are wrong." Obedience and love 
to God are the obligation of all. 

365. Disobedience is not only rebel- 
lion, but insurrection. It holds up a 
disloyal standard for others to follow. 
It includes in its suffering the woes of 
those who become its innocent victims. 
The drunkard's family share the sorrow 
of his reckless career. It, while it 
begins in the soul, soon affects the 
whole being and the whole world. A 
Christian man, apart from hereditary 
taint, ought to have the soundest body 
and the best equipped mind, considering 
his circumstances, as well as the purest 
soul, of any. 

3C6. Soon after Randolph's recovery 
from a severe sickness in 1816, he was 
dining at the house of a prominent poli- 
tician with a large and mixed company. 
"Among them," to use his own words, 
"was a hoary-headed debauchee, whose 
vices had completely shattered his con- 
stitution, and whose days seemed to be 
numbered. And yet", said Randolph, 
"he had the audacity to call in question 
the existence of the Deity, presuming, I 
sum use, that there were many kindred 
spirits there. I happened to sit directly 
opposite to him, and 1 felt so disgusted 
with his impiety that I could not help 
saying: 'I think, sir, that you might bet- 
ter have been silent on that subject, for 
judging from appearances, you, in a 
short time, will have ocular proof of the 
power of that God whose existence you 
now so boldly question. You can afford, 
to wait, sir, the few remaining days of 
your life, and in common courtesy you 
should not shock the reelings of others 
by the exhibition of your blasphemy!' 
He turned pale with anger," adds Ran- 
dolph, "and even trembled; but made 
no rejoinder, and the company soon 
separated. We met more than once 
subsequently, but never afterward re- 
newed our acquaintance, and whether 
his courage to brave death continued or 
not, I do not know." 

367. Jesus represents himself as seat- 
ed on the throne of his glory. Among 
the thousands standing before him, 
many who have not done the "ill ol God 
on earth will try and make out a strong 
case for themselves by recounting the 
good words that they have said and the 
good works that they have done. The 
only answer will be. "I never know you; 
depart." Elegant and even earnest ser- 
mons will not save a faithless minister. 
Large checks to the missionary cause 
will not purchase the salvation of a sin- 
ful millionaire. The rescuing of a drun- 
kard from his dissipations, thus casting 
out the devil of intemperance, will count 
for nothing if the heart of the rescuer 



I be not right with God. The endowing 
of a college, the founding of a hospital, 
or the building of a cathedral, loudly as 
that may be applauded here, will bring 
no commendation at the judgment if 
the philanthropist be a worker of iniq- 
uity; that is, disobedient and unforgiven. 
— Golden Rule. 

368. Spnrgeon tells of a prosperous 
worldling who acknowledged that he 
did many wicked things, but denied that 
he hated God. One day, however, there 
came a fearful flood that threatened to 
destroy this man's flour mill, and he, 
looking on, poured out the most terrible 
imprecations against God. He no lon- 
ger doubted that he hated God; but 
what came out in that hour of testing 
was in his heart all the time. 

369. Shelley, the poet, who, amid the 
glorious scenery of the Alps, and sur- 
rounded there by the sublime manifes- 
tations of God's power, had the hardi- 
hood to avow and record his atheism 
by writing against his name in the reg- 
ister kept for travelers, "An Atheist!'' 
Another traveler who followed, shocked 
and indignant at the inscription, wrote 
beneath it, "If an atheist, a fool; or if 
not, then a liar!" 

Doubt. (370-382) 

370. He who has never questioned the 
truth of the things that are urged upon 
his acceptance in the name of religion; 
who has never felt the very foundations 
parting beneath his feet, and who has 
never agonized, in the grasp of giant 
and overwhelming difficulties, may be 
congratulated on the strength of" his 
faith, but cannot be complimented on 
the depth of his intellect. — Dr. George 
C. Lorimer, in "Isms". 

371. Skepticism and free-thinking, are 
the feverish paroxysms of the human 
mind, and must needs at length confirm 
the health of well-organized souls by the 
unnatural convulsion which they occa- 
sion. The demand for conviction and 
firm belief will be strong and pressing 
in proportion to the torment occasioned 
by the pangs of doubt. — Dr. George 
C. Lorimer. 

372. An old lady on a* sinking ship 
was told that they had no other hope 
but to trust in Providence. — "Has It 
conic to that!" said she. 

373. The following is the testimony 
to his own experience borne by Prof. 
Clifford, the ablest, most scholarly, most 
candid, most noble-minded athelsl of 
the century: "It cannot be doubted that 
theistlc belief is a comfort and a solace 
to those who hold It, and that the loss 
of It is a very painful loss. It cannot 



Sin. 



— 60 — 



Sin's Power — Slavery— Habit. 



be doubted at least by many of us who 
have parted from it with such searching 
trouble as only icradle faiths can cause. 
We have seen the spring sun shine out 
of an empty heaven to light up a soul- 
less earth; we have felt with utter lone- 
liness that the Great Companion is dead. 
Our children, it may be hoped, will 
know that sorrow only by the reflex 
light of a wondering compassion." 

374. A converted skeptic was asked 
how he felt in reference to the resur- 
rection and other truths about which he 
had caviled. "O, sir," he replied, "two 
words from God's book conquered me: 
•Thou fool!'. Do you see this Bible?" 
taking up a beautiful copy of the Scrip- 
tures, fastened with a silver clasp. 
"Will you read the words upon the 
clasp that shuts it?" His friend read, 
engraved on the silver clasp, "Thou 
fool!" "There," said the owner, "are 
the words which conquered me. It 
was no argument, no reasoning, no sat- 
isfying my objections; but God convin- 
cing me that I was a fool, and thence- 
forward, I determined I would have my 
Bible clasped with those words, - 'Thou 
fool!' and never again come to the con- 
sideration of its sacred mysteries but 
through their medium. I will remem- 
ber that I am a fool, and God only is 
wise." 

375. Rev. IT. C. Hovey, D. D. was a 
personal friend of Colonel Ingersoll. 

Early in his ministry he was preaching 
a series of sermons on evolution and 
kindred themes, and large audiences 
gathered to hear him. Among them 
was Ingersoll, who after one of the ser- 
mons took the preacher aside and gave 
him- this sarcastic but very sensible ad- 
vice: "Your people have built up a sys- 
tem of religion with whose foundation 
stones you are fooling. M" advice to 
you is to quit. You are hired to preach 
Christ and him crucified; you had better 
stick to your calling." — Christian Ob- 
server. 

376. It is said that Sir W. Raleigh 

burnt the second part of his "World's 
History" because he was unable to veri- 
fy a little incident which occurred in 
his presence-sunder his very eyes, while 
a prisoner in the Tower of London. He 
said: "How many falsehoods must this 
work contain. If I cannot assure my- 
self of an event which happened in my 
presence, how can I venture to describe 
those which occurred thousands of 
years before I was born; or those which 
passed at a distance, since my birth? 
Truth! Truth! This is the sacrifice which 
I owe to thee!" 

377. Rochester turned to Christ in his 
closing hours. 



378. Hume was not a stranger to the 
house of God, but, in Scotland, some- 
times joined the people in solemn wor- 
ship. 

379. Voltaire reared a church at Fer- 
ney. 

Collins insisted that his servants 
should be faithful to the claims of the 
sanctuary. 

Robespierre decreed the extraordinary 
festival to the Supreme Being. 

380. Huxley plead for the retention 
of the Bible in education. 

Tyndall grew indignant over the im- 
putation cast upon his belief in the Deity. 

M. L/ittre, in the shadow of the grave 
said: "Happy are they who have faith." 

381. There is in most minds a moment 
of regret and reaction immediately after 
a decision has been arrived at; and the 
arguments on the other side never ap- 
pear so forcible as when you have re- 
solved, and have proclaimed your res- 
olution, to act in contravention of them. 
— Helps. 

382. It is said that the nebular hypo- 
thesis of Herschel was due to the lack 
of power of his 40-foot reflector, rather 
than to ascertained data. He mistook 
the limitations of his instrument for 
actual facts. 

Sin's Power— Slavery- Habit. (383-396) 

383. The story runs that, as Abdallah 
lingered over his morning repast, a little 
"fly alighted on his goblet, took a sip, and 
was gone. It came again and again; 
increased its charms; became bolder and 
bolder; grew in size till it presented the 
likeness of a man; consumed Abdallah's 
meat, so that he grew thin and weak 
while his guest became great and strong. 
Then contention arose between them, 
and the youth smote the demon, so that 
he departed; and the youth rejoiced at 
his deliverance. But the demon soon 
came again, charmingly arrayed, and 
was restored to favor. On the morrow 
the youth came not to his teacher. The 
mufti, searching, found him in his cham- 
ber, lying dead upon his divan. His 
visage was black and swollen, and on his 
throat was the pressure of a finger, 
broader than the palm of a mighty man. 
His treasures were gone. In the garden 
the mufti discovered the footprints of 
a giant, one of which measured six 
cubits. Such is the Oriental portrayal 
of the growth and power of habit. 

In a letter to a friend, Samuel Taylor 
Coleridge, who was addicted to the use 
of laudanum, wrote: "For ten years the 
anguish of my spirit has been inexpres- 
sible, but the consciousness of my guilt 
has been worse. I have prayed for de- 



Sin. 



— 61 — 



Sin's Power— Slavery — Habit. 



liverance with drops of agony on my 
brow, trembling not only before the 
Justice of God, but even before the mer- 
cy of my Redeemer. You bid me rouse 
myself. Better go and bid a man par- 
alyzed in both arms to rub them to- 
gether and it will cure him. You have 
no conception of the dreadful hell of 
my mind and conscience and body. You 
bid me pray; Oh, I do pray — to be able 
to pray." So wrote the most gifted 
man of his day. At this time he was 
using three quarts of the drug a week. 
In one dreadful twenty-four hours he 
drank a quart! Such is the bondage of 
Satan. But God's grace redeemed him 
from that bondage. — Mackay. 

384. A vessel, out on the broad Pa- 
cific, freighted with seven-score souls, 
foundered, and was lost with all on 
board. One can imagine the careless 
"lookout", who failed to foresee the peril, 
glancing back after the shock, as the 
ship went plunging on, and discerning 
the treacherous rock glistening in the 
glow of the vessel's sternlights. But it 
was too late then. How full of sad 
meaning are those lines found in Hartley 
Coleridge's Bible: 

"When I received this volume small 

My years were only seventeen; 
"When it was hoped I might be all 

Which, once, alas! I might have been. 
And now my years are twenty-five; 

And every mother hopes her lamb, 
And every happy child alive, 

May never be what now I am." 

385. Suppose I meet a man who Is 
sowing seed, and say: "Hello, stranger, 
what are you sowing?" 

"Seed." 

"What kind of seed?" 
"I don't know." 

"Don't you know whether it is good 
or bad ?" 

"No, I can't toll; but it is seed, that 
is all I want to know, and I am sowing 
it." 

You would say that he was a first- 
class lunatic, wouldn't you? But he 
wouldn't be half so mad as the man who 
goes on sowing for time and eternity, 
;ind never asks himself what lie is BOW- 
inir or what the harvest will be. — D. L. 
Moody. 

38fi. There is a suggestive painting 
called, "Face to Pace With Their For- 
mer Selves," which strikingly represents 
this truth. A man and woman are plc- 
tUTed, wandering hand In hand through a 
forest glade. From their faces the ar- 
tist has Hotted out every trace of no- 
bility and purity. Blear-eyed, bloated, 
depraved, utterly lacking In human na- 
ture's redeeming lineaments, one shrinks 
instinctively from the scene. At the 



point where the picture has caught up 
their history, they have suddenly 
halted, and from their eyes there comes 
a startled gaze. Confronting them 
stand a boy and girl, pure and fresh in 
the innocencj' of youth, and there has 
just been flashed upon the minds of the 
elder pair the thought that they are 
reading a page torn from their own ear- 
ly history. 

387. Suppose I go to a blacksmith and 
say:">Iake me a very long and heavy 
chain of these dimensions. When done 
I will pay you." He lays aside his en- 
gagements and goes hard at work. I 
call as arranged and say: "I have con- 
cluded to make the chain longer; work 
on another week." Flattered with the 
promise of a fresh reward, he toils on. 
I call again and still insist: "It is too 
short." "But," says he, "my iron is ex- 
pended and so is my strength. I want 
my pay." I urge him to add the last 
link of which he is capable. Then, in- 
stead of paying him, suppose I bind him 
hand and foot and cast him into a fur- 
nace of fire. Such is the service of Sa- 
tan. — Field. 

388. Could the young but realize bow 
soon they will become mere walking 
bundles of habits, they would give more 
heed to their conduct while in the plas- 
tic state. We are spinning our own 
fates, good or evil, and never to be un- 
done. 

380. A visitor, watching a woman 
counting apparently endless heaps of 
bank-notes, said, when the worker 
stopped to breathe: "I should think that 
this monotonous work of counting, con- 
tinued for years, would bring on a dis- 
ease of the brain." 

"It would," promptly replied the offi- 
cial, "if we thought of it. But while I 
counted those notes I was planning a 
holiday for my little boy. I repeat the 
numbers unconsciously, as a musician 
touches the keys of the piano. It is a 
habit. It was not always so", she said, 
laughing. "When I began the work I 
was terrified by its importance. The 
officers, pacing up and down, robbed me 
of self-control. T touched the sheets 
with shaking fingers. I was working 
for the government! I went over the 
pile again and again, and even then 
made mistakes. I never make a mis- 
take now. I have the hnblt of counting 
and do it automatically. 

390. Habit is invincible. From early 
life, since the boy stood by his mother's 
knee, since the child was taught in the 
Sunday-school, the practice of Impeni- 
tence, of disobedience to God, of delay 
of duty, has grown Into greater fixed- 
ness. It has become as a rock. The 



Sin. 



— 62 — 



Sin's Power — Slavery — Habit. 



winds of many years have swept upon 
it; the storms of changing seasons have 
beat pitilessly against it; the sun has 
poured its burning rays into every part 
of it. It has hardened more and more. 
The custom of resistance of all motives, 
of all appeals, of all providences, has 
become established. I go to those to 
whom I went thirty years ago with the 
winning words of Christ. I might as 
well speak to a citadel of stone. Those 
tender words of the dear Master, which 
awoke some response so long ago, have 
lost all their charm and force. They 
are like cannon balls shot against the 
face of Gibraltar. They are like mus- 
ketry flaming before the frowning pali- 
sades of Ehrenbreitstein. Joab could 
not lead his brave soldiery into the ram- 
parts of Petra. Custom can hardly be 
conquered. — Rev. Burdette Hart. 

391. It was a quaint and singularly 
wise remark, by a modern essayist, that 
no one's example is so dangerous to us 
as our own; for when we have done a 
certain thing once, it is much easier to 
do it again. It is the first step which 
counts in evil, as well as in good. The 
tendency of human nature to form hab- 
its, to run in grooves, is one of its most 
marked characteristics. Fortunately for 
us, it has its good side as well as its bad 
side. If we can only too easily form a 
habit of petulance, of ill-temper, we can 
also, by trying, form a habit of self- 
control; and each fresh victory over our- 
selves is easier than the first. 

392. Sinful habit spins its threads of 
evil influence about us so rapidly that 
what were yesterday but filmy threads, 
today are thick cords. The spider is so 
well supplied with the silky thread with 
which it makes its web that an experi- 
menter once drew out of the body of a 
single specimen 3,480 yards of the 
threads — a length but a little short of 
two miles. 

393. Forty-six years ago a man 
brought a pair of English rabbits into 
Australia, and it is estimated that the 
country has lost a thousand million dol- 
lars through the depredations of their 
descendants during the last ten years. 
What a startling illustration of the pos- 
sible evil consequences of one act by one 
person, even if we consider merely its 
influence upon the man's own character! 

394. The devil is diligent. Arabi Pa- 
sha was ordered to desist from fortify- 
ing Alexandria, by the English fleet. 
He professed to comply. But one night 
they flashed the great electric search- 
light on the shore, and there his men 
were all at work, in the full glare of the 
light. 



395. A very interesting point in the 
formation of a habit, taught by modern 
physiologists, says Emily Tolman, is 
that fresh nervepaths tend to consolidate 

apart from actual repetition. Thus a 
new task learned in the evening becomes 
easier to perform in the morning than 
it was the night before. Some German 
writers have even said that we learn to 
skate in summer and to swim in winter, 
meaning that having been taught skat- 
ing one winter, the impression deepens 
unconsciously all through the summer, 
so that we begin better the next winter 
than we left off the preceding one. Thus 
the sub-conscious or unconscious mind 
comes to our aid in forming good habits. 

396. According to the old fable, each 
man's personal sins are carried on his 
back, where they are open to the inspec- 
tion of others, and largely hid from his 
own sight. The hazard of overlooking 
our own short-comings, when we in- 
dulge in harsh criticism of others, is 
illustrated again in the popular adage, 
that "they who live in glass houses 
should not throw stones," as well as in 
the proverb, "Physician, heal thyself." 
All of us may well utter the prayer of 
Burns, 

"O wad some power the giftie gie us, 

To see oursels as ithers see us! 

It wad frae monie a blunder free us, 
And foolish notion." 

"Habits of thought", says an eminent 
physician and psychologist, "are as truly 
and readily and often unconsciously es- 
tablished as habits of body, and, indeed, 
the two are sometimes inscrutably 
mixed, as in the lines that habit has 
traced upon the face, rendering physi- 
ognomy a true science." Habits of 
wrong thinking should be avoided and 
habits of right thinking assiduously cul- 
tivated by all who wish for mental, mor- 
al or physical health. 

Maudseley says: "Of no mental act 
can we say that it is 'writ in water.' 
Every impression of sense upon the 
brain, every current of molecular activ- 
ity from one to another part of the 
brain, leaves behind it some after effect 
which renders its reproduction an easier 
matter." It rests with us to form habits 
of rejoicing rather than repining, of 
hoping rather than fearing, of loving 
rather than hating, till joy, hope and 
love have become second nature. — Emily 
Tolman, in The Interior. 

Prof. Dmmmond once told of a man 
who went to consult a London physician 
about his eyes. He examined them 
with a delicate ophthalmoscope and 
then quietly said, "My friend, you are 
practicing a certain sin, and unless you 
give it up, in six months you will be 



Sins Classified. 



blind." For a moment the man stood 
trembling in the agony of discovery, and 
then turning to the sunlit window he 
looked out and exclaimed, "Farewell, 
sweet light, farewell." He was a slave, 
bound hand and foot. 

SINS CLASSIFIED. THE DECALOGUE. 

(394-."">47 ) 

The First Commandment. Other Gods. 

(397-401) 

39". Morality and religion are insep- 
arably connected. If a man will not be 
-both moral and religious he cannot long 
be either. Washington was right when 
he said: "Let us with caution indulge 
the supposition that morality can be 
maintained without religion. Reason 
and experience both forbid us to expect 
that national morality can prevail in ex- 
clusion of religious principles." This is 
a fact that needs restatement and new 
emphasis in our day. Many have talked 
and acted as if morality were self-suffi- 
cient and self-propagating, and that all 
that was needed was that men should 
have knowledge and ethical enlighten- 
ment. This is superficial thinking and 
can readily be demonstrated to be false 
by an appeal to history and life. — The 
Christian Advocate. 

398. The denial of God. freedom, and 
immortality has always left morals with- 
out any foundation. Ethics and moral- 
ity are Streams that How from the foun- 
tains of the Christian religion. The 
streams cannot continue to flow if the 
fountains are destroyed. We must look 
to a holy God for the unvarying stand- 
ard, and to a holy love incarnated as a 
personal friend for the sufficient organ- 
izing motive and moral dynamic. Jesus 
of Xazareth declared the eternal law of 
ethics and morality when he said: 
"Without mc ye can do nothing." 

396. Your national banner is insulted; 
your blood boils in your veins, and you 
cannot rest until the wrong has been re- 
paired. Your earthly friend is reviled in 
your presence; you would scorn yourself 
if you could submit with patience. But 
"all wrongs are tolerable provided it is 
only God who is their object." So, too 
often, men seem to reason. 

100. Evil premeditated i- evil at Its 
best — attractive, desirable, full of prom- 
ises which tin- senses can understand 
and the passions love; hut evil perpe- 
trated is evil at its worst — hideous, hate- 
ful, stripped of its illusions and clothed 
In Its native misery. In his anger at 
finding Jesus not to be the Christ he had 
hoped for and desired. Judas deserted 
and betrayed him; in the terrible calm 



The First and Second Commandments. 



that succeeded indulgence he awoke to 
the realities within and about him, saw 
how blindly he had lived and hated, 
how far the Messianic ideal of Jesus 
transcended his own. — Dr. Fairbairn. 

401. The late James T. Fields de- 
scribed a scene enacted in the French 
Institute in 1798. St. Pierre, the author 
of "Paul and Virginia", was requested to 
present a paper on "What institutions 
are the most proper to form a basis for 
public morals?" He emphasized piety. 
His skeptical colleagues became violent- 
ly agitated, and, upon the mention of 
God's name the entire body lost self- 
control^ St. Pierre was mocked and in- 
sulted. One member sneeringly in- 
quired when he had seen God? Others 
charged him with being in his dotage. 
One cried out: "I swear that there is no 
God, and I demand that his name never 
again be pronounced within these walls." 

The Second Commandment. Idolatry. 

(402-406) 

402. The abominations of the Gentile 
world are not the crude rites of man- 
kind, as many philosophers would have 
us believe, adapted to the infancy of hu- 
man knowledge, expressing the natural 
sentiments of piety and reverence in a 
form as yet imperfectly developed, and 
promoting the education of the race in 
larger and juster views. They are not 
tendencies towards God in the direction 
of a proper worship, the feeble and ob- 
scure utterances of childhood, sincere 
and honest, but uninstructed. They are 
not the results of involuntary ignorance. 
On the contrary, they are stages of deg- 
radation which men have successively 
reached in their apostasy from God; 
they are the utterances of alienated 
hearts, the slanders of malignant and 
poisoned tongues. The heavens declare 
God's glory and the firmament showeth 
his handiwork; the invisible things of 
him are clearly seen, even his eternal 
power and Godhead, being understood 
by the things that are made. Creation 
and providence, the structure and laws 
of our own souls, proclaim his being, 
his attributes and his will; so that men 
are without excuse. There are radical 
principles in the mind which, if cher- 
ished and developed according to their 
proper tendencies, would rebuke the 
errors of the heathen; so that they may 
be said to know God as possessing the 
germs of that knowledge in the con- 
stituent elements of reason. The real 
difficulty is their reluctance to glnrity 
his name. Hence, they become vain In 
their Imaginations, suppress the light of 
nature, and their foolish heart is dark- 



Sins Classified. 



— 64 — 



The Second Commandment. 



ened. Hence it is that they have 
changed the glory of the uncorruptible 
God into an image made like to cor- 
ruptible man, and to birds and four- 
footed beasts and creeping things, and 
have changed the truth of God into a 
lie, and worshipped and served the crea- 
ture more than the Creator — Dr. Thorn- 
well. 

403. Mrs. Howard Taylor, in her biog- 
raphy of Pastor Hsi, tells how this ear- 
nest Christian taught the lesson to his 
fellow-villagers that there is no other 
God but God. Suspicious of him when 
he became a Christian, their respect for 
him grew as they noted his careful, up- 
right life. And when they were about 
to choose a village elder, the official re- 
sponsible for the collection of taxes, the 
care of the temples, and other public 
duties, "opinion became unanimous that 
no one was more suited to fill the posi- 
tion than the scholar Hsi, now that he 
was no longer an opium smoker." He 
tried to decline, but the office was forced 
upon him. Before accepting he made 
two stipulations:: that he should have 
nothing to do with the temple sacrifices, 
but should pray only to the true God; 
and that no one in the village should, 
during his term, worship the gods in the 
temple or bring gifts to them. The tem- 
ple must be closed for a year. There 
was much discussion. Finally the citizens 
agreed to the terms. The temple was 
closed, and Hsi prayed to the true God 
for the prosperity of the village. At 
the close of the year it was found that 
the affairs of the village had never been 
more prosperous, and the headman was 
re-elected on his own terms. Again . . . 
harvests were good, money matters suc- 
cessfully dealt with, and peace and con- 
tentment prevailed. . . For three whole 
years the temple was closed, and no 
public festivals were held in worship of 
the gods. At the close of the third 
year Hsi was once more unanimously 
chosen." But he was too much occu- 
pied with his Christian work, and de- 
clined. "When congratulated on the 
service he had rendered, he smilingly 
replied that perhaps the village had 
been saved some needless expense, add- 
ing: "By this time the idols must be 
quite starved to death. Spare your- 
selves now any effort to revive them." 
It was a practical lesson, not easily for- 
gotten. — Sunday School Times. 

404. A significant story is told of Nee- 
sima, who, when a little boy, discovered 
that God must be a spirit, since the idols 
he had been worshipping were nothing 
but wood. For a long time Neesima be- 
lieved all his father told him about these 
gods, the idols — that they could take 



care of him and make him prosper if he 
gave them offerings and worshipped, 
them, and they would punish him if he 
did not worship them. But after a 
while Neesima began to think for him- 
self. He studied the idols in his home 
and saw that they were "only whittled 
out," or made with men's hands. He be- 
gan to see that they could not eat, talk, 
see, smell, hear, or do anything. They did 
not eat the rice or drink the tea that was 
set before them, and he noticed that his 
father drank the wine that had been of- 
fered to them. Little by little he began 
to lose faith in them. 

So one day, without telling anybody, 
he bought an idol at one of the shops 
and buried it in one corner of the gar- 
den. "If it comes up I will still be- 
lieve," he said, "but if it does not I will 
never pray to an idol again." For sev- 
eral days nothing occurred, but one 
morning he found a tiny green shoot. 
Each day it grew a little, but no idol ap- 
peared, and at length he became impa- 
tient and dug down to see what was the 
matter. There was the idol just as he had 
planted it. The little green shoot was 
nothing but a grain of rice that had 
been lodged in the idol's arm and had 
sprouted and grown up into the light. 

j This made Neesima so sure that the idols 
had no power that he never prayed to 

| them again. — Missionary Comments. 

405. Plato spent his life in warning 
; men against mental mirages. Most men, 
he teaches, are the dupes of fascinating 
appearances; they mistake that which 
only seems' to be for that which 
really is; they are haunted by de- 
lusions w'hich they cannot distinguish 
from realities. By his doctrine of 
"shams" Carlyle has modernized this 
part of Plato's teaching. The idea un- 
derlying the Old Testament's oft-re- 
peated words, '"idol", "lies", and "van- 
ity", is just the idea of a mirage. An 
idol is really an image which has no 
reality behind it; lies, as in "refuges of 
lies", etc., are just cheating appear- 
ances; vanity is nothing which seems a 
something; "It is the name of an idol 
turned into a God." 

"Success is the hammer with which I 
strike the world and find it hollow," 
writes a modern novelist. The most ex- 
act illustration I know of the mirage as 
an emblem of one side of human ex- 
perience is given by De Quincy under 
the title "Laxton." His friend and pupil, 
the Countess of Carberry, who had been 
an orphan and a commoner, was raised 
to one of the most enviable positions in 
the kingdom. Everything in her lot 
promised perfect happiness. But this 
favorite of fortune, he tells us, "fell 
early into a sort of disgust with her own 



Sins Classified. 



— 65 — 



The Third Commandment. 



advantages of wealth and station." — ■ 
James Wells, D. D. 

406. The Council of Trent decreed 
that "images were not only to be placed 
in the temples, but also to be worshiped 
as if the persons represented thereby 
were present;" and Pope Pius IV, said: 
'*I most firmly assert that the images of 
Christ and of God and also of the saints 
are to be had and retained, and that due 
honor and veneration are to be given 
them." 

The Russian Church carries its rever- 
ence for pictures to the point of idolatry. 
In the war between Japan and Russia, 
every Russian regiment had its picture, 
or "icon" as it is called, guarded by 
priests and deacons. General Kuropat- 
kin's icon contained three larger and 
three smaller pictures of saints, and 
above them all a Russian cross. This 
icon, under the protection of a special 
guard, journeyed with him wherever he 
went. — Tarbell's Teacher's Guide. 

The Third Commandment. Irreverence. 

(407-415) 

40". It must be confessed that this is in 
many ways an age of little reverence. 
So much tha,t men held sacred has been 
called into question, so confidently have 
the overturners of accepted beliefs spok- 
en their own belief that Christianity has 
been overturned, so thoroughly has the 
crust of ancient prejudice and obser- 
vance been broken up, that in some 
quarters it seems as if the fear of God 
and the respect for man alike have de- 
parted from the earth. Some of us, 
who would fain be reverent, find our- 
selves caught in eddies of unbelief from 
which it is difficult to escape. "We feel, 
as all right-thinking men must feel, that 
we must approach God with humility, 
but we know not how to cultivate in 
ourselves that spirit of reverence which 
we know is befitting. It is well for us, 
therefore, to make the most of every 
avenue of knowledge, to use our mind 
and our imagination, finding God in all 
that he lias made, in all the books of his 
revelation, in the highest qualities of 
the noblest men we know, and first and 
most in close companionship with Je- 
sus, in whom alone we find God in his 
hiKhest qualities of character. If lov- 
ing knowledge grows, wonder and awe 
will grow. In the sense of God's fa- 
therhood, which Jesus came to reveal, 
the thought of a child's fellowship with 
his desires and aims and methods will 
Increase within us. No one can live 
with Christ without reverencing Christ. 
No one can think of his own life as a 
part of God's age-long plan without awe 
and humility. 
6 Prtc. 111. 



408. As illustrating the wise tact of 
! ''Chaplain" McCabe, it is said of him 
! that once when hearing a man swearing 

viciously and taking the name of Jesus 
upon his vulgar lips, the Methodist win- 
ner of souls, instead of rebuking him, 
as he walked up and down the railway 
platform where both men were wait- 
ing, began to hum the familiar refrains 
of "Jesus, Lover of My Soul." The man 
listened and was softened, and soon 
turned to Chaplain McCabe and said: 
"Sir, I beg y — your pardon. If Jesus is 
the lover of your soul, as he was of my 
mother's, I shall respect your feelings 
and not use his name in blasphemy 
again." 

409. The Red Indians have not one 
single oath in their mother tongues. 
They do swear now, but they swear in 
English and French. Their wonderful 
reverence for the Great Spirit kept their 
language undefiled by profane words. 

410. One day Randolph of Roanoke 
was at a dinner party in Virginia, given 
to a young army officer. The latter, at 
the table, was giving a glowing account 
of the churches in Mexico, one of the 
finest of which he said had been turned 
into barracks by the United States 

, troops as they entered Mexico under 
| General Scott. When one of the ladies 
present exclaimed, "Why, Captain, were 
you not afraid to do it?" the reply of 
the young captain, in a somewhat boast- 
ful manner, if not sneering tone, was: 
"Oh, no; for my part I have become so 
used to such things that I could take 
my dinner on the altar itself as com- 
fortably as anywhere." "And so would 
a hog. sir." said Randolph, looking 
sharply at the officer, while "in the si- 
lence that followed the terrible rebuke 
the very air of the room seemed to tin- 
gle, as the nerves of the guests did." 
The officer felt the rebuke and was si- 
lent, as well he might be. — Rev. Tryon 
Edwards, D. D. 

411. An irreverent world means a 
world out of harmony with God's pur- 
poses, proud, self-willed, with low and 
short-sighted aims, wanting the strength 
of quietness, the blessing of peace. The 
irreverent man is the unconscious but 
not the happy instrument of God's work. 
His sight is limited, his plans are but 
for a day. Therefore our Lord taught 
us to begin our prayers with the rev- 
erent sense of a child's share in his fa- 
ther's work, the child's desire for his 
father's honor. To ask that our Hea- 
venly Father's name may he hallowed 
and his will be done, and to strive In 
daily life, by the help and in the good 

I companionship of Christ, to honor and 
I obey Is the straight way to the revcrenco 



Sins Classified. 



— 66 — 



The Fourth Commandment. 



which is befitting — the fear of the Lord 
which is the beginning of wisdom, and 
the perfect love which casteth out fear. 

412. I have never yet seen a good- 
mannered horse," said an owner of fine 
horses, "that was sworn at all the time. 

It hurts the feelings of a sensitive horse, 
and I'll keep my word to discharge any 
man if I catch him swearing within the 
hearing of any horse in this stable." 

A judge in Atlanta, Georgia, has or- 
dered the policemen there to provide 
themselves with gags and use them 
whenever a man or woman swears on 
being arrested. The Claridge, one of 
the finest hotels in London, recently re- 
fused to receive one of our western mil- 
lionaires because of his profanity when 
there once before as a guest. 

"Profanity is not an evidence of man- 
hood," says the President of Leland 
Stanford University, "it is a sign of a 
dull, coarse, unrefined nature. The 
harm of profanity is not that it hurts 
God's feelings. ■ It is the man whom it 
hurts. It shall not profit a foot-ball 
captain, if he can not utter a command 
without an oath. 'What cometh out of 
a man defileth him,' and the man thus 
defiled extends his -corrosion to others." 
— Tarbell. 

413. Just as the boughs and vines in 
the garden bend toward the rich rain 
treasures as they fall, just as the golden 
wheat sways and makes obeisance be- 
fore the enriching summer wind, so the 
truly great soul bows in reverence and 
humility in the presence of that God in 
whom is no admixture of meanness, of 
selfishness or sin. 

414. The swearer's confessions: 1) 
That God exists. 2) He has power to 
inflict curses. 3) God has knowledge. 
The wonder, in view of what swearers 
confess in the very act of profanity, is 
that they swear at all. The creed in- 
volved in the language they use, rebukes 
their profanity. They are not atheists, 
and do not talk as if they were such. 
They admit the existence of God, and 
yet they profanely use his name. They 
concede that this God has power to in- 
flict curses, and that he has knowledge, 
and that in both respects he is vastly 
superior to man; and yet they trifle with 
his sacred name, and vent their passions 
in the trifling. They sin against God in 
the very act of speaking his name. They 
blend with the sin a confession that re- 
bukes the sin. They are confessors and 
sinners in the same breath. There is 
no other form of sin whose commission 
so distinctly carries with it a remon- 
strance against its own existence. — The 
Independent. 



415. Nature condemns irreverence. AS 
Hume walked with Ferguson on a starry 
night he looked up to the heavens to ad- 
mire their beauty. Overcome for the 
moment by his emotions he cried out: 
"Adam, there is a God!" 

The Fourth Commandmant. The Sabbath. 

(416-430) 

416. It is related of Billy Bray, the 

Cornish evangelist, that on one occasion 
Satan came to tempt him to stay at 
home, sit at his ease, and take a good 
rest on Sunday. The Devil approached 
Billy Bray in a most unexpected, and 
even innocent way. Said the Devil to 
Billy: "You have worked hard all the 
week, Billy, and you need one day's rest 
in seven, and here you are walking 
twenty miles and preaching three times 
on Sunday! You ought to rest, Billy!" 

Turning to his wily adviser, Billy said: 
"Thee is a pretty feller to give a man 
advice. Thee had a good nation thee- 
self; and thee lost it; and thee wants me 
to lose mine, too, does thee?" 

417. Definitions of Sunday: "The gol- 
den link in the chain of days." 

"Desert sunshine." 

"Islets of hope amid the billows of 
doubt and care." 

"Channels bringing the water of life 
to the pasture lands of the flock." 

"The believer's joy." 

"The golden clasp of the week's vol- 
ume." 

"The pause in time which indicates 
eternity." 

"A flower from Eden's garden which 
still blooms amid the universal blight of 
sin." 

"The day of rising hopes and buried 
fears." 

"Pledge of earth's eternal jubilee." 

"The dove which is ever returning to 
us bearing the olive branch." 

"The 'mount of God,' whence man 
may view the promised land." 

"The golden hours of time." 

"The brightest gem in man's casket of 
mercies.'" 

"The brightest jewel in the week's 
coronet." 

"The week's incense." 

"Buoys amidst the quicksands of time, 
marking the channel to the haven of 

"Nooks in the sides of the hills of dif- 
culty, affording both rest and shelter to 
pilgrims Zionward." 

"An oasis in the desert, where the 
wayworn traveler drinks of the fountain 
of the life, and eats the fruit of the tree 
of life." 

418. "Messages", said a telegraph op- 
erator, always slide over the wires better 



Sins Classified. 



— 67 — 



The Fourth Commandment. 



on Monday than on any other day. The 
wires, you see, have profited by their 
Sunday rest. It is a fact that inanimate as 
well as animate things get tired and 
need a vacation occasionally. You 
know how true this is of razors, of au- 
tomobiles, of locomotives, and it is just 
as true of telegraph wires. Sunday rest 
gives a quicker, fuller and more delicate 
transmission. It is like a piano that 
has just been tuned." 

419. The streams of religion run either 
deep or shallow, according as the banks 
of the Sabbath are kept up or neglected. 

420. Nicholas Biddle once had for a 
private secretary a Christian young 
man, whom he wished to keep at work 
on the Sabbath. The secretary objected 
to working on the Lord's day. "I shall 
discharge you," said his employer, "if 
you do not conform to my wishes." The 
secretary was poor, and had, moreover, 
a widowed mother dependent upon him; 
but rather than violate his conscience 
by doing what he considered wrong, he 
gave up his place. A day or two after, 
Mr. Biddle was in the company of some 
gentlemen who proposed to start a new 
bank, and the question was, where 
they should find a suitable man to be 
its cashier? "I know of one", said Mr. 
Biddle, and he recommended to them 
his late secretary, saying, "He had too 
much conscience for my work, but none 
too much for the more responsible office 
you have." And through his recom- 
mendation the place was given to him. 

421. An old Scotch elder who had 
been to Edinburg, said he was shocked, 
"for on Sunday the people on the streets 
smiled as though they were perfectly 
happy." 

422. There is a fishing village on the 
coast of Cornwall where the people are 
very poor, but pious and intelligent. 
One year they were very sorely tried. 
The winds were contrary, and for nearly 
a month they could not put to sea. At 
last, on a Sabbath morning, the wind 
changed, and some of the men, whose 
faith was weak, went out toward the 
beach, the women and children looking 
on sadly, many saying with sighs, "I'm 
sorry it's Sunday, but if we were not so 
poor!" 

"But If," said a sturdy fisherman, 
starting up and speaking aloud, "surely, 
neighbors, your buts and ifs will lead 
you to break God's law." The people 
gathered around him. "And," he added, 
'•mine's a religion for all weathers, fair 
winds and foul." 'This is the love of 
God that ye keep his law.' 'Remember 
the Sabbath day to keep It holy." That's 
the law, friends. And our Lord came 
not to break, but to fulfill the law. 



True, we are poor; what of that? Bet- 
ter poor and have God's smile, than rich 
and have his frown. Go, you that dare; 
But I never knew any good come of a 
religion that changed with the wind.'' 

These words, in season, stayed the 
purpose of the rest. They went home 
and made ready for the house of God, 

j and spent the day in praise and prayer. 
In the evening, just when they would 
have been returning, a sudden storm 
sprang up and raged terribly for two 
days. After the tempest came settled 
weather, and the fishing was so rich and 
abundant that there was soon no com- 

I plaining in the village. Here was a re- 

[ ligion for all weathers. "Trust in the 
Lord and do good, and verily thou shalt 

i be fed." 

423. One of the offices of a well-spent 
Sunday is to replenish the inner, central 
reservoir of peace for the use of all the 
other busy days. These other days drain 
and exhaust it. Then the merciful rest 

' day comes around and fills it full again. 
Those who allow themselves no real day 

j of rest and quietness of heart are mak- 
ing too wearing and dreary work of life. 
The wear and tear of the machinery 
goes on too fast. Those who lead idle 
lives can never know what a true rest is 
like. Their machinery is rusted and un- 
used. The joy of Sunday grows out of 
contrast with the experience of the 
working days. When this ■ balance of 
work and repair exists, when the soul is 
fed on Sunday for the hardest trials and 
the most wearing needs of the soul, the 
whole week becomes religious, as it 
should for every Christian man. And 
such a religion comes to its most joyful 
expression on its own free day. — Boston 
Transcript. 

424. A wealthy man came to a poor 
saddler, and, leaving a bridle, gave or- 
ders that it should be finished by Mon- 
day. "That is not possible!" "What 
nonsense! There is all day tomorrow." 
"We do not work on Sunday, sir." "Then 
I shall go to those who do." "We can 
get It done by Tuesday." "That will not 
do; put it in the carriage." 

Quietly the saddler did as he was told. 
Hours afterward a neighbor said: "I 
thought that I would come and thank 
you, and tell you that I should be glad 
of as many more customers as you 
would like to send." 

"I shall not send you those I can 
keep," said the saddler, "but I will ne\er 
go against my conscience for any man 
nor for his money." 

Weeks went by. weeks of trouble to 
this faithful saddler. One day a mili- 
tary man came into his shop. "So you 
are the fellow who will not work on 



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The Fourth Commandment. 



Sunday. My friend said that you re- 
fused to do his work." "I had no 
choice, sir." "Yes, you had; you were 
free to choose between serving God and 
pleasing man, and you made your 
choice, and because of that I am here to- 
day. I am General Downing. I have 
been looking for a man on whom I 
could rely to execute a large govern- 
ment order. The moment I heard of 
you I made up my mind that you 
should have it."- — Westminster Quar- 
terly. 

425. Keep the Sabbath scrupulously. 
Never trifle with one sin. It is like a 
little cloud which, as a poet has said, 
may hold a hurricane in its grasp. The 
next sin you commit may have a mighty 
effect in the blighting of your life. You 
do not know the streams that may flow 
from that fountain; for sin is a fountain 
- — not a mere act, but a fountain of evil. 
— Andrew A. Bonar. 

426. The Sunday paper is disreputa- 
ble. I have been told by a leading edi- 
tor that it is the custom to set apart 
during the week all the salacious items 
for enlargement in the Sunday edition. 
It is the common sewer of all our social 
life, the cesspool of all shames and scan- 
dals and unmentionable things. It robs 
an army of employees of their needed 
rest. It is estimated that since the in- 
troduction of the Sunday newspapers not 
less than 150,000 compositors and press- 
men and others are kept at work seven 
days in the week, 365 days in the year. 
A reporter was asked, not long since, 
"Do you have one-seventh of your time 
for rest?" "No", said he, "nor one- 
seventy-seventh. We have no time, reg- 
ularly given, that we can call our own." 

It is sometimes said that it is the Mon- 
day paper that makes the Sunday work. 
That is a miserable evasion. If there 
were no Sunday issue, the preparation 
of the Monday number, excepting the 
telegraphic items, would fall on Satur- 
day, and its publication on Monday 
morning. Nor must it be overlooked 
that hundreds and thousands of news- 
boys are calling their wares on Sunday 
in our streets. That is their business 
now: and they are getting their business 
education for the future. To whistle up 
a boy and. buy a newspaper for a nickel 
seems a matter of slight consequence. 
But follow it out. A Christian man in 
the real estate business would not think 
for a moment of selling a corner lot on 
the Lord's day. But to the newsboy the 
sale of his paper is relatively a matter 
of equal consequence; and as co- 
partners in the transaction, we are doing 
our part to train him for larger methods 



of Sabbath breaking in after life. — Rev. 
Dr. D. J. Burrell. 

427. 1. "The Sabbath is made for 
man." It is an institution given of God. 
It is a boon and not a burden. 

2. The maintenance of the Sabbath 
is essential to the success of the Gospel, 
and hence to the well-being of the race. 

3. There is just now in our country 
an amazing disregard and desecration 
of the Sabbath. 

4. The Christian Church itself has 
very largely fallen into this sin of Sab- 
bath desecration. 

5. The remedy for the evil lies pri- 
marily with the church. 

6. If the church cannot save the Sab- 
bath, it can neither ,save itself nor the 
world. — Rev. James Brand, D. D. 

428. When General Grant was in 
Paris, the President of the Republic in- 
vited him to attend the Sunday races. 
He knew that to refuse an invitation 
from the President of France, would be 
considered especially discourteous by the 
French people, and yet he politely de- 
clined the invitation, saying, "It is not 
in accord with the custom of my coun- 
try, or with the spirit of my religion to 
spend Sunday in that way. I will go to 
the house of God." 

429. An English lady having been 
asked as to the propriety of attending 
on Sunday an exhibition of Bible pic- 
tures, replied with an illustration which 
illuminates a wide range of duties. She 
said: 

"Along the South Downs are two 
paths, one a very few inches from the 
edge of the cliff, another about two 
yards off. Many have walked, and 
walked safely, along the first path, but 
it was dangerous. One step to the left, 
and they would have fallen, perhaps 
several hundred feet, to the sea below. 
Or, if a piece of loosened rock suddenly 
separated from the other parts, it would 
have carried the person who chanced to 
be treading it down, down with it, into 
the abyss. 

Many, too, and I among them, have 
trodden the path further in; we had as 
pleasant a view, with this great distinc- 
tion from the more danger-loving pas- 
sengers; we were safe: if we took a step 
to the left we were still on solid ground; 
if the edge were jagged, or even a huge 
mass of rock fell, we only saw uneven- 
ness, or felt a slight shock. 

A gust of wind could not hurl us 
over, neither would sudden giddiness 
send us rolling down the precipice. 
Which path was best, was wisest, was 
safest? 'The last', you say? Yet both have 
been walked without accident. I do not 
lay down a rule that every one would 



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The Fifth Commandment. 



be doing a wrong in going to see a col- 
lection of pictures illustrating the Bible, 
on Sunday, but I say there is a South 
Down called the Lord's day; it is high 
above the six miles of country surround- 
ing it. 

There are two paths, one called 'reli- 
gious pleasure,' the other, 'hours for God 
alone.' Which is the happiest, the safest, 
the wisest, the best?" 

430. A gentleman who was passing 
some mines in Pennsylvania asked a lit- 
tle boy why the field was so full of 
mules. "The mules are worked in the 
mines through the week ana are brought 
up into the light on Sunday to keep 
them from going blind." 

A French historian says that when 
the attempt was made, during the Re- 
volution, to abolish the Sabbath, the 
peasants were accustomed to say, "Our 
oxen know when the Sabbath comes, 
and will not work on that day." 

The Fifth Commandment. Filial Rever- 
ence. (431-439) 

431. The sober sense and true heart 
of the great body of enlightened human- 
ity is at one with the most advanced 
scientific sociology in recognizing the 
family as the corner-stone of society. 
And how is the family to exist and ful- 
fill its mission without on the one hand 
parental authority and on the other 
filial submission? How long could it 
survive divested of those sentiments, 
which, the world over and in all ages, 
regard reverence and love to parents- as 
cardinal virtues, and stamp those who 
are devoid of them as destitute of both 
heart and honor? 

432. Perhaps one of the most beauti- 
ful expressions is Cowper's verse written 
on the receipt of his mother's picture 
fifty years after her death: 

Oh, that those lips had language! Life 

has passed 
With me but roughly since I heard thee 

last. 

Those lips are thine; thy own sweet 

smile I see 
The same that oft in childhood solaced 

me. 

"My mother! When I learned that thou 

wast dead, 
Say wast thou conscious of the tears I 

shed? 

Hovered thy spirit o'er thy sorrowing 
son, 

Wretch even then, life's journey just 
begun ?" 

Mr. Barric tells us In "Margaret Ogil- 
vle" that from his earliest recollection 
his one ambition had been to please Ills 



mother. "When he was a bairn — so his 
mother used to tell him in after years — 
he saw nothing bonny, he never heard 
of her setting her heart on anything, 
but he flung up his head and cried, 
'Wait till I'm a man!' And when the 
boy grew to be a man it was to her the 
first hard-earned cheques went. After 
her death he found the envelopes that 
had contained them in a box, with a 
bit of ribbon round them." "And when, 
very early, fame came to the son," it is 
said, "it made no difference; there was no 
one in all the world he cared for as the 
little old woman with her thin, wasted 
hands and dainty white neutch. At a 
single word he would hurry off on a long 
journey to see her, and when he was 
away he was never so busy that he had 
not time to write her daily." "My thou- 
sand letters," he says, "that she so care- 
fully preserved, always sleeping with the 
last beneath the sheet, where one was 
found when she died — they are the only 
writing of mine of which I shall ever 
boast. I would not there had been one 
less, though I could have written an im- 
mortal book for it." And when she was 
dead he could look back and say, 
"Everything I could do for her in this 
life I have done since I was a boy; I 
look back through the years, and I can- 
not see the smallest thing left undone." 

433. There was no one trait in the 
character of William McKinley which 
drew the hearts of the people to him 
more powerfully than his unfailing 
thoughtfulness and tenderness toward 
his old mother — unless it was his devo- 
tion to his invalid wife. 

434. Man, if you have an old mother, 
be good to her. Tell her that you love 
her. Kiss the faded old lips. Hold in 
yours the work-knotted old hands. 
Scatter a few of the flowers of tender- 
ness and appreciation in her pathway 
while she is still alive and can be made 
happy by them. 

435. Don't wait to put all of your af- 
fection and gratitude and reverence for 
her into a costly ton of marble inscribed 
"Mother." Don't wait to throw all of 
your bouquets on her grave. It's mighty 
doubtful whether an angel in heaven 
takes any interest *in cemeteries or gets 
any satisfaction for revisiting earth and 
contemplating a flattering tombstone; 
but it is utterly certain that you can 
make your old mother's heart sing for 
joy by showing her, while she is alive, 
just one tithe of the love and apprecia- 
tion that you will heap upon her when 
she is dead. — The Bulletin. 

430. How can we honor our parents? 

(1) By prompt and cheerful obedience; 

(2) by caring for them lovingly in pov- 



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The Sixth Commandment. 



erty or sickness; (3) by the little tokens 
of respect that the aged prize so highly. 
On New Year's day in China every man 
and boy, from the emperor down, brings 
his mother a present, and makes her an 
address of honor and gratitude. (4) By 
honoring our parents before others. 

437. Mr. Moody tells of a Sunday- 
school scholar .of his, a bright boy, 
whom his mother was educating by dint 
of much toil. One of the lad's school 
friends inquired once, "Who was that 
shabby old woman I saw you talking 
with the other day?" "Oh, that was my 
washerwoman," was the disgraceful 
answer. That young man, adds Mr. 
Moody, went down to ruin. And do 
not delay filial honor till it is too late, 
and your life is filled with useless re- 
grets over the precious graves. But, 
taking the commandment in its widest 
sense, respect gray hairs everywhere, 
and honor all in authority over you, 
such as your pastor, teacher, employer, 
or magistrates. Lack in this respect is 
a growing evil, full of mischief to our 
nation.- — Peloubet. 

438. Benjamin Franklin, many times 
in his own story of his life, mentions 
the powerful influence which his mo- 
ther had over him, referring to her al- 
ways with peculiar affection. "My son," 
said the mother, "is endowed with more 
than ordinary talent, and he shall enter 
one of the professions, perhaps the 
ministry." The family was then very 
poor, the elder Franklin having no am- 
bition beyond that of making a bare 
competence as a ship-chandler. En- 
couraged by his mother, however, 
young Benjamin "took to books" with 
such ardor that before he was ten years 
old his mother spoke of him as "our 
little professor," and added: "He shall 
serve either humanity or his country; 
the one as a minister of the Gospel, the 
other as a diplomat." 

The first John Jacob Astor said: 
"Whatever I have accomplished 
through thrift is due to the teachings 
of my mother. She trained me to the 
habit of early rising; she made me de- 
vote the first waking hours to reading 
the Bible. Those habits have contin- 
ued through my life," and have been to 
me a source of unfailing comfort. Her 
death was the greatest grief of my ex- 
istence." — Gilson Willett. 

439. A young man lay dead after a 
brief career of unrestrained dissipation. 

The emaciated, nervous, black-robed 
mother wrung her hands and wept 
without hope. "He was his father's 
hope, He was such a promising 
boy! I pleaded with him, but he would 
not obey me. I prayed for him,' but I 



could not hold him back from that aw- 
ful life that burnt him out, killed him 
before he was really a man." Listen, 
boys and girls, "Children obey your pa- 
rents in the Lord: for this is right. 
Honor thy father and thy mother, that 
it may be well with thee, and thou may- 
est live long on the earth." Obedience 
to parents is the first obligation of the 
young. 

The day before Alexander III." was 

born, an English nurse entered the ser- 
vice of the Russian imperial .family. I 
forget her full name, but in the palace 
she was always known as "Kitty." A 
God-fearing woman, she exercised a 
powerful influence on the children un- 
der her care, and they returned that 
care with unbounded love and respect. 
In her old age the tsar allotted her 
apartments in what answers in Russia 
to the English Hampton Court — the 
Winter Palace. Here rooms, a carriage, 
servants and everything that thought 
could devise, made the old nurse's de- 
clining days easy. The walls of her 
room were crowded with birthday and 
other presents from every member of 
the great family she had so faithfully 
served; and in these surroundings, the 
time came for Kitty to die. 

Again and again the emperor came 
and read her a chapter out of the Eng- 
lish Bible that she had so often read to 
him when he was a little child. The 
last time he came to see her, the old 
nurse was past consciousness, and failed 
to give him her usual smile of recogni- 
tion. Alexander bent down over the 
dying face, and asked tenderly if she 
did not know him? But Kitty never 
spoke again; her life's work was done. 

The morning of the funeral found the 
emperor and some other members of the 
family in the room, with the British 
chaplain of St. Petersburg, and the un- 
dertakers. As the moment came for 
putting the body into the coffin, the men 
stepped forward to do so; but the tsar 
motioned them back. "No; no one 
shall touch her but ourselves," he said; 
and then, beckoning to his brother, 
Grand Duke Sergius took the feet, and 
he lifted the head, and they gently laid 
the remains in the coffin. It was a 
miserable winter day; but Alexander 
III. followed that coffin for two miles 
through the streets of St. Petersburg to 
the cemetery beyond the Neva, to see 
his old English nurse laid in the grave. 
— Youth's Companion. 

The Sixth Commandment. Murder- 
Hatred. (440-460) 

440. Gibbon has told us in his History 
of Rome that the law allowed a murder 



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The Sixth Commandment. 



to be paid for, and different prices were 
affixed for the value of men. Nine hun- 
dred pieces of gold was the price of a 
Roman citizen. The national inequality 
established by the Franks, in their 
criminal proceedings, was the last in- 
sult of the conquest of Rome. They 
solemnly affirmed that the life of a Ro- 
man soldier was of smaller value than 
that of a barbarian. The life of the 
most illustrious Frank was appreciated 
at the sum of six hundred pieces of 
gold; while the noble provincial, who 
was admitted to the King's table, might 
be legally murdered at the expense of 
three hundred pieces. Two hundred 
was deemed sufficient for the ordinary 
Frank, but the Roman value was one 
hundred, or even fifty pieces of gold. It 
is the proud boast of all civilized coun- 
tries to-day that every man's life is sa- 
cred, and that one man's life is as sa- 
cred as another's. The ancient Spar- 
tans killed their sickly and deformed 
children, and there is a survival of this 
pagan idea in the occasional advocacy 
now of putting out the life of the old 
and hopelessly sick. — Tarbell's Teach- 
er's Guide. 

441. The spirit of murder is hatred, 

ill-temper, envy. Envy is a disease that 
can be cured only by the subject, not by 
any one else in all the world. No mat- 
ter how gentle, kind, forbearing, forgiv- 
ing and forgetting the object of it may 
be, this in itself will not cure the at- 
tacks. The subject whose heart is 
swayed by fierce gales of envy must first 
awaken to the folly of it. the injustice 
of it; must be conscious of the trail of 
bitterness and unhappiness it brings to 
both, must realize the cruel continued 
assault on the tolerance, love, loyalty 
and patience of the other, and. when 
the next attack comes, seek by strength 
of will, by force of character, by every 
weapon in the armory of the soul, to 
kill the feeling. Envy must be killed 
in the thought. In the mind, the bat- 
tle-ground of the soul, must the fight of 
extermination be waged. 

412. Envy is suicidal. Says a writer 
in the Sunday School Times: I remem- 
ber reading somewhere in a Grecian 
story of a man who killed himself 
through envy. His- fellow-citizens had 
reared a statue to one of their number 
who was a celebrated victor in the pub- 
lic games. So strong was the feeling 
of envy which this Incited in the breast 
of one of the hero's rivals that he went 
forth every night in order, if possible, 
to destroy that monument. After re- 
peated efforts he moved It from Its pe- 
destal, and It fell, and In Its fall It 
crushed him. An unintentional symbol- 



ic act was his, showing the suicidal ac- 
tion of envy on the soul. 

443. Solomon's proverb, "A soft an- 
swer turneth away wrath, but grievous 
words stir up anger," is illustrated in 
ordinary life every day. A story comes 
from Maine of a lawyer who bought a 
farm where there had been a lawsuit 
going on for many years with a neigh- 
bor about the boundary line. The law- 
yer went to see the obstinate neighbor 
at once and he found the man ready 
I for a fight. The lawyer mildly in- 
i quired. "What's your claim here, any- 
j way. as to this fence?" "I insist," re- 
| plied the neighbor, "that your fence is 
i over on my land two feet at one eird 
! and one foot at least on the other." 
"Well", replied the lawyer, "you go 
ahead just as quick as you can and set 
your fence over. At the end where you 
say that I encroach on you two feet set 
the fence on my land four feet. At the 
other end push it on my land two feet". 
"But", persisted the astonished neigh- 
bor, "that's twice what I claim". "I 
don't care about that," said the genial 
lawyer. "There's been fight enough 
over this land. I want you to take 
enough so you are perfectly satisfied, 
and then we can get along pleasantly. 
Go ahead and help yourself". The old 
farmer paused abashed. He had been 
I ready to commence the old struggle 
tooth and nail, but this move of the new 
neighbor stunned him. Yet he wasn't 
to be outdone in generosity. After 
looking at the lawyer a moment, he 
said, " 'Squire, that fence ain't going to 
be moved an inch. I don't want the 
land. There wasn't nuthin' in the fight, 
anyway, but the principle of the thing." 

After it was thought the worst of the 
forest fires that devastated great areas 
in the West last autumn were over, cer- 
tain sections were visited by a terrible 
Maze which was fatal to more than a 
score of persons and made homeless 
hundreds of others. It swept on 
through dry forests, encircling villages, 
thereby preventing the escape of the 
inhabitants. In many instances, these 
Bres were started by a spark from an 
engine or were the result of a hunter's 
j carelessness. "The tongue is a fire," and 
It often kindles great conflagrations. 

III. Just as you now play a piece 
without the music, and do not think 
what notes you strike, though once you 
picked them out by slow and patient 
toil, so If you begin of set purpose, you 
will learn the law of kindness in utter- 
ance so perfectly that it will be second 
nature to you, and make more music In 
your life than all the songs the sweet- 
est voice has ever sung. — Francis E. 
Willard. 



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The Sixth Commandment. 



445. A locomotive, with its thunder- 
ing train, comes like a whirlwind down 
the track, and a regiment of soldiers 
might seek to arrest it in vain. It 
would crush them and plunge unheed- 
ing on. But there is a little lever in its 
mechanism that at the pressure of a 
man's hand will slacken its speed, and 
in a moment or two bring it panting 
and still like a whipped spaniel at your 
feet. So, with the firm control of 
thought, words and actions are obedient 
to our purpose. He who rules himself 
is the greatest of monarchs. — J. L. Hurl- 
but, D. D. 

446. Boys flying kites haul in their 
white-winged birds; 

You can't do that when you are flying 
words. 

"Careful with fire" is good advice, we 
know; 

"Careful with words" is ten times doub- 
ly so. 

Thoughts unexpressed may sometimes 

fall back dead; 
But God himself can't kill them when 

they're said. — Will Carleton. 

447. How easy it is to "hate" people. 

How easily unreasoning antipathy, prej- 
udice, repugnance, dislike — they are all 
more or less synonymous with hate — 
gain a foothold in our hearts. How 
many good people cherish these unbro- 
therly states of mind, not toward every- 
body, but, toward certain social groups, 
or particular individuals. The old jin- 
gle sets forth the senselessness of it: 

"I do not like thee. Dr. Fell, 

The reason why l cannot tell; 

But this one thing I know full well; 

I do not like thee, Dr Fell." 

Charles Lamb once said, in his own 
whimsical way: "Don't introduce me to 
that man. I want to go on hating him, 
and I can't hate a man whom I know." 

448. The tongue: — Mark Antony, 
while absent on an expedition in Gaul, 
was by the influence and efforts of Cic- 
ero declared by the Senate to be a pub- 
lic enemy. When he returned to Rome, 
his soldiers, entering the senate house, 
demanded the consulship for their mas- 
ter, and he was made consul. Antony 
proscribed Cicero, who fled, but was 
overtaken and seized. The head of 
Cicero was cut off and presented to Ful- 
via, the wife of Antony. She thrust her 
bodkin through the tongue of the vic- 
tim, saying, "Now, wag no more." By 
her orders the head was hung by its 
protruding tongue upon a post in the 
Forum. Barbaric as this treatment was 
murderous tongues have often deserved 
it. 

449. Silence is often the best answer 
to criticism. Sometimes a man's steady, 



faithful work is his defense. Ole 
Bull, the violinist, was once offered 
space in the New York Herald to an- 
swer his detractors. He said: "I think 
it is best that they write against me and 
I play against them." The finest argu- 
ment against one's detractors is a faith- 
ful doing of the very best one can do. 
It disarms criticism. It wins sympathy. 
It wastes no time and suffers no loss. 
Practical doing is ever better than fault- 
finding or trying to satisfy the cen- 
sorious. And the world knows it. 

Guard your words for they are like 
sparks. "Shut your ash-pan;" may be 
seen on the Erie Railroad, just out of 
New York (near the entrance to a 
bridge), intended as a warning to the 
fireman, lest sparks from beneath his 
engine should ignite the dry timbers in 
the trestle and destroy the entire bridge 
by a conflagration. 

450. What a pity it is that people can 
not differ in their judgments without 
becoming enemies to each other. How 

often friends disagree on a question of 
right — one question — and though they 
may agree on the whole round of Chris- 
tian activity, the one point of divergence 
is the one that is exalted and magnified 
until it beclouds the whole vision and 
attracts attention to the exclusion of 
every other consideration. Should not 
reasonable people agree to disagree 
about some things? Can we ever expect 
to have happy homes and desirable com- 
munities and helpful churches without 
granting this privilege to each other? — 
Pacific Christian Advocate. 

451. A terrible tree grows in Austra- 
lia called by the natives "the stinging 
tree." Try to imagine a monster nettle 
— a nettle grown as big as a tree, if 
you want to get a little idea of its char- 
acteristics. Luckily, it has a very un- 
pleasant odor, so that the natives and 
animals can more easily avoid it. At 
first the sting or prick of the tree's 
thorns does not trouble one at all; he 
feels no pain whatever. But in a few 
minutes he is in agony. Weeks and 
months afterward he suffers if water 
touches the wound. When a dog is 
pricked by it, it is pitiful to hear him 
whine and cry. and to see him bite 
pieces of flesh from the place that has 
been stung. Think how much this is 
like the stinging tongue? All men and 
animals avoid these human nettles as 
much as possible, but alas, unlike the 
stinging tree, they are not stationary, 
but move about freely, inflicting their 
poison upon those who do not seek them, 
or come carelessly into their neighbor- 
hood. And the poison lasts. Weeks 
and months and a whole lifetime after- 



Sins Classified. 



— 73 — 



ward the wound burns and rankles. The 
stinging- tongue may even be still in 
death, yet the misery it wrought still 
lives. O, you who ever speak unkindly, 
think of it! 

452. If a man be quick-tempered, if he 
give way to anger quickly and unright- 
eously (for I leave out of the question 
entirely that righteous wrath which ris- 
es for good reason only, and is quite a 
different matter from temper), he is not 
generous, for he shows no regard for 
the comfort of those around him; he is 
not unselfish, for it is safe to say that in 
nine cases out of ten, if not in ten out 
of ten, his fury is kindled by some fan- 
cied slight to himself, and is allowed to 
blaze simply as an illumination in honor 
of his self-esteem; he is not forgiving, 
because, though he may recover quickly 
from his aberration,' and soon be per- 
fectly urbane to the whilom victim of it, 
the restoration is simply forgetfulness, 
and to forget the injury inflicted upon 
another by his own hasty words is by 
no means synonymous with forgiveness 
of injuries he himself may have re- 
ceived. Last of all, he is not large- 
minded. I am convinced that a quick 
temper is an unfailing indication of a 
limited intelligence and a lack of men- 
tal quickness. If the mind were large 
enough to grasp the true relations of 
things, to see how small a point in the 
universe this temper-rousing episode oc- 
cupied, and if it could see this quickly — 
in a flash of thought — the outburst 
would be averted. — Atlantic Monthly. 

453. A person having behaved rudely 
to Mr. Boswell, he went to Dr. Johnson, 
and talked of it as a serious distress. 
Dr. Johnson laughed, and said: "Consid- 
er, sir, how Insignificant this will appear 
twelve months hence.". "Were this con- 
sideration", said Mr. Boswell, "applied 
to most of the little vexations of life, by 
which our quiet is too often disturbed, 
it would prevent many painful sensa- 
tions. I have tried it frequently, and 
with good effect." 

454. An outburst of temper is like the 
bursting of a steam boiler; it is impos- 
sible to tell beforehand what will be the 
result. The evil done may never be 
remedied. Starve your temper. It is 
not worth keeping alive. Let it die. 

155. Justice in the Kngland of 1800 
was savage. The feeling of the times 
was so in favor of severity, that Ed- 
mund Burke said ho could obtain the 
assent of the Commons to any bill im- 
posing the death penalty. — Mackensie, 
XIX Century. 

456. Too late. Not long ago a young 
man of twenty was arraifjned in one of 
the Boston district courts for assault 



with intent to kill. The preliminary 
history of the boy is interesting, because 
it indicates a dangerous road down 
which any hot-blooded youth is liable 
to make a swift descent. He belonged 
to a respectable family, but from very 
early years he showed a fiery temper, 
and his parents were too busy or too 
thoughtless to correct and restrain it. 
The habit of giving way to anger grew 
upon him, and he became quite uncon- 
trollable. At times no one dared to op- 
pose him, and the youth, who was gen- 
erally pleasant and good-natured, be- 
came the periodic tyrant of the house- 
hold. At one time he beat his little 
brother into insensibility, and might 
have killed him, had he not been forci- 
bly restrained. The apology for him at 
home was, "It's Charles' infirmity. He 
can't help it." 

Early one morning Charles went to 
his uncle and demanded two bank- 
books that he knew were in his uncle's 
possession. Receiving a refusal he flew 
into one of his fits of rage. Beside him- 
self, and probably not clearly knowing 
what he did, he seized a cane and struck 
his uncle several blows, till the old man 
sank to the floor. In an instant, terri- 
fied at his own violence, the youth 
came to his senses; but it was too late. 

"Anger is a sort of madness," but it 
is also swift mischief; and a mad mo- 
ment may ruin a lifetime. Unless early 
checked, a fiery temper becomes one's 
master. Its best antidote is the study 
of the Great Example — a timely culti- 
vation of self-control under divine aid. 
"He that is slow to anger is better than 
the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit 
than he that taketh a city." — Youth's 
Companion. 

ir>7. r >f this sin of envy it has been 
said that there is something about it 
which justifies the epithet diabolical. 
"Tt is a pure soul-sin. having the least 
connection with the material or animal 
nature, and for which there is the least 
palliation in appetite or in any extrin- 
sic temptation. A man may be the 
most intellectual, most free from every 
vulgar appetite of the flesh; he may he 
I a philosopher, and dwell speculatively 
t in the region of the abstract and the 
ideal, and yet his soul be full of this 
corroding malice. It is also purely evil. 
Revenge assumes to have at its founda- 
tion some sense of wrong that allies It 
to justice. Anger makes a similar plea, 
and with some show of reason lays part 
at least of the blame on nervous irrita- 
bility. But envy or hatred of a man for 
the good there Is in him or In any way 
pertains to him, Is evil unalloyed. To 
| use the Imagery of John Bunynn, It Is 
•simply diabolonian. Neither can it be 



Sins Classified. 



— 74 — 



The Seventh Commandment. 



laid, where we are so fond of charging 
our sins, upon the poor body. It is the 
breath of the old serpent. It is pure 
devil." 

458. About 1559 the Duke of Guise, 

leading an armed band of his followers 
through the village of Vassy, heard the 
singing of hymns by a party of Hugue- 
nots in a barn. They surrounded the 
barn, the signal was given, and they 
slew sixty of the worshippers dead, and 
sorely wounded 2 00 others. When the 
Duke reached Paris the bells were rung 
in his honor, and the clergy greeted him 
with Te Deums. 

459. When Charles IX signed the de- 
cree for the Massacre of St. Bartholo- 
mew, he said: "Let the work be done so 
thoroughly that not a Huguenot will be 
left to shake his finger at one." 

460. The scenes I have witnessed dur- 
ing the three days since the steamer 
left Blagovestschensk are horrible be- 
yond all powers of description; it is the 
closing tableau of a fearful human trag- 
edy. What I have seen is nothing com- 
pared to what others must have wit- 
nessed. Two thousand persons were de- 
liberately drowned at Morxo, 2000 at 
Rahe, and 8000 in and around Blago- 
vestschensk! a total of 12,000 human be- 
ings. Twelve thousand corpses were 
encumbering this river, among which 
were thousands of women and children. 
Navigation was all but impossible last 
week. Every moment the boat had to 
plow her way through a tangled, man- 
gled mass of corpses strung and lashed 
together by their long hair; the river's 
banks were literally covered with them, 
and in the curves of the winding stream 
were to be seen dark, putrid, smelling 
masses of human flesh and bone surging 
and swaying in the steamer's wake and 
wash. In vain the captain ordered 
"Full speed ahead"; the sight, the smell 
was ever with us. This is Russian 
work. But a Reuter's telegram tells us 
that several Russian papers "comment 
indignantly upon the acts of violence, 
destruction, pillage, and profanation." 
committed by German forces in China. 
And, indeed, letters from German sol- 
diers at the front are sad enough read- 
ing. The Berlin correspondent of "The 
Morning Leader" tells us that letters are 
published which describe the men as 
reveling in the cruelties mentioned in 
the previous accounts: "They talk of 
'tickling fourteen Chinamen" with bay- 
onets, of giving eight more 'blue beans 
(i. e. bullets) to swallow,' and similar 
cold-blooded atrocities. Our boat load- 
ed with about fifteen tons, is towed by 
Chinamen. When the Chinaman re- 
fuses to pull he is belabored with a 



bamboo stick or simply shot down. We 
stop at villages and towns on the way 
and take whatever we want, — fowls, 
eggs, pigeons, grapes, etc.; if the China- 
men show signs of objecting we fix our 
bayonets. One man can easily shoot a 
hundred Chinese; when you aim at them 
they fall on their knees and shout 'Leidi. 
leidi, leidi.' There are thousands of 
corpses floating about in the river, and 
the stench is awful." The same journal 
"also gives currency to a letter from a 
China warrior in Pekin who wrote that 
his battalion was ordered to bind the 
Chinese prisoners together by their pig- 
tails and shoot them." — War's Hellish 
Panorama, New Age. 

The Seventh Commandment. Impurity. 

(461-478) 

461. On a secluded pond, filled with 
mud at the bottom, into -which you 
could thrust your oar and never find 
solid ground, bloomed a mass of the 
whitest lilies I ever saw. In a pure 
gravel-bottomed lake, near by, were the 
homely yellow lilies, in the midst of 
sumptuous surroundings. If you wanted 
the pure, spotlessly white variety you 
had to force your way through the 
bushes and perilously embark in an old 
punt, and thousands were yours for the 
gathering. In the blackest of mud, in 
the foulest of waters, in seclusion, 
bloomed the spotless pond lily, in the 
rich ooze of an unattractive little lake, 
which had gathered all the sweetness 
of the surrounding hills into its bosom, 
and gave back to the world the incom- 
parable lily. The White Life is the 
spirit of Christ struggling to overcome 
the world in us. The silent admonitions 
against wrong, the better impulses that 
come in serious hours, the thoughts of 
others, which, like angels, we sometimes 
unawares entertain — these make up the 
white, harmless, useful life. Bodily, it 
is refusing to coarsen our bodies with 
stimulants, gorge them at banquets; the 
detei mination to keep clean, steel- 
nerved, clear-sighted, keen-sensed. — Rev. 
John B. Appel. 

462. There is many a man who would 
never tell a filthy story, but who, never- 
theless, is prepared to listen to one. 

There are many people from whose lips 
there never proceeds a foul jest, but 
who are quite ready to laugh at one. It 
is recorded of King Arthur's knights 
that they neither spake scandal, "no, 
nor listened to it." — Rev. J. H. Jowett. 

463. Wickedness is not wit, and filthi- 
ness is not fun. Moral baseness in con- 
versation is suggestive of mental bar- 
renness. There are foul-mouthed speci- 



Sins Classified. 



— 75 — 



The Seventh Commandment. 



mens of animalism who are ready to tell 
you the best story they have ever heard. 
If you are so unwise as to listen, it 
usually turns out to be the worst story 
you have ever heard. 

164. An unclean incident is a reflec- 
tion upon your mother, an insult to your 
sister, an indignity to your fair friend, 
and a dishonor to the magnificent man- 
hood of America, of which you are a 
representative. 

465. The fact that some very good 
men sometimes tell stories that are not 
so good as they ought to be, simply 
proves that such men are not as good as 
such men ought to be. 

466. An unclean incident is unclean, 
and therefore unhealthy; unhealthy, and 
therefore unmanly; unmanly, and there- 
fore unholy; unholy, and therefore un- 
christian; unchristian, and therefore un- 
kind, uncalled for, unnecessary; abso- 
lutely inexcusable and beneath the dig- 
nity of any man who claims to be either 
a Christian or a gentleman. 

467. Bad associates and associations 
are antagonistic to purity of life; a man 
is judged by the company he keeps. 
Nor is the fact that he comes in contact 
with such associates in college, in store, 
in office, in shop, a legitimate excuse for 
his becoming one of thc-m. Man may 
be the creature of circumstances, but 
he ought to be the hero of circum- 
stances. We are not responsible for 
being in the world, but we are responsi- 
ble 1'or what we become in the world. 

46S. Evil reading defiles the chamber 
of Imagery in the heart and turns mem- 
ory's store-house Into a enamel bouse of 
foul things. It turns the chamber of 
imagery in the heart into a hall of en- 
tertainment. The walls of this hall are 
decorated with things that come through 
the windows of the soul, to-wit, the eyes 
and ears; and from these degrading 
things the looms of imagination and fan- 
cy constantly weave entertainment for 
secret moments. 

469. Impure literature and art are on- 
ly second to drink in promoting licen- 
tiousness. These whip the imagination 
into fury. Fifty American periodicals, 
excluded from Canada by Its government 
as indecent, wore, at the close of the 
nineteenth century, circulated by mil- 
lions In our country, at a cost of mil- 
lions of dollars to the taxpayers and of 
heartbreaks and soul wrecks beyond 
reckoning. Seventeen of these were 
published In New York City, thirteen in 
Maine, some in almost every State. — 
Crafts. 

1 70. In Rome marriages became, as 
a rule, mere temporary connections. In 



order to escape punishment inflicted on 
adultery, in the time of Tiberius, mar- 
ried women, including even women of 
illustrious families, were on the official 
lists of public prostitutes. 

471. As many as 5000 women, in Phil- 
I adelplna, live by the sale of their bodies. 

I Six years of observation lead me to fear 
that this estimate is too low. This in- 
cludes only "professionals.". — A writer 
in The Arena. 

The real reason why a true-hearted, 
noble man cannot walk in the ways of 

I licentiousness is not the selfish fear of 
physical contamination or social repro- 
bation. It is because he cannot take 
pleasure in the banishment of a 
daughter from the household of her fa- 
ther; in the infamy of one who might 
have been a pure sister in a happy 
home; in the degradation of one who 
ought to be a wife, proud of the love of 
a good man and happy in the sweet joys 
of motherhood. On this point our social 
standards are still barbarous and our 
moral insight undeveloped. The man 
who supports or defends that hell of 
womanhood known as "the social evil", 
ranks with the slave-drivers who forced 
human beings to labor with the lash. I 
care not how high such a man may stand 
in social circles, he is a man with a 
cold, hard, cruel, callous heart; a crea- 
ture capable of finding a beastly satis- 
faction in drinking human blood. — Pres. 
Wm. DeWitt Hyde. 

472. "Wherewithal shall a young man 
cleanse his way?" The answer is: "By 
taking heed thereto according to thy 
word." Our problem now is to make our 
way clean, and not simply our general 
way, but our particular way. How are 
we to cleanse that? By taking heed, 
the Bible says. We are to think. We 
begin by applying reason to it. We 
know it is monstrous to go wrong. That 
will not help a bit. Reason is no 
match for passion, and the wisest man 
will sin blindly although he knows it is 
against his whole being. A doctor that 
knows all about physiology will take 
morphia. We say that time will cleanse 
our path, and that by-and-by when we 
are elderly men we shall be cleansed. 
It is a delusion; time has no power to 
change. It will be the same five years 
hence. Time has no redemption in it. 
A strong will, then? Alas! we have 
made a hundred resolutions, and our 
past life is strewn with pieces of them. 
Not two per cent of them have been 
kept. Keason, time, will — in none of 
these is there hope. Hut the Hilile ad- 
mits that when it says: "Take heed 
thereto according to thy word." — Prof. 
Drummond. 



Sins Classified. 



— 76 — 



The Seventh Commandment. 



473. Evil reading corrupts the 
thoughts, perverts the imagination, 
sears the conscience, hardens the heart 
and damns the soul. It leads to habits 
which destroy men morally, physically, 
mentally and spiritually. The harvest 
of the seed-sowing of these three great 
crime breeders — intemperance, gamb- 
ling, and evil reading — when looked for 
in the home and in the final wreck and 
ruin of the individual are almost iden- 
tically the same. They all destroy nat- 
ural affection, fraternal love and sympa- 
thy, and lead to poverty, squalor and 
want in the home and to crimes in the 
community. They sweep our young men 
into the vortex of vice, unhinge religion, 
and so deaden conscience, that the door 
of the heart is barred against the gentle 
messenger who stands without gently 
knocking, saying: "Behold, I stand at 
the door and knock." These influences 
combined are doing more to undermine 
the institutions of free government than 
all the other influences combined. — 
Anthony Comstock. 

474. Quetelet, the famous statistician, 
made a calculation based upon the very 
careful and complete statistics of Euro- 
pean life-insurance offices, and proved 
that the time of the greatest risk (or 
highest death-rate) in men's lives is 
from the age of fourteen to twenty-five, 
and culminates when they should have 
reached their early prime. Unhappily, 
the reason is not far to seek. Indul- 
gence in tobacco, alcoholic liquors, and 
impure habits, all involving violation of 
God's laws within the human frame, if 
begun in early life, will, at the age of 
twenty-five, report themselves in wretch- 
ed sequels of deterioration, often even 
unto death. The saddest sight in all 
the world is not a grave of the dead, 
grievous as that might be, but it is a 
grave of the living, — humanity sepul- 
chred while yet alive. — Frances Willard. 

475. A white rag retains the stains of 
the colored matter strained through it. 

So a mind, originally pure, may be per- 
manently soiled, by unsavory conversa- 
tion, books "off color", and the like, the 
tone of which is almost unconsciously 
imparted to the soul by the thoughts 
which drip through it, even though we 
do not wish to retain them. I have ob- 
served that even matter which itself 
seems colorless will stain the strainer. 
There is a subtle aniline property in the 
fluid which the eye does not detect until 
it has come in contact with the fabric. 
Thus, some books are without any es- 
pecially bad pages. They contain no 
prurient passages and no praise of 
wrong. Yet the subtle character of the 
writer works through his words and 



damages the pure white of the young 
reader's mind. — J. M. Ludlow, D. D. 

476. "Impurity is increasing apace in 
all parts of the land." This was the 
verdict of conferences of physicians in 
1896, based on the awful evidence which 
comes to this profession in diseased 
men and ruined girls. The crowded dN 
vorce courts, and, yet more, the divorce 
lawyers, tell the same story. Mrs. Maud 
Ballington Booth, on the basis of abun- 
dant information gathered by the Sal- 
vation Army, estimated, about 1896, 
that there were in this country 230,000 
professional prostitutes. Adding the 
apprentices, there were even then a full 
quarter million supported by more than 
a million male prostitutes. In this, as 
in other crimes, the offenders are not 
more than one-tenth women. They fol- 
low this awful trade but five years on 
the average. That would mean 50,000 
deaths a year, and 50,000 seductions to 
fill their places — 1,000 a week on Mrs. 
Booth's estimate — but in 1901, Judge 
Jerome, of New York, said there were 
100,000 such women in New York City 
alone. No other vice more swiftly and 
surely ruins body and soul, and none 
has been so fatal to national life. Baby- 
lon, Greece, Rome, all were destroyed by 
this plague, and France is dying of it 
to-day. In no other civilized nation 
is impurity so bold as in France, and in 
no other has the birth rate fallen be- 
loy the death rate, a warning to indi- 
viduals and nations alike. — Dr. Wilbur 
F. Crafts. 

477. Society is smitten with the lep- 
rosy of impurity. Like some vile drugs 
made palatable in sugar-coated dress, 
it now and again wears the garb of re- 
spectability, but beneath its attractive 
dress is the same vile, blighting, damn- 
ing thing, and every young man who 
has to do with it becomes unclean — is 
a moral leper — and dangerous to the 
community just in proportion to the 
stage of the disease with -which he is 
infected. Vile books, vulgar advertise- 
ments, obscene pictures, smutty stories, 
dress decollete and the socalled theatre 
are the carrion on which impurity feeds. 

The pollution of body and mind so 
common among young men is appalling. 
I do not hesitate to affirm that one form 
and another of impurity is a greater 
hindrance to the development of Chris- 
tian character and to the progress of 
the gospel than all the other forms of 
sin combined. I have found — in the ten 
years of my work among young men — 
this one thing to be the common cause 
of backsliding and at the same time the 
greatest hindrance to a completely sur- 
rendered will to God: It's the prolific 
cource of most of the misery which af- 



Sins Classified. 



— 77 — 



The Eighth Commandment. 



fects society, and spoils the prospects of 
otherwise most promising young men. — 
S. M. Sayford. 

478. The White Cross pledge: — I 
promise by the help of God — 

First, To treat all women with re- 
spect, and endeavor to protect them 
from wrong and degradation. 

Second, To endeavor to put down all 
indecent language and coarse jests. 

Third, To maintain the law of purity 
as equally binding upon men and 
women. 

Fourth, To endeavor to spread these 
principles among my companions, and 
try to help my younger brothers. 

Fifth, To use all possible means to ful- 
fill the command, "Keep thyself pure." 

The Eighth Commandment. Honesty. 

(479-496) 

479. You recall how Diogenes went 
around searching for an honest man, 
and how Pope declared that "an honest 
man's the noblest work of God." Is, 
then, strict honesty so rare a virtue? 
The man who is thoroughly honest 
has an honest intention in everything he 
does, he purposes to be true in every 
transaction. It is not alone the burglar 
and the pick-pocket who steal. He who 
cheats a street-car company out of his 
fare, who has false measures or weights, 
who advertises falsely, who adulterates 
food, who gambles, who forges a note, all 
these alike take what is not theirs. One 
who runs in debt when he has no money 
to pay the debts with, and no prospect 
of having any, is just as much a thief 
as the one who steals money itself. In 
the recent life-insurance disclosures 
men high in office have been found so 
dishonest with funds entrusted to their 
care that their deeds can only be classi- 
fied under the head of stealing (Tar- 
bell); they are no better than the burg- 
lar. 

480. The human race may for prac- 
tical purposes be divided into three 
parts: (1) Honest men: who mean to do 
right, and do it. (2) Knaves: who mean 
to do wrong, and do it. (3) Fools: who 
mean to do whichever of the two is 
pleasanter. And these last may be di- 
vided again into black fools — who 
would rather do wrong, but dare not 
unless It is the fashion: white fools — 
who would rather do right, but dare 
not, unless It is the fashion. — Charles 
Kingsley. 

181. What Is gambling? — "When it is 
determined by chance, what and how 
much he who pays money has for it. it 
Is a lottery." (56 N. Y. Supreme Court, 
42 4.) "A lottery is a scheme to distrib- 



ute or obtain anything of value by 
chance." (94 K. Y., 13 7.) We shall 
never defeat gambling, but only drive 
it to new costumes and fresh aliases, un- 
less its very flesh marks are made 
known and its criminal measurements 
published. It must be cut up by the 
roots by a full exposition of the eighth 
commandment. "Thou shalt not steal" 
Christ translated, "Defraud not." An- 
other standard exposition is the proverb, 
"A fair exchange is no robbery." Every 
other exchange is robbery. When one 
man gets $100 from any kind of lottery, 
whatever named, in return for $1 — in 
gambling by guessing, for example — 
while more than one hundred others get 
nothing, there is no "fair exchange" 
either in case of winner or loser. Bet- 
ting is the brother of burglary. "Value 
received", as a necessary part of a legal 
note, ought to be expounded in every 
school as implying that no one (except 
in receiving an outright gift when he 
has a right to receive it, from one who 
has a right to give it) can rightfully re- 
ceive more than a just equivalent for 
what he has rendered in goods and ser- 
vices. To get something for nothing, or 
even much for little in business transac- 
tions, is nothing less than stealing. Let 
"money's worth" be set above "bar- 
gains." The subtler forms of gambling 
can be reached only by education, but 
legislation and law enforcement should 
be used on all forms of lotteries and on 
all who make it a business to promote 
betting whether on race tracks or in 
hoards of trade, whose "bears" and 
"bulls" are the pests of the farmer and 
the public; also on those petty forms of 
gambling that initiate youth into this 
vice, such as the nickel-in-the-slot ma- 
chines, which ex-Chief of Police Powell, 
of Indianapolis, told me had been ex- 
amined for him by a chess expert and 
found to give back on the average for 
each 101 cents received only the one odd 
cent. These should be seized by police 
raids and smashed by order of court. — 
Dr. Wilbur F. Crafts. 

482. An old soldier recently asked to 
have his name dropped from the pen- 
sion list. He had been receiving a pen- 
sion because suffering from a supposed 
incurable disease contracted by exposure 
in the army, but he had recovered and 
was no longer entitled to the pension. 
The Pension Bureau at Washington was 
so astonished that a special agent was 
sent out to see if the man were not in- 
sane. 

183. During the war a paper written 
i by Quartermaster-General Montgomery 
j C. Meigs was brought to General Sher- 
] man. He examined It long and care- 
I fully without being able to read it. and 



Sins Classified. 



— 78 — 



The Eighth Commandment. 



then endorsed it in this way: "I heartily 
concur in the recommendation of the 
Quartermaster-General, but I don't 
know what he says". He did know that 
officer was a man who could be trusted. 
It ought to be true that one who has 
taken upon himself the name of Chris- 
tian is one who can be trusted, one of 
whose integrity there can be no ques- 
tion. 

484. "We are to be honest in little 
things as well as large things. "It is a 
sin to steal a pin." "Surely," said a 
man once, "you won't say that stealing 
a pin and a dollar are the same, in God's 
eyes?" "Well," was the conclusive re- 
ply, "Will you tell me how much more 
valuable to God a 'dollar is than a pin?" 

485. A merchant had a rival who sold 
sweat-shop goods at cut prices. The 
young man's friends told him, "You will 
have to do the same or fail." He re- 
plied: "I have taken God as my partner; 
if I work as hard to sell honest goods 
as the other man does to sell dishonest 
goods, God won't let the firm fail." 
That is what Jacob had to learn. 

486. Froude, the historian, lost his 
faith some years before his death, and 
among his reasons was the lack of ser- 
mons on morals in English pulpits. 
Among hundreds of preaching themes 
not one dealt with the eighth command- 
ment, or with fraud or debt. 

487. Honest debtors are rare birds up- 
on the earth at present. Men's entire 
mental and moral view-point requires a 
strong dose of repentance on this ques- 
tion. For our respectable and conscien- 
tious standard-bearers of rectitude in 
commercial dealings often show a laxity 
of fibre over debt fraught with ominous 
portent if allowed to bear fruit un- 
checked. We remember Sheridan, the 
orator, guarded by a loyal henchman 
from a multitude of duns, while all Lon- 
don laughed at the fun he made of his 
escapades as debtor. Our own Grant is 
said to have died in financial straits. 
Even some ministers have been offend- 
ers here. One brilliant preacher of our 
acquaintance inside a five years' pastor- 
ate ran up obligations into the tens of 
thousands. And the peripatetic career 
of another ministerial wandering star 
is explained by the gentle whisper cir- 
culating after each departure — "Dead- 
beat!" 

488. Social ambition is a rank offend- 
er. The young man in debt usually 
marries, for he who is rash in money 
matters will be rash in everything. Then 
society demands her votive offerings. 
So many parties, so much display, so 
much dress are required to keep up ap- 
pearance. All the pleasure of social life 



is poisoned by a nervous misgiving 
anent the cost. What is the conse- 
quence? Rash borrowing. Small debts 
rattle around him like a fire of mus- 
ketry until the fond notion takes posses- 
sion of our crazed financier to relieve 
the smart of many duns by consolidat- 
ing his scattered obligations into one 
loan, probably negotiated with some 
generous friend. But the unexpected is 
our debtor's enemy. He is the puppet 
of the unforeseen. Expenses crowd in 
along a thousand avenues, emergencies 
find him unprepared, a sudden jolt in 
business throws him out of work, and 
payments on his loan are out of the 
question. The friend hears nothing of 
his money and their former intercourse 
is clouded with suspicion. Periods of 
financial panic are freighted with warn- 
ings of ruin to a borrower of money. 

489. At one time the Malagasy did 
not know of any book but the Bible. 
There was a Creole trader in Antanan- 
arivo who had greatly offended some of 
the natives. They mobbed his house, 
they seized his property, and men were 
seen rushing in all directions carrying 
away whatever they had been able to 
lay their hands upon. One man had 
got possession of the trader's ledger and, 
holding it up aloft, he shouted at the 
top of his voice: "We have got the big 
Bible! we have got the big Bible!" It 
is to be feared that the trader's ledger 
is, in too many cases, and in other pla- 
ces than Antananarivo, his Bible. 

490. Oh, young men, you are never 
on such slippery ground as when you 
begin to play with the world of chance. 
I would rather see my dearest friend a 
drunkard than a gambler. I believe 
there would be more hope for him. It 
is the greatest blow this world knows 
to honesty and industry. When a man 
begins gambling he stops working. No 
man will grime for mites who can gam- 
ble for millions. It turns the mind into 
a perfect furnace. It does not burn, it 
blazes. 

Make money! Make all you can, but 
make it honestly. If you can't make it 
honestly then be willing to be poor. 

491. In olden times when church bells 
were not as common as now, a monk 
of St. Gaul, France, made a bell with 
such a sweet and solemn tone that it 
charmed every listener. The Emperor 
Charlemagne sent to the monk a quan- 
tity of silver with which to make a 
second bell, thinking that the finer 
metal would make a bell with still 
sweeter tone. When the monk saw 
the silver he began to wish he 
might keep some for himself: and 
thinking that no one would know 



— 79 — 



The Ninth Commandment. 



the difference, he made the bell 
of inferior metal and tried to pass it 
for silver; but when hanging the bell, 
he met with an accident and was killed. 
His fraud was discovered, and the peo- 
ple thought he had been justly pun- 
ished. How much cheating of just this 
character is practiced to-day in business. 
And just as sure as the bell maker came 
to a sudden end, so will men be pun- 
ished by God, who sees the fraud, 
though man may not see it. 

492. The worthlessness of dishonest 
gains. What was Naboth's vineyard 
worth to Ahab? (1 Kings 21: 1-19.) 
What was the treasure for which N.aa- 
man was deceived, and about which Ge- 
hazi the servant of Elisha lied, worth to 
him? (2 Kings 5: 9-27.) What was 
the profit of the thirty pieces of silver 
to Judas? (Matt. 27: 1-5.) What did 
Ananias and Sapphira gain by the ut- 
terance of a falsehood to Peter? (Acts 
5: 1-10.) And what fruit have a mul- 
titude of others had in treasures wrong- 
fully acquired? — Harold F. Sayles. 

493. Two infidels lived together for 
several years as neighbors in New 
England. At last one of them heard 
the Gospel and became a Christian. 
Soon after the converted man went to 
the house of his infidel neighbor, and 
said, "I have come to talk to you; 1 have 
been converted." 

"Yes, so 1 have heard," said the skep- 
tic; "I thought you a more sensible 
man". 

"Well," said the Christian, "I have 
a duty to do to you, and I want you to 
hear me. I have four sheep in my 
flock that belong to you. They came 
into my fold six years ago. They had 
your mark on them, but 1 changed it 
and put mine on them. You tried to 
find them, but failed. They are in my 
field with their increase, and now I 
have come to settle the matter. I 
have lain awake nights over my sin, 
and I want to get rid of my burden. I 
am. at your option, I will do what you 
say. I have a good farm and money at 
interest, and you can have all you ask, 
or if it is a few years in states-prison, 
I will suffer that, only say the word." 
The infidel was amazed. He began to 
tremble and said, "If you have the 
sheep, keep them. If you will only go 
away; a man that will come to me as 
you have, must have something that I 
do not understand. Keep the sheep." 

"No," said the Christian, "I must set- 
tle this matter, and pay for them. What 
shall it be?" "Well." said the infidel, "if 
you must pay for them, give me what 
they were worth when they got into 
your field, and six per cent. Interest, 



and let me alone." The Christian count- 
ed out the amount including the inter- 
est, then doubled it, then laid down as 
much more beside it and went his way, 
leaving a load on the neighbor's heart, 
almost as heavy as that which he him- 
self had borne. 

494. Eighty years ago in the northern 
part of New York one man said to 
some companions: "If I knew where 
there was an honest lawyer I would go 
1000 miles to see him." The reply was: 
"If you go to Newark and ask for Theo- 
dore Frelinghuysen you will find the 
man." * * * * Later a man came to 
Newark, N. J. one day and asked a 
landlord to direct him to a first-rate 
lawyer. "Well," said the landlord, "if 
you have a good cause, go to Freling- 
huysen, he is an honest lawyer, and 
never undertakes any other kind; but 
if you want a keen, sharp lawyer, who 
sticks at nothing, go to lawyer So and 
So." He watched the stranger, and he 
went straight to So and So. 

495. Under the headline "Seven 
More" a French newspaper recently 
published the following from a Monte 
Carlo correspondent: "There is a slight 
reduction in the number of suicides for 
the current week. Of the seven unhap- 
py ones whom the bandits of Monte 
Carlo have hurried to their death after 
first robbing them, four have hanged 
themselves in the garden and one has 
hanged himself in his room at the Hotel 
de Paris. This last one was cut down, 
nearly dead, and taken to the hospital 
at Monaco, where he is being cared for 
in the greatest secrecy. A woman also 
poisoned herself at Monaco only a few 
steps from the museum that was raised 
to his own glory by Albert I. Still an- 
other, a young man, thirty years old, 
shot himself dead on Monday evening at 
nine o'clock on one of the benches 
fronting the great staircase of the Ca- 
sino." — Journal and Messenger. 

496. "After being harassed to distrac- 
tion by creditors, I was just about to 
burn my store for the insurance mon- 
ey," confessed a grateful man, "when, 
on a bit of waste paper that I held in 
my hand preparatory to lighting the 
fire, my eye fell on the words, 'What 
shall it profit a man,' etc., and in a 
flash I saw it was better to have Christ 
without a cent than to have $10,000 and 
lose my hope in him." — C. E. World. 

The Ninth Commandment. False Witness. 

(497-5 18) 

497. There are people who would not 
steal a pin, would not hurt a house fly, 
would not take a spoonful of intoxlcat- 



Sins Classified. 



— 80 — 



The Ninth Commandment. 



ing liquor for a beverage, but who think 
nothing of robbing a man of his good 
name, sticking the knife of scandal into 
a neighbor's back, and passing about a 
bottle of libelous drink about an absent 
human brother. Here is a vice to which 
good people are addicted. "Thou shalt 
not bear false witness against thy neigh- 
bor" deserves a place among the mot- 
toes that hang on the walls of societies, 
at street corners and in homes and 
hearts. 

498. Goldsmith once said to Dr. John- 
son, "For my part, I'd tell the truth 
and shame the devil." Johnson replied: 
"Yes, sir, but the devil will be angry. I 
wish to shame the devil as much as you 
do, but I should choose to be out of the 
reach of his claws." "His claws," said 
Goldsmith, "can do you no harm when 
you have the shield of truth." 

499. Lincoln once wrote, "If, in your 
judgment, ypu cannot be an honest law- 
yer, resolve to be honest without being 
a lawyer." 

500. Many justify deception when ef- 
fected by a nod, tone or manner, by si- 
lence, or by a statement which, literally 
taken, is true. This is wholly inadmis- 
sable, in fact, shabby subterfuge. St. 
Athanasius was in a boat on the Nile 
fleeing persecution. Hard pressed, he 
ordered his boat turned about and ran 
right in among the Emperor Julian's 
soldiers. They asked: "Have you seen 
Athanasius?" He answered: "Yes, he is 
close to you." They went on their 
course; he returned to Alexandria and 
lay hidden till the persecution was past. 
Athanasius cannot be exculpated by the 
circumstance that what he said was 
the literal fact, since it was a clear case 
of intentional deception. He must be 
justified, if at all, on the ground that 
the very exceptional circumstances ren- 
dered deception legitimate. If you, 
without good motive, purposely mislead 
a rational being, no matter what means 
you use, you lie. Without good motive 
a "white lie" or a "fib" is as bad as a 
black lie. — Chancellor E. Benjamin An- 
drews. 

501. Happy the child that at its mo- 
ther's knee is taught the sanctity of 
truth, and made to understand that nei- 
ther gold nor position can bestow that 
enduring worth that comes from loving 
"truth in the inner parts", making man 
as true to facts as the needle to its 
pole. He who lays out his career upon 
truth-thinking and truth-speaking has 
made strong the foundations of man- 
hood, and prepared the way for a per- 
manent position. Above the grave of 
his hero Homer inscribed the words, 
"He was a brave man"; above his hero, 



Plato inscribed the words, "He was a 
wise man"; above his hero Alcibiades 
lifted the words, "He was a rich man." 
This is a motto for a man's tomb: "He 
was an honest man and true — faithful 
unto death." — Dr. Newell Dwight Hillis. 

502. It seems as if some people loved 
to prey upon the character and feelings 
of others. As Dr. Talmage says: "They 
revel in the details of a man's' ruin." 
They say "I told you so." They rush 
into some store and say, "Have you 
heard the news? just as I expected, our 
neighbor has gone all to pieces." Good 
for him. That professed Christian wo- 
man having heard of the evil rumor af- 
fecting the reputation of some brother 
or sister, instead of hiding the sin 
with a mantle of charity, peddles it 
along the street. She says, "Would 
you have thought it? I always said 
there was something wrong about him. 
I would not speak to her if I saw her 
on the street. Is it not horrible?" How 
often, friends, this is what we hear in 
our stores, on the street, and in our 
homes, and when we come to inquire in- 
to the matter, to get into the facts in 
the case, it begins in about this way: 
"Why, our hired man says he saw a 
friend of his, whose brother's wife's sis- 
ter overheard something the other eve- 
ning, when passing some men on the 
street." — Sayles. 

503. "Why," an Indian once said, "I 
stand humble before the sun. I stand 
humble under the sky. I stand humble 
beneath the moon and stars at night. 
These things are always looking at me. 
How, then, can I do other than speak 
the truth?" That was his way of rec- 
ognizing the eternal verities. And it 
was not a bad way; for, to be true, we 
must keep close to nature; close to the 
realities, and away from the artificial 
in conduct and thought. — Bayliss. 

504. A young man who had involved 
himself in debt went for assistance to 
Cecil Rhodes, the Colossus of South 
Africa. "How much do you owe?" asked 
Mr. Rhodes. A sum was named. "Is 
that all?" That was all. A check for 
the amount was written out. "Come to 
see me to-morrow about the appoint- 
ment, and be ready to leave for the 
north." The young fellow left happy, 
but in the morning there was another 
story. In his dread of stating an amount 
which to him seemed large, he had not 
told the true sum of his indebtedness, 
and had spent the afternoon trying to 
raise the extra money from Mr. Rhodes' 
own friends on the strength of the ap- 
pointment he was to receive. 

"It won't do," was the unexpected 
reply he received in the morning. "I 



Sins Classified. 



— 81 — 



The Ninth Commandment. 



asked you a question, and you gave me 
the wrong answer. You are of no use to 
me. Good day." — The Boys' World. 

505. "We once picked up a black boy 
in our Egyptian mission work, whose 
father and mother had come from cen- 
tral Africa as slaves. His name was 
Sherif, an Arabic word meaning "honor" 
or "honorable." This poor boy, black 
as night, had never had any one take 
any interest in his soul. I found after 
some time that he was interested in 
knowing what we believed, and in see- 
ing what we endeavored to practice. 
And several times I had conversation 
with him on the subject of matters of 
duty and right toward men and toward 
God, especially about cursing and lying. 
Finally he told me one evening that he 
had quit cursing. He had no more dif- 
ficulty about that. He could go to mar- 
ket, and there they cursed him as he 
made purchases, and he did not curse 
back, no matter what they said. And 
said I: "Well, Sherif, how about lying?" 
"Well," said he, "I have been doing the 
best I can. I have been trying to quit." 
"Haven't you quit?" "Well, pretty near. 
I won't lie now unless I am cornered." 
— Rev. Chauncey Murch. 

506. 1. No one is justified in mislead- 
ing others by decisive signs of thought. 
Lies are unjustifiable under all circum- 
stances. The term "white lie" is a 
misnomer, for deception is not always 
a lie. 

2. One can remain silent. 

3. Partial truths are not condemned 
by the Moral Law. 

4. Feints and Quaker Guns may be 
justified in war when great interests are 
at stake. 

5. When men have no right to know, 
they may be left to draw their own con- 
clusions. 

6. When life is involved men may put 
murderers on a false scent. 

7. When important issues are at stake 
men may be left on a wrong track. 

8. Men may suppress truth when the 
whole truth would be injurious. Some- 
times speaking the whole truth is a 
gross violation of the Law of Love, 
which is the supreme law of human life. 
Some Christians think to be faithful to 
an erring brother, they must tell him 
all his faults at once. They pour oil on 
his head, but it is the oil of vitriol. 
Some blurt it all out and cause wounds 
that heal slowly. Christ was gentle. He 
never contravened any social law of 
life. — Johns D. Parker. Ph. D. 

507. A woman once repeated a piece 
of gossip about a neighbor. It flew 
from mouth to mouth and soon all the 

o Prac. in. 



I town knew the story, which caused the 
I person affected a great deal of unhappi- 
ness. One day the woman discovered 
j that the tale she had told was not true, 
and in the greatest sorrow she went to 
| tie rabbi to ask in what way she could 
; make atonement, and repair the wrong 
she had committed. 

The rabbi heard what the woman had 
to say, and he told her to go to the mar- 
ket, have a fowl killed, pluck it on the 
way home, and drop the feathers one. by 
one as she went along. 

The woman was surprised at this cur- 
I ious means of atonement, but she did as 
the rabbi instructed, and on the follow- 
I ing day came to him again to report 
j that she had carried out his behest. 
I "Xow," said the rabbi, "go and collect 
all the feathers and bring them to me." 

The woman went along the road she 
had traversed on the previous day, but 
she found that the wind had blown the 
feathers away, and after an all-day's 
search she was only able to bring back 
two or three. 

"You see," the rabbi said to her gent- 
ly, "it was easy to drop the feathers, 
but it is an almost impossible task to 
bring them back. So it is with gossip 
and slander. It is easy to spread false 
reports about thy neighbor, but it is im- 
possible to make good the wrong thus 
committed. 

508. There is, however, a time to 
speak as well as a time to seal the lips. 
And as it requires perhaps only a pas- 
sive bravery to practice the latter re- 
straint, it sometimes needs the exertion 
of an active courage to do the former 
thing. 

When a friend is assailed, and our 
words on his side may be as the weap- 
ons of the valiant, are we not cowards 
if we withhold them? When the ab- 
sent are maligned, are we to let them 
remain undefended? If it be not a fel- 
low-being, but a truth of God which is 
failing of effect for lack of a champion, 
are we blameless if we hold our peace? 
— Margaret Sangster. 

509. Note the importance attached to 
misuse of the tongue (Eph. 4:25-32). 
Three forms of abuse are specified, — 
lying, foul speech, clamor, and evil 
speaking. How much every-day talk 
would be dumb, and how many pages of 
books and newspapers would be blank, 
if these precepts were obeyed! There 
are many kinds of lies besides gross and 
palpable ones, as there are many de- 
grees of foul speech besides stark-naked 
uncleanness; and the refined forms of 
both are the most pernicious. — Alexan- 
der McLaren, D. D. 



Sins Classified. 



— 82 — 



The Tenth Commandment. 



510. From what does falsehood come 

but from a desire to get out of some 
present difficulty without any thought 
of the far greater difficulties into which 
that falsehood will lead one later? "A 
lie is awful handy to get you out of a 
scrape," says the boy. Yes, perhaps it 
is "handy" for the present scrape, but 
what about the future scrapes into 
which his reputation for untruthfulness 
will inevitably bring him? A Christian 
physician, when asked if he would tell 
a patient an untruth about his health if 
he thought it would help in the patient's 
recovery, replied: "I dare not. The 
faith my patients have in my truthful- 
ness is one of my best means for helping 
them back' to health. If I were to un- 
dermine that faith by falsehood, I 
should be sacrificing for one man's ben- 
efit what I am entrusted with for the 
good of many." — Tarbell. 

511. La Fontaine, in one of his fables, 
tells how Xanthus, wishing to banquet 
some friends, sent Aesop to the market- 
place, instructing him to purchase the 
best things to be had, and nothing but 
the best. Aesop brought tongues, and 
nothing but tongues. Every course at 
the table consisted of tongues, prepared 
in one way or another. 

The guests were at first loud in their 
praises of the viands and the cook, but 
soon were surfeited with tongues. 
"Slave," exclaimed Xanthus, in a rage, 
"did I not command you to buy the 
very best things the market afforded?" 

"You did," replied the imperturbable 
Phrygian; "and have I not carried out 
your command? Is there anything as 
excellent as the tongue? Every grand 
and noble truth has been uttered 
through the tongue! It is the instru- 
ment by means of which the divine gift 
of reason rules the world! It is the 
bond of communal life! It soothes sor- 
row; it gives instruction in wisdom! 
Above all, it enables us to discharge the 
first of our duties — to praise the gods!" 

Xanthus did not get angry, as many a 
modern master would. That wasn't in 
his role. He pretended to be satisfied 
with the explanation, and, on the fol- 
lowing day, sent Aesop to market again. 
"I have invited the same persons as yes- 
terday to dine with me," were his 
words: "and as I wish for a greater va- 
riety of dishes, buy nothing but the 
worst things, the very worst." 

At dinner tongues were served again. 
"Is there anything wcrse than the 
tongue?" asked Aesop. "The tongue is 
the mother of strife and dissension, of 
lawsuits and of wars. Every error has 
been promulgated and defended by the 
tongue! Though it sometimes is made 
the instrument of truth, more often it 



utters lies! Though it sometimes in- 
stills hope and cheers depressed spirits, 
more often it serves as the vehicle of 
slander and calumny! If it sometimes 
praises ^the gods, more often it blas- 
phemes!" — George Seibel. 

512. Some years ago Col. Gourrand of 
London invited Lord Tennyson, Mr. 
Gladstone and Cardinal Manning to de- 
liver to his phonograph some message 
to the world, not to be published until 
after their death. Two years after 
Manning's death a number of distin- 
guished people were gathered by invi- 
tation to hear that solemn voice. This 
was the message: "I hope that no word 
of mine, written or spoken, will be 
found to have done harm to my fellow- 
men when I am dead." — Dr. Banks. 

513. The English have gained a repu- 
tation for veracity in their dealings with 
the Turks. Though the Mohammedan's 
most solemn oath is "by the beard o£ 
the Prophet"; an oath "by the word of 
an Englishman" is more binding. 

The Tenth Commandment. Covetous- 
ness. (514-547) 

514. Judas' besetting sin was covet- 
ousness. This is a widely prevalent 
disease. A noted millionaire was asked 
not long since how many of the very 
wealthy men he had ever known had 
found the acquirement and possession 
of wealth a real help in the develop- 
ment of character. After careful reflec- 
tion he said, "Not one." His questioner 
then asked for how many of those he 
had known the acquirement and pos- 
session of money had been a hindrance 
so far as the development of their char- 
acters was concerned. He ran slowly 
over the list and then said, "Nineteen 
out of every twenty." From the story 
of England's greatest philosopher, Ba- 
con, we get an instance which, in plain 
black and white, strikingly illustrates 
the possibilities of degeneracy through 
the choice of an ignoble life-purpose. 

515. Inordinate desire for things seen 
is, after all, a childish state of the soul. 
It is hard to get the child past the toy- 
shop window or the pastry cook's door. 
He weeps over the refusal of things ve- 
hemently desired, even though he is 
told that they are useless or will do him 
harm. Yet how few of us have escaped 
from this childish stage of thinking al- 
together and find no peril to our souls 
from covetousness! Just so far as our 
happiness depends upon things which 
mav be seen and handled, we are chil- 
dren of the earth. If we will but use 
our eyes for observation instead of cov- 
eting, we shall see that happiness falls 



Sins Classified. 



— 83 — 



The Tenth Commandment. 



to those who are strong enough to do 
without, and not to those who are dis- 
tressed by losing. 

516. The haste to be rich will dry up 
human sympathies, divert the mind 
from high and healthy thought, degrade 
art and science and literature, destroy 
family life, poison the fountains of so- 
ciety, sanction immoralities, and make 
the nation a seething caldron of selfish- 
ness and unrest. The greatest need of 
our land today is an education away 
from this fearful danger. — Howard 
Crosby. 

51". The heart of the American na- 
tion is burning with passion — the pas- 
sion for making money. Our people are 
wild, delirious, phrenetical with the lust 
for gold. The question that disturbs 
our average young man, says Dr. Park- 
hurst, is how to convert one dollar into 
two without perspiration. We are living 
in a fast age. Chickens are hatched by 
electricity. Sugar is sold before it is i 
crystallized. The standing desideratum 
of today is "rapid transit." How to 
make money! How to make it easily! 
How to make it quickly! That's the 
problem, and playing with the world of 
chance seems to be the popular solution. 

518. A merchant may become a mon- 
ey-making machine. Explaining his de- 
generation, he says: "Competition is or- 
ganized warfare. Under present meth- 
ods of business, perfect honesty is im- 
possible. The fact that other men 
adulterate their goods compels me to 
do likewise. Ideals are impracticable 
in business matters." Thus, out of the 
fiery furnace of trade come the mer- 
chant's golden idol and leaden instincts. 
And because circumstances are dumb 
and have neither voice nor advocate, 
men play the coward's part and thrust 
responsibility upon their surroundings. 
Men break the laws of nerve and brain, 
and sickliness and failure come out; 
they break the laws of knowledge and 
study, and ignorance comes out; they 
break the laws of honesty and Integrity, 
and doubt and financial failure come 
out; they break the laws of conscience, 
and misery and remorse come out. — N. 
D. Hillis, D. D. 

519. An Arab, who fortunately es- 
caped death after losing his way In the 
desert without provisions, tells of his 
feelings when he found a bag of pearls, 
just as he was about to abandon all 
hope. "I shall never forget," said he, 
"the relish and delight I felt in suppos- 
ing It to be fried wheat, nor the bitter- 
ness and despair I suffered in discover- 
ing that the bag contained pearls." 

520. There can be no doubt that eov- 
etoiisncsN is represented by Christ and 



his apostles as a sin whose extent and 
gravity far exceed what is usually rec- 
ognized in liturgical repetitions of the 
Tenth Commandment. As distinct from 
Mosaic definition of it, which seems to 
touch none but the man with designs 
against his neighbor's property, Jesus 
in two parables and their context, as 
given by St. Luke, regards covetous- 
ness as the desire of wealth for posses- 
sion and enjoyment rather than for 
brotherly service to fellow-men,. This 
meaning is conveyed by the Greek term 
used for it, pleonexia. grasping more. 
And this is blacklisted by St. Paul (writ- 
ing in times of enormous contrast be- 
tween extreme wealth and extreme 
want), along with the crime of fornica- 
tion. Yet it is not the sin of the rich 
more than it is of the poor. In this 
period of unprecedented fortunes, and 
the envies and cupidities they excite, 
there is no sin that gives rise to greater 
social dangers, yet none so inadequately 
conceived of among the people, or so 
needing from the pulpit the radical 
treatment given to it in the New Testa- 
ment. — The Outlook. 

521. It is doubtful if any bias exists 
today that acts with more blinding 
power upon men than the bias associat- 
ed with their money income. There is 
scarcely any rich source of pecuniary 
profit for which the average citizen will 
not find ethical justification. 

522. The old rabbins, those poets of 
religion, report of Moses, that when the 
courtiers of Pharaoh were sporting with 
the child Moses, in the chamber of Pha- 
raoh's daughter, they presented to his 
choice an ingot of gold in one hand, 
and a coal of fire in the other; and that 
the child snatched at the coal, thrust it 
in his mouth, and so singed and parched 
his tongue that he stammered ever af- 
ter. And certainly it is infinitely 
more childlike in us, for the glittering of 
the small glow-worms and the charcoal 
of worldly possessions, to swallow the 
flames of hell greedily in our choice. — 
Jeremy Taylor. 

52;i. The highest ambit ion of most 
young people Is to be rich. They little 
realize what that means. Andrew Car- 
negie*, in writing to a London newspa- 
per, declared the advantages of wealth 
are trifling. He says: "Beyond a com- 
petence for old age, which need not be 
great and may be small, wealth lessens 
rather than increases human happiness. 
Millionaires who laugh are rare." 

521. James T. MeQiutde. a New York 
millionaire who bad been sued by his 
wife for separation, declared in court: 
"If I bad been a poor man I would have 
been happily married today, but being 



Sins Classified. 



— 84 — 



The Tenth Commandment. 



a rich man I have to bear all the ills 
that the rich are heir to. Prosperity 
turned my wife's head. Gradually it got 
so I no longer had any say in the house. 
We slowly drifted apart. I became 
wealthier and as I did we increased the 
size and cost of our household. It was 
nothing for us to spend $50,000 a year. 
Now I am dissatisfied. I constantly am 
craving for more money. My marriage 
was a failure and I am constantly and 
unceasingly busy. And I know hun- 
dreds of others who are in the same 
way. A wealthy man never can live 
happily." 

525. A speaker at the International 
Student Volunteer Convention in Nash- 
ville said he had received recently a let- 
ter from a college chum whose life was 
devoted to money-making. He wrote: 
"Bob, poverty is hell!" Bob replied: 
"Bill, to be without the love of Christ 
is hell!" Bob was right, and rich' as 
well as poor find it so to be in their 
lives. 

526. There died in New York, of star- 
vation, a woman who was found to be 
worth upward of a million dollars. She 

hoarded her money and clutched it with 
so close and miserly a grasp that she 
refused to provide herself with even the 
necessaries of life. The case would be 
incredible if it were not authenticated. 
How literally applies to her the judg- 
ment, "What shall it profit a man if he 
shall gain the whole world and lose his 
own soul?" Are there not multitudes 
who live surrounded with the finer 
life and yet literally starve their souls 
to death? The Word abounds in plenty 
in this Christian land, and yet many re- 
fuse it, or are indifferent to it, and are 
starving their higher and finer natures. 
"Wherefore do ye spend money for that 
which is not bread? and your labor for 
that which satisfieth not? Hearken 
diligently unto me, and eat ye that 
which is good, and let your soul delight 
itself in fatness." 

527. There is a Russian story of one 
who entered a diamond mine in search 
of great riches. He filled his pockets 
with great gems. At length he grew 
very thirsty, but there was no water 
there. His suffering became so intense 
that even his reason began to fail. He 
heard the flow of rivers, but they were 
rivers of gems; he hastened forward at 
the sound of a waterfall, but it was a 
cascade of jewels. He was very rich 
in precious stones, but he was dying of 
thirst, and his riches were worse than 
useless. 

528. It is difficult to live on a throne 
and to think of a tomb; it is difficult to 
be clothed in splendor and to remember 



that we are dust; it is difficult for the 
rich and prosperous to keep their hearts 
as a burning coal upon the altar and to 
humble themselves before God as they 
rise before men.- — Sydney Smith. 

529. "I should like to be something," 
said Lillo, "that would make me a great 
man, and very happy besides — some- 
thing that would not hinder me from 
having a good deal of pleasure." 

"That is not easy, my Lillo," said Ro- 
mola. "It is only a poor sort of happi- 
ness that could ever come by caring very 
much about our own narrow pleasures. 
And remember, if you were to choose 
something lower, and make it a rule of 
your life to seek your own pleasure and 
escape from what is disagreeable, ca- 
lamity might come just the same; and 
it would be calamity fallen on a base 
mind, which is the one form of sorrow 
that has no balm in it, and that may 
well make a man say, 'It would have 
been better for me if I had never been 
born.' 

"There was once a man to whom I 
was very near, so that I could see a 
great deal of bis life, who made almost 
every one fond of him, for he was young 
and clever and beautiful, and his man- 
ners to all were gentle and kind. I be- 
lieve when I first knew him he never 
thought of anything cruel or base. ' But 
because he tried to slip away from ev- 
erything that was unpleasant, and cared 
for nothing else so much as his own 
safety, he came at last to commit some 
of the basest deeds — such as make men 
infamous. He denied his father, and 
left him in misery; he betrayed every 
trust that was reposed in him, that he 
might keep himself safe and get rich 
and prosperous. Yet calamity overtook 
hun." — George Eliot. 

530. It is not a good thing to an un- 
godly man that he have great wealth; 

it is not good that he be always free 
from afflictions; it is not good for him 
that he be lifted to a hight of honor 
among men. Such things tend to make 
him proud, self-sufficient and arrogant, 
and lead him to suppose that God is of 
no account to him. There are but few 
of God's children who can bear great 
worldly prosperity, and God in mercy 
and out of his goodness protects and 
saves them from it, and even uses hard- 
ness, that the old alienated and carnal 
nature be kept under and the new na- 
ture magnified, and the world to come 
set before their eyes that they may see 
the true good. "Let not your heart be 
troubled, neither let it be afraid," be- 
cause the wicked and unworldly pros- 
per, and the righteous seem sometimes 
to be overlooked and allowed to suffer 



Sins Classified. 



— 85 — 



The Tenth Commandment. 



by God in Heaven. "Blessed is the man 
that trusteth in thee." 

531. "I used to think that a man 
could get anything if he had money," 
remarked an old man recently, "but I 
have found out that there are some 
things that money cannot buy." And 
those "some things" are often the very 
things that make life worth living. 
Merely to have enough to eat and 
enough to wear, and enough besides 
that to foster a spirit of pride, is not 
to get the good out of life. ' But that is 
about all that wealth of itself can do. 
To have all that heart can wish is not 
happiness, if that heart has no wish for 
things high and noble and good. 

532. When we have much of God's 
providential mercies it often happens 
that we have but little of God's grace; 
satisfied with earth, we are content to 
do without heaven. Rest assured it is 
harder to know how to be full than it is 
.how to be hungry, so desperate is the 
tendency of human nature to pride and 
forgetfulness of God. Take care that 
you ask in your prayers that God would 
teach you "how to be full." — C. H. 
Spurgeon. 

533. "Trust in riches;" ah, there is 
the word which explains the whole mat- 
ter! It is not money, but the wrong at- 
titude toward money that bars men out 
from God's kingdom. So long as you 
are master of your money, be it much or 
little, and use it as its master, it will be 
a blessing to you, one of God's good 
gifts. It will help you to be happy and 
useful in this world, it will yield you 
treasure in heaven. But when the 
money is master of the man. so that he 
loves and trusts in it, preferring it to 
his own honor, to the well-being of his 
neighbor or to the glory of God, then 
the money has become a curse. — The 
Monday Club. 

531. Greed's emblems. 1000 years ago 
the Norsemen came sailing up Boston 
harbor in shallops. Each one, on its 
prow, had a wolf's head, and on its 
sail a cormorant. — Joseph Cook. 

535. In the Paradise Lost there are 
few finer touches or touches truer to the 
facts than that wherein Milton pictures 
Mammon as the least erect of all the 
angels even before he fell, "who went 
about with eyes rather for the pave- 
ment of the heavenly streets, trodden 
gold," than for the hiph and noble 
beauties of the place. You can guard 
your life from getting so under tin- - 1 >i - 1 1 
of possessions that you can be brought 
to overlook the riRhts of others for your 
own advantage. For even Christ pleased 
not himself. — Cleland McAfee. 



536. It's good to have money, and the 
things that money can buy, but it's 
good, too, to check up once in a while, 
and make sure you haven't lost the 
things that money can't buy. — George 
Horace Lorimer. 

537. Chasing rainbows is a bootless 
occupation. There is no pot of gold at 
the end of the rainbow, for the rainbow 
has no end. The young imagination 
often clothes very commonplace objects 
and pleasures with all the colors and 
hues of the rainbow; but when ap- 
proached these colors all melt into their 
native grays or browns. If only we 
could detect the real phantoms of life, 
what immense misfortunes and disap- 
pointments would humanity be relieved 
of! Bubbles are beautiful and many- 
hued, but they are not substantial, they 
will not endure. Follow after excellence 
in the old ways and the ways that are 
approved, and happier results will ac- 
crue. 

538. Walking along a street with a 
friend, one remarked of a man whom he 
passed, "That man has nothing in the 
world but forty thousand dollars." Now 

there are but few of our readers who 
| would not regard him as rich, and pos- 
! sibly wish to change places with him. 

But if that is really the case with him. 

he is not to be envied. 

539. Covetousness is not the desire 
for more; that desire is at the basis of 
all progress and civilization, and it is 
right to seek to satisfy it. Covetousness 
is the desire to possess what another 
person has. It is a greater sin than en- 
vy, which merely wants a duplicate of 
what anoQier person lias. Envy leads 
to discontent with ourselves; but covet- 
ousness, to hatred of others. Envy 
makes a weakling; covetousness, a fiend. 
"The practical effect of the tenth com- 
mandment, standing where it did, like 
a solemn appendix to the rest, was to 
throw back upon them all a more 
searching light. It was to show that 
they were to be applied to inward de- 
sire, which is sin, as well as to the out- 
ward action, which is crime. In effect. 
It doubled the whole law." — Dykes. 

510. Midway between poverty and 
riches is a genial clinic, named content- 
ment with a little. Earth's most famous 
sons, like Dante and Milton, have dwelt 
in this temperate clime. Cnrlyle, too, 
and Wordsworth, and Emerson have 
"earned a little and spent less." The 
heroes and reformers, also, in avoiding 
the arctic zone of poverty, have also 
avoided the tropic zone of riches. The 

i most famous spot in Westminster Ab- 
bey, it has been said, commemorates 

i "the glorious company of ifaupcrs." The 



Sins Classified. 



— 86 — 



Temptation. 



history of our great men, from the Pil- 
grim Fathers to Grant and Lincoln, 
does but emphasize this injunction of a 
scholar bidding us "to be content with 
earning a little and spending less." — 
N. D. Hillis. 

541. You Athenians will confer the 
greatest benefit on your city, not by 
raising the roofs of your dwellings, but, 
by exalting the souls of your fellow-citi- 
zens; for it is better that great souls 
should live in small habitations, than 
that abject slaves should burrow in 
great houses. — Epictetus. 

542. What shall I come to, father," 
said a young man, "if I go on prosper- 
ing in this way?" "To the grave," re- 
plied the father. 

543. This is the Christ's challenge: 
"Fling away life to keep it." John 
Howard renounces his patrician position 
in favor of the poor and weak; Fra An- 
gelieo renounces wealth, ease and lux- 
ury by fastings, wasting himself to a 
shadow, kneeling as he paints; the he- 
roes and reformers and martyrs re- 
nounced lands, houses, homes, were ex- 
iled into the mountains, died to the dirge 
of the forest winds, had no funeral robes 
but the forest leaves ■ — these all re- 
nounced, but were not embittered. Los- 
ing life that they might save it, and so 
received their Master's divine approval. 
— N. D. Hillis. 

544. Greed leads to lying. In the 
realm of metals, pure gold is so soft that 
it must be debased with alloys to be 
useful. From the number of lies that they 
tell many men seem to think that the 
truth is too precious to be used indis- 
criminately. Therefore they . debase it 
with the spurious metal of deceit and 
utter it as pure gold. By adulterating 
foods and selling them as pure, untruth 
becomes organized into the very struct- 
ure, of trade, and the youth that enters 
some shops and stores seems like one 
who has entered a college where lying 
is taugtfit as a fine art. 

545. Undoubtedly gold and rank are 
desirable in themselves, but they may 
cost too much. Certainly Arnold found 
it so, for when in his last years Talley- 
rand asked him, not knowing his name, 
but only that he was an American, for 
a letter to his friends in the United 
States, he exclaimed in bitterness, "I am 
the only man born in the New World 
who can raise his hands to God and 
say, I have not a single friend, not one, 
in all America." His honor, the friend- 
ships of the good, 'his own self-respect, 
would have been worth more to him 
than all he gained by refusing self-de- 
nials. Men often make a like mistake. 
■ — Monday Club Sermons. 



546. "Man shall not live by bread 
alone, but by every word that proceed- 
eth out of the mouth of God." It is as 
if he had said, "Let me be hungry, but 
let me not disobey him." Intense long- 
ing for physical comforts is one of the 
great temptations, which, when it over- 
powers a man, robs him of his true life. 
To choose a profitable business that is 
hurtful to the soul; to abandon, in order 
that we may get richer, a' trust that God 
has given us; to hide honest convictions, 
in order that we may keep a place in 
some one's favor; to refuse to acknowl- 
edge Christ as Master and Saviour be- 
cause of some foolish fear, — this is to 
seek first what Gentiles seek, and to lose 
what they lose. 

547. Covetousness seems a trivial 
fault. It is not heresy; it is not a pos- 
itive hurt to others; it is simply a dis- 
ease of the individual soul. Yet I do 
not know of any sin to which the Old 
Testament attaches such a stigma. 
"The covetous renounceth the Lord." 
You will observe it is not said: "The 
Lord renounceth the covetous." The 
renunciation is on the human side — on 
the side of the covetous man himself. 
A greater stigma could not be attached 
to any sin. Many a heretic longs for 
God; many an agnostic thirsts for God; 
many a blasphemer speaks in an hour 
of madness what is not the voice of his 
sober mind. But to renounce God, to 
calmly refuse his advances, to repudiate 
his fellowship, to shut the door deliber- 
ately against him — this is the acme of 
antagonism. And why has covetousness 
incurred this deadly imputation? It is 
because the spirit of covetousness is the 
extreme opposite of the Spirit of God. 
It is more extreme than atheism. Athe- 
ism only fails to see a divine Being; 
covetousness sees him quite well and 
admires not his beauty. That which the 
covetous man admires is God's opposite. 
— Dr. George Matheson 

Temptation. (548-569) 

548. There is hardly any power in the 
mechanical world greater than that of 
the wedge. . Once get the thin edge in, it 
is only a question of time and force how 
far the remainder shall be driven. The 
hardest stone, the toughest wood, are 
not able to resist its power for separa- 
tion. Beware of the thin edge of sin. 

549. "If you don't want to traffic with 
the devil, keep out of his shop." So 
said one of the old Puritan fathers. It 
is as good a proverb to us as it was two 
hundred years ago. The devil has many 
shops about us and he is luring thou- 
sands of Christians, young and old into 
them, well knowing that he is pretty 



Sins Classified. 



— 87 — 



Temptation. 



sure to induce some to traffic with him, 
if he can get them once on his ground 
and on speaking terms with him. 

550. It is said that weeds never grow 
truly wild, but only where the ground 
has been stirred up by cultivation. So 
with temptations, they beset the mind 
as soon as- cultivation ceases. 

551. Dr. McLaren tells about a beach i 
in England where the sea has laid the | 
pebbles in long rows, accurately sorting 
them out according to size. The great 
ocean of time, when it casts us up on 
the beach of eternity, will lay us beside 
our likes. Judas went "to his own 
place", as Peter solemnly said about 
him. 

552. Men should look well to their as- 
sociates and amusements. The devil is 
a farmer who has many hired hands. 
He does most of his farming by night. 
The danger period of a young person's 
life is the space between sunset and bed. 

553. The safeguard against tempta- 
tion is not seclusion, but self-culture. 
As it is not disinfectants that will most 
certainly secure one 'against infection, 
but a sound constitution, so it is not 
rules of life that will strengthen one 
against temptation, but a strong soul. 
One must build up his moral constitu- 
tion by the habit of noble deeds and 
high thinking, by fellowship with pure 
women and honorable men. The chief 
aids in this regimen are literature and 
friendship, for he will not afford house- 
room for unclean spirits whose mind is 
already possessed with goodness, and 
his garments will not take fire in this 
furnace who walketh with the Son of 
God. Above all books, the Bible passes | 
as iron .into a man's blood and gives 1 
vigor to his will, and he that lives with 
Jesus catches the infection of his aims 
and spirit. — Ian Maclaren. 

554. Resistance. A boy was learning 
to swim at the seaside at Fremantle, 
Australia. He knew there were two j 
dangers — drowning and sharks. To | 
provide against the first he wore : 
a sort of cork belt fastened about 
his chest. He got carried rather 
far out by the undertow; and, while 
there, a blue shark swam up, thinking 
he had got a tender dinner. But the 
boy remembered his father's teaching. 
He began to shout and splash the water 
loudly with his hands. The shark, be- 
ing a coward, thought this must be a 
very dangerous boy If he can make so 
great a noise, and therewith cleared 
away. In the meantime a man had 
swum out, and the boy was brought in, 
none the worse for his adventure. If 
we do nil we can to reslsl threatened 

i*\ i Is and enemies our chances of escape 



will be greater. Even to "make a noise'' 
is better than to succumb passively. — 
Homiletic Review. 

555. Stanley makes a note of the fact 
that while traveling in the dark forest 
of Africa he did not see many snakes. 
But when he stopped for a few weeks' 
rest, he determined to clear up a plot 
of land and plant it in corn. 

He says that when they began to 
clear the land they found snakes every- 
where. Snakes under the logs, rocks, 
leaves, up in the bushes, and down in 
the earth. The land was cleared, the 
snakes killed, the corn planted, in a few 
weeks they had fine roasting ears. So 
there are hidden evils in our natures, 
which God reveals to us by temptation. 
When they are revealed to us let us 
kill the infesting serpents of evil, and 
there will grow up from the same soil 
many fruits of the Spirit. 

556. Some one has said: "A very dis- 
agreeable person may come into our 
house, but if we refuse to see him as our 
guest and do our best to get rid of him, 
we cannot be held responsible for his 
presence." So it is with sinful thoughts; 
though they enter the mind, they must 
not be harbored but must he expelled 
with all possible haste. — United Presby- 
terian. 

557. We carry about with us the only 
possibilities of harm to ourselves. If we 
lift the latch to temptation the evil will 
come in. If we grow bitter in suffering 
adversity or meeting trial, hurt comes 
to us from experience — the hurt is in 
the bitterness, not in the experience. If 
we fail in the spirit of forgiveness, the 
unkindnesses of others have left ugly 
wounds on our spirit, but it was not the 
unkindnesses, but our own wrong way of 
enduring them, that was the cause of 
the hurt. The great problem of living 
is, therefore, to pass through all strug- 
gles, all sorrows, all life's experiences of 
whatsoever kind, keeping the hear! 
meanwhile pure, sweet, loving and at 
peace. Then nothing amid all the 
world's forces of evil shall have power 
to hurt us. — Forward. 

558. A student who hnd been enticed 
Into drinking, and gambling, and who 
was just on the verge of taking the next 
step downward, social impurity, i-ui 
in his room facing a picture of the boy 
Christ, by Hofman, that his Bister had 
given him. "There was something in 
those clear, sweet eyes," he afterward 
said, "and that strong, pure face, that 
thrust me through and through. I 
looked, and the picture Beejned <<> open 

up (lie depths of niy heart t<> my gaze, 
and I flung myself on the floor to tittle. 



Sins Classified. 



— 88 — 



Temptation. 



the picture, and cried out for mercy and 
help, and it came." — C. E. World. 

559. You have heard of the old castle 
that was taken by a single gun. The 
attacking force had only one gun, and 
it seemed hopeless to try and take the 
castle; but one soldier said, "I will show 
you how we can take the castle." And 
he pointed the cannon to one spot and 
fired, and went on all day, never mov- 
ing the cannon. About nightfall there 
were a few grains of sand knocked off 
the wall. He did the same the next 
day, and the next. By and by the stones 
began to come away, and by steadily 
working his gun for one week he made 
a hole in that castle big enough for the 
army to walk through. Now with a 
single gun firing away at every life the 
devil is trying to get in at one opening. 
Temptation is the practice of the soul; 
and if you never have any temptation, 
you will never have any practice. Do 
not quarrel with your temptations; set 
yourselves resolutely to face them. 

560. Facing evil. It is said a draft of 
air evaporates moisture from the part 
of the body against which it sets, imped- 
ing the circulation in the capillary ves- 
sels which join the arteries to the veins, 
and also in the small lymphatics. An 
unusual action ensues, causing stiffness 
or colds. If it blow only on the face, 
but little bad effect will follow, because 
the warm breath exhales moisture on 
the latter, and instead of parching, real- 
ly protects from injury. One can bear 
a keen wind longest by facing it. The 
danger of catching cold is least when 
the current is before, and not from be- 
hind. "Resist the devil," says Scripture, 
"and he will flee from you." Evil is 
robbed of half its danger when boldly 
fronted. "Resist the devil." 

561. John Wesley's mother once 
wrote to him when he was in college, 
"Would you judge of the lawfulness or 
the unlawfulness of a pleasure, take this 
rule, Whatever weakens your reason, 
impairs the tenderness of your con- 
science, obscures your sense of God, or 
takes off the relish of spiritual things; 
whatever increases the authority of 
your body over your mind, that thing, 
to you, is sin." 

562. From the fascination of sin we 
are taught to turn our eyes, to stead- 
fastly look upward when the Evil One 
whispers, "Look down!" It is the only 
safe, the only obedient way. To turn 
the eyes temptationward, even defiantly, 
when Christ has taught us to pray, 
"Lead us not into temptation," is an 
evidence not of courage, not of true 
manliness, but of presumption. Ever 
let the eyes of the Christian be turned 



upward toward the peaks, toward tne 
hills of divine help. While he knows 
that the gulf of sin yawns beneath his 
feet, let him walk with mind and soul 
fixed upon the things that are above. — 
James Buckham. 

563. There are always two things that 
go to the making of a temptation: there 
is the particular set of circumstances to 
be encountered on the one hand, and 
there is the peculiar character or his- 
tory of the person entering into the situ- 
ation on the other. We need to remem- 
ber this if we are to defend either our- 
selves or others against temptation. — 
Dr. Stalker. 

564. A child once asked in his inno- 
cence, 'Why does not God kill the 
devil?" That simple query suggests a 
problem that philosophers have found 
insoluble. We cannot attempt an an- 
swer. Temptation is a common-place 
of human experience, and consequently 
excites no astonishment; but it is a 
profound and impenetrable mystery. 
There can be no denial of the fact that 
the temptations of Satan frequently be- 
come jewels to adorn the crown of 
God's people before the eternal throne. 
The saintly Rutherford realized this 
when he declared: "I find it most true 
that the greatest temptation out of hell 
is to live without temptations; if my 
waters would stand, they would rot. 
Faith is the better for the free air and 
the sharp winter storm in its face; grace 
withereth without adversity. The devil 
is but God's master fencer to teach us 
how to handle our weapons." — Chaplin. 

565. A wealthy mother loved her 
baby girl devotedly. Every day she was 
sent out for the air. Still she was pale 
and weak, and sympathetic mothers 
said, "It is doubtful whether she can be 
raised." One practical, wholesome mo- 
ther said, "The mother is killing the 
child with mistaken care. The little 
thing hardly knows what it is to put her 
foot on the ground. She is wheeled in 
a cab all day long. The little dear hard- 
ly knows what her feet and legs are 
made for, for she is not allowed to use 
them in a normal way. Put her on the 
ground and let her walk and run and 
fall down. Suppose she does get some 
blue bruises? She needs more color. 
Turn her barefoot with a simple, sensi- 
ble dress on. Suppose she does stub her 
big toe? Blue forehead and blue toes 
are better than blue pills. Suppose she 
does get some dirt on her dress? 
There's plenty of water in the city res- 
ervoir. I wish I had her" for a while; 
I'd have her rosy and as fat as a pig." 
True, true; no normal child can be de- 
veloped in such an abnormal way. The 



Sins Classified. 



— 89 — 



Conscience. 



exertion, the hard knocks, the bruises 
must lome to every normally-managed 
child. Temptations are going to come 
to every one of us. Never mind who 
sends them, stand firm. The testing of 
your faitli develops endurance. — Herald 
and Presbyter. 

566. This is the terrible experience of 
every one who has yielded to tempta- 
tion. For a moment, all consequences 
are forgotten, all obligations silenced, 
every restraint snapped like rotten 
ropes. No matter what God has said, 
no matter what mischief will come, no 
matter for conscience or reason; let 
them all go! The tyrannous craving 
which has got astride of the man urges 
him on blindly. All it cares for is its 
own satisfaction. What of remorse or 
misery may come after are nothing to it. 
So the sin-ridden soul dashes at its aim 
like a bull at a stone wall, — head down, 
eyes shut. And it is the temptations of 
the senses which are most blind to any- 
thing beyond their own satisfying. The 
fleshly appetites have no conscience. 
Hunger will be allayed by stolen bread 
as well as by honestly earned; therefore 
the need to keep all the animal nature 
under lock and key. The first pair were 
tempted through their senses; and 
though we have many more refined and 
subtle forms of temptation, the bulk of 
men are tempted by their senses still, 
and the most common and obstinate 
sins have their roots there. 

567. Two brothers, James and George, 
were the sons of a drunkard. From 
their early years their mother explained 
to them that they probably inherited an 
appetite for alcoholic drink, and pointed 
out to them the sin and misery which 
result from the indulgence of that appe- 
tite. She showed that their only se- 
ourity lay in their never allowing that 
appetite to be awakened. George fol- 
lowed his mother's counsel, and to the 
day of his death no drop of alcohol 
passed his lips. James, on the other 
hand, tried to take an occasional glass, 
but with the first glass the inherited ap- 
petite was aroused, and it grew with 
each succeeding glass, until soon it was 
beyond all control, and speedily carried 
him to a drunkard's grave. Neither 
boy was responsible for the inherited 
appetite, but was not James responsible 
for the Indulgence of that appetite and 
all the evil that indulgence led to? God 
warns us of an inherited tendency to 
evil; he also shows us a way by which 
we may avoid strengthening that ten- 
dency and may finally conquer it. We 
may not ho responsible for our inherited 
sinful nature, but we certainly are re- 
sponsible for yielding to it. when we 



may, if we will, receive strength to re- 
sist. 

568. Our danger less from without 
than from ourselves. Contrary to what 
is generally supposed, the fully equipped 
diver does not dread sharks in the 
depths; though there are cases on rec- 
ord where these monsters have bitten 
savagely at the air pipe, causing a seri- 
ous leak and almost drowning the man 
before he could be hauled up. Sharks 
are, however, notoriously timid, and 
all the experienced diver has to do to 
frighten them away is to open one of 
the air valves in his dress and cause a 
stream of bubbles to rise up all around 
him, whereupon the "tiger of the deep'' 

I will make off in abject terror. A far 
more real danger is getting entangled. 

569. The Devil acts according to a 
plan which we should know, and which 
the Holy Ghost reveals to us: 'The lust 
of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the 
pride of life.' He adhered to that plan 
with Eve, who yielded to temptation 
when she saw, first, that the fruit was 
'good for food', then that it was 'pleas- 
ant to the eyes', and lastly, that it was 
'to be desired to make one wise'. He 
adopted it equally with Jesus whom he 

, tempted, first, by the wants of the flesh; 
j secondly, by the exhibition of earthly 
i pomp; lastly, by the pride of a wonder- 
j ful miracle. — Monod. 

Conscience. (570-600) 

570. Superstition and conscience. A 
! lady on leaving a private party in St. 

Petersburg, at a rather advanced hour 
I in the morning, called a droschke and, 
i having given directions to the driver, 
. the latter proceeded toward her home, 
I as she thought; instead of which he 
drove her to a rather deserted part of 
! the city and suddenly turned round and 
cut her throat, the sable-lined cloak in 
which she was enveloped having ex- 
cited his cupidity. Having divested her 
of this, he dragged her body to the 
brink of the canal and threw her into it. 
On the way back to his stand he was 
hailed by a gentleman, and, however re- 
luctant, was obliged to take him as a 
passenger. The gentleman not only no- 
ticed the cloak, but touching it, found 
his fingers stained with blood. He said 
nothing till he reached a police station, 
where, having ordered the driver to 
stop, he gave him into custody on sus- 
! picion. The gentleman was the hus- 
I band of the lady and recognized the 
I cloak as belonging to his wife. The 
' tragedy happened during Lent, when 
meat is forbidden. The murdered lady 
had a little basket with her which con- 
tained a pie. Having been asked by the 



Sins Classified. 



— 90 — 



Conscience. 



commissary why he hadn't eaten the 
pie, he replied, "How could I think of 
eating the pie? It may contain meat, 

and," devoutly crossing himself, "I am, 
thank God, a good Christian!" 

571. Keeping a clear conscience. 
There was once in Boston an old codfish 
dealer, a very earnest and sincere man 
Who lived prayerfully every day. One 
of the great joys of his life was the fam- 
ily worship hour. One year two other 
merchants persuaded him to go into a 
deal with them by which they could 
control all the codfish in the market, 
and greatly increase the price. The 
plan was succeeding well, when this 
good man learned that many poor per- 
sons in Boston were suffering because 
of the great advance in the price of 
codfish. It troubled him so that he 
broke down, in trying to pray at the 
family altar, and went straight to the 
men who led him into the plot, and told 
them that he could not go on with it. 

Said the old man: "I can't afford to do 
anything which interferes with my fam- 
ily prayers. And this morning when I 
got down on my knees and tried to 
pray, there was a mountain of codfish 
before me high enough to shut out the 
throne of God, and I could not pray. I 
tried my best to get around it, or get 
over it, but every time I started to pray, 
that codfish loomed up between me and 
my God. I wouldn't have my family 
prayers spoiled for all the codfish in the 
Atlantic Ocean, and I shall have nothing 
more to do with it, or with any money 
made out of it." 

572. Some wise man said once: "Most 
people follow their consciences as a 
man follows a wheelbarrow, pushing it 
before him the way he wants it to go." 

573. Conscience is like a watch, — it 

may look right, and you may go by it 
on the assumption that it is right, and 
find that you have missed your train be- 
cause it was all wrong, after all. The 
watch must be set by the sure time, and 
regulated from time to time as compari- 
son with the chronometer shows it 
needs. — Maltbie D. Babcock. 

574. It is infinitely better to think 
wrong and to act right upon that wrong 
thinking, than it is to think right and 
not to do as that thinking requires of 
us. — George Macdonald. 

575. The pirate Gibbs, whose name 
was for many years a terror to com- 
merce with the "West Indies and South 
America, was at last taken captive, 
tried, condemned and executed in the 
city of New York. He acknowledged 
before his death that when he com- 
mitted the first murder and plund'ered 



the first ship his compunctions were se- 
vere; conscience was on the racW and 
made a hell within his bosom. But af- 
ter he had sailed for years under the 
black flag, his conscience became so 
hardened and blunted that he could rob 
a vessel and murder all its crew, and 
then lie down and sleep as sweetly at 
night as an infant in its cradle. His re- 
moxse diminished as his crimes in- 
creased. So it is generally. If, there- 
fore, remorse in this life is God's way 
of punishing crimes, the more they sin 
the less he punishes them! How absurd! 

576. It was while steering a vessel 
through gloom and tempest, that the 
handwriting of God flashed upon the 
soul of John Newton. The only child 
of his mother, he had been carefully in- 
structed in the hallowed page; — 

"He had early learned 
To reverence the Volume which displays 
The mystery — the life which cannot die." 
Those impressions sin had obscured; 
but, like a beautiful landscape seen in 
a dark night by lightning, they all re- 
vived for a season: memory spoke to 
him, in accents that carried him home 
to his mother's arms, of death and judg- 
ment to come. The landscape fades 
with the flash; and so the awaking 
thoughts of Newton died with the im- 
pulse of the hour, yet not without leav- 
ing a faint impression behind. 

577. It is the function of conscience, 
as the soul's judiciary, to decide for it 
every question of personal right and 
wrong. In its decisions the sense of 
self-approval is as clear in the breast of 
the consciously innocent as is that of 
self-condemnation in the breast of the 
consciously guilty. 

1. It is not the office of conscience 
to forecast the future, — to foresee dan- 
ger, — to forewarn against temptation. 

2. It is not its office to pronounce 
judgment on conjectural acts, or on acts 
contemplated as dependent on untried 
and contingent circumstances. 

3. It is not the office of conscience to 
settle questions of casuistry, — 

4. Nor to furnish laws for its own 
judgment. It can neither supply nor 
set aside, neither enact nor annul, moral 
laws. 

5. Conscience cannot determine for 
any one the genuineness, or the authen- 
ticity, or the justice, of a moral law 
that is for the first time announced to 
him. — Dr. Robinson. 

578. A former New York fire depart- 
ment chief, although a very sound 
sleeper was wide-awake and ready for 
duty in a moment at the faintest tap of 
the alarm bell, which hung at the head 
of his bed, in his bed room. So con- 



Sins Classified. 



— 91 — 



Conscience. 



science may be keen to respond to every 
moral signal. 

579. A Cleveland fire truck horse es- 
caped from his stable and the men 
could not get near enough to capture 
him. And then one of them tapped the 
alarm gong, and he came galloping 
back alert and ready for duty at once. 
The admonitions of conscience should 
receive as prompt a response from us. 

580. The conscience, says Dr. Stalker, 
requires to be enlightened. God's law 
is written on it; but the lettering is like 
that of an old inscription, where the 
words are filled up with moss and 
mould, so that they are apt to be mis- j 
read and require to be recut. Victor 
Hugo says, "A man may be a wreck as 
well as a ship. Conscience is an an- 
chor: but it is as terrible as true that, 
like the anchor, conscience may be 
dragged." 

581. "We have heard, for example, of 
one who, as he was traveling in an Al- 
pine region at midnight, saw for an in- 
stant, by the brilliancy of a flash of 
lightning, that he was in such a posi- 
tion that another step would have been 
over a fearful precipice, and the effect 
upon him was that he started back and 
waited for the morning dawn. Now, j 
such a flash of lightning into the dark- 
ness of David's soul that "Thou art the 
man" of Nathan's was to him. It re- | 
vealed to him. by its momentary bril- 
liancy, the full aggravation of his ini- 
quity. That was enough to stir him up 
to hatred of his sin and of himself. 
Blessed are the revealing flashes.. — Wm. 
M. Taylor. 

582. A Barbadoes physician and 
slave-holder having been robbed to a 
considerable extent in his sugar-works, 
he discovered the thief by the following 
ingenious artifice. Having called his 
slaves together, he addressed them i 
thus: "My friends, the great serpent ap- 
peared to me during the night and told 
me that the person who stole my money 
should, at this very instant, have a par- 
rot's feather at the point of his nose." 
On this announcement the dishonest 
slave, anxious to find out if his guilt had 
declared Itself, put his linger to his 
nose. "Man," cried the master instant- 
ly, "it is thou who hast robbed me." 

58:5. Have you ever noticed the great 
clock of St. Paul s? At mid-day, in the 
roar of business, how few hear it but 
those who are close to it! But when 
the work of the day Is over, and silence 
reigns in London, then it may Ik- heard 
for miles around. That Is Just like the 
conscience of an impenitent man. 
While in health and strength. In the 
whirl of business, he will not hear It. 



But the day will come when he must 
retire from the world and look death in 
the face; and then the clock of con- 
science will sound in his ears, and if 
he has not repented will bring wretched- 
ness and misery to his soul. — Ryle. 

581. Conscience has been cleverly 
said to be "the tongue that tastes the 
flavor of intentions," "that which per- 
ceives and feels Tightness and oughtness 
in choices." In this sense it unques- 
tionably has a divine mandate, and nev- 
er misleads us, for we may infallibly 
know whether we mean right or wrong 
in our deliberate choices, and con- 
science merely bids us do whatever we 
consider our duty. But what that duty 
may be under any particular circum- 
stances he has laid it upon us to find 
out through the mental and spiritual 
powers given us. — Zion's Herald. 

585. "A compass." writes Thomas Ar- 
nold of Rugby, "may be out of order as 
well as a conscience) and the needle 
may point due south if you hold a pow- 
erful magnet in that direction. Still 
the compass, generally speaking, is a 
true guide and sure, and so is the con- 
science; and you can trace the derang- 
ing influence on the latter as surely as 
on the former." You can successfully 
if you faithfully use the right tests and 
methods. But no merely natural pro- 
cess will effect this. The highest devel- 
opment of conscience is its Christian or 
Christ-like type. 

586. The conscience fund in the 
United States treasury is over 8:500,0(10 
at the present time. It was opened in 
1811, with one dollar from a New York 
man. From London came the largest 
contribution, $14,250, which was trans- 
mitted through the consul to Washing- 
ton. Unsigned remittances are received 
almost weekly. Sometimes they are 
signed by clergymen at the request of 
penitents. 

587. "I succeeded in educating my boy's 
mind," said a broken-hearted father the 
other day to the friendly reporter who 
had taken an interest in his defaulting 
son's case: "but his conscience was left 
uneducated. Older and cleverer thieves 
found him just ignorant enough of fine 
distinctions of right and wrong to use 
him. They mixed up his conscience till 
it saw black as white. I'm not excus- 
ing him, or myself. No man has a 
right to let his boy go into business to- 
day with an uneducated conscience. No 
boy has a right to enter manhood with- 
out a carefully trained sense of good 
and evil. That is what was the trouble 
with my boy." 

588. Conscience I- executioner. — The 
instruments of the indicted penalty be- 



Sins Classified. 



— 92 — 



Conscience. 



ing in the soul itself; the furies come in 
as attending ministers. "I have be- 
trayed innocent blood," cries Judas, with 
the rope of strangulation in his hand. 
Richard III rushes about with his drawn 
sword and frightful eyes, to strike down 
the murdered souls of his ambition; 
each one exclaiming "I will sit heavy on 
thy soul tomorrow!" History comes re- 
plete with instances in which the aban- 
doned of God for their crimes, have con- 
fessed, "My conscience is my worst tor- 
mentor; how it rebukes, how it lashes 
me, how it drags me to the wheels of 
deserved retribution!" 

589. Traveling from Chicago to Cleve- 
land a party of gentlemen struck up an 
acquaintance by each giving a short bi- 
ography of his recent life. Said one of 
them, "I have been to Chicago to col- 
lect some conscience money. A good 
many years ago I made an invention; 
it was stolen from me by some Chicago 
people. I spent much money in trying 
to get my rights and did not get them. 
Two weeks ago I received a letter from 
a house in Chicago which had been 
manufacturing and selling my inven- 
tion, saying that if I would come to Chi- 
cago, I would hear something to my 
interest. I went to the place appointed 
and met a gentleman who said, 'You 
are Mr. A. B.!' 'Yes.' 'Our house has 
been for many years making and sell- 
ing an invention of yours; I have re- 
cently become a Christian, I know I 
have done wrong and I want now to do 
all I can to right that wrong; will you 
please say how much money we shall 
pay you for the wrong we have done? 
I thanked him, and said I wanted time 
to reflect. I took the time and gave an 
answer. Turning to the cashier the 
gentleman said, 'Make out a check for 
so much', a sum double the amount I 
had named. The check was certified 
and I now have it in my pocket." 

590. What is the best and most 
conclusive definition of conscience? 
The common and current definition 

is, the soul's sense of right and 
wrong. The scholarly view is, the soul's 
sense of right and wrong in motives. 
"Is conscience an infallible guide to 
man? No, and yes. No, when con- 
sidered independently of the atonement 
of Christ. Yes, when conscience is un- 
der the illumination of divine Revela- 
tion, and is governed by a saving faith 
in Jesus Christ, it is an infallible guide 
in motives that prompt action. Con- 
science itself will experience a sancti- 
fying power under those conditions. — 
Joseph Cook. 

591. The Earl of Breadelbane planned 
the massacre of Glencoe in Scotland 



and carried it into execution in a most 
dastardly manner. But he afterwards, 
says Macauley, felt the stings of con- 
science. He did his best to assume an 
air of unconcern. He made his appear- 
ance in the most fashionable coffee 
house in London, and talked loudly and 
complacently about his important ser- 
vices in the Scottish mountains. Some 
of his soldiers, however, who observed 
him closely, whispered that all this 
bravery was put on. He was not the 
man he had been before that massacre. 
At all times, at all places, whether he 
waked or slept, Glencoe was before him. 

592. Some years ago a woman board- 
ed a train on the Wisconsin Central 
Railroad. She was going to a neigh- 
boring town, and carried in her pocket 
a mileage boon with which to pay her 
fare. For some reason the conductor 
was hurried, and as he went through 
the car, the new-comer escaped his 
glance. Involuntarily, a temptation 
came to her. She sat still and said 
nothing. At the next station she got 
off the train, owing the railroad com- 
pany sixteen cents. At first she laughed 
over the matter, but as time went on, it 
began to look more serious. She was 
fundamentally a good woman. The 
community respected and liked her. 
Her life was blameless and she was 
charitable to the unfortunate; but the 
trivial secret debt remained upon her 
mind. 

At last she determined to be what 
every one supposed her to be — perfectly 
honest. She wrote a letter to the Wiscon- 
sin Central Railroad Company and told 
the whole story. She enclosed sixteen 
two-cent stamps, which paid her debt and 
the interest upon it for eighteen years, 
and more than all, she was brave 
and true enough to sign her name to 
the letter. The company recognized 
her courage, and a few days later she 
received from them a note expressing 
their high appreciation of it. 

593. Bessus, an abandoned Greek, was 
observed tearing to pieces a sparrow's 
nest together with the nestling brood, 
and when censured made this reply: 
"They never cease twitting me for the 
murder of my father." 

594. Lord Erskine, when questioned 
as to his conduct at the bar, answered 
that the first command and counsel of 
his youth was always to do what his 
conscience told him to be his duty, "and 
I have found it the road to prosperity 
and wealth." 

595. Dr. Webster, hung in Boston for 
the murder of Dr. Parkman, charged 
his keepers with calling out in the 
night, repeatedly, "You are a murder- 



Sins Classified. 



— 93 — 



The Consequences of Sin — Immediate. 



er!" when only his conscience was the 
arousing voice re-echoed through the 
gloomy cells. To such accusations the 
reply may be "silence!" but dumb they 
cannot be, and with multiplying power 
will still utter, "Son, remember, remem- 
ber thy sins." 

596. Malefactors have gone into court 
demanding the utterance of their own 
death-warrant. The inward judge lias 
doomed the outward, sitting on the 
judgment seat, to descend from his un- 
worthy elevation and confess himself a 
murderer, demanding his rightful exe- 
cution at the demand of justice. Life 
lias become intolerable, and the confes- 
sion has been, "I deserve to die; suicide 
is a relief from my suffering; man can 
do no worse to me than my guilt de- 
mands, and suicide shall be my confes- 
sion." 

597. Soft sponges become flints often- 
times by a peculiar process. There 
are in sponges particles of flint or silex; 
these are ever attracting particles to 
themselves, until in process of time the 
whole mass is an aggregate of silieious 
matter, and the softness of the sponge 
has disappeared. It is thus with con- 
science; its sensibilities are gradually 
giving way to the hardening particles 
that are introduced by every sin you 
commit. — Evangelical Messenger. 

598. Charles IX. of France, after the 
massacre of the Huguenots on St. Bar- 
tholomew's day, Aug. 24, 1572, never 
recovered from the fatal shock. "I don't 
know what ails me," he said to his phy- 
sician, "my whole frame seems in a fe- 
ver. I see nothing around me but hideous 
faces covered with blood." In the night 
he awoke to hear in his terror, "a con- 
cert of screams, groanings, howlings, 
and furious voices, menacing and blas- 
pheming just as they were heard on the 
night of the massacre." — Hanna. 

599. There is one stone in the floor 
of an old church in Scotland which 
stares out at you in blood red from the 
gray stones around it. The legend tells 
of a murder committed there, and of 
repeated fruitless attempts to cover the 
telltale color of that stone. Morally, the 
legend is true; every dead sin sends its 
ghost to haunt the soul of the guilty. 
■ — Trumbull. 

(See also Victor Hugo's I>cs Misera- 
bles, Chapter entitled "A Tempest in a 
Soul"). (Lady Macbeth). ("Eugene 
Aram's Dream"). 

800. A young man who was praised 
for his "quick moral intuitions" ex- 
plains them thus; "I began by taking 
ten days over a question of conscience 
— or twenty, if necessary. Then came 



down, little by little, to a ten hour day. 
Xow I can usually see the point clear 
in ten minutes — but only because I keep 
in practice." Some problems in con- 
science take longer than others. 

The Consequences of Sin — Immediate. 

(601-618) 

601. Not far from the place where 
these lines are being written there is a 
great prison in which hundreds of men 
and women are kept closely guarded. 
The cells in which they sleep at nighb 
are cold and gloomy and damp. The 
conditions of their life are so hard that" 
the very description would make one, 
shudder. These men are paying the 
price of the gain which they once 
thought to secure mostly by a single act. 

602. Near my house there lived a 
man, a few years ago, who, although he 

1 was at liberty in one sense, in another 
sense he was in a prison more to be 
dreaded than a prison of stone and steel. 
Fetters of appetite were on his soul. 
He could not do as he would. He had 
no will to speak of. Nearly e\ery day 
he was under the influence of strong 
drink. He loathed the habit, and tried 
to escape from it many a time, but he 
was weaker than a child. He was not 
only a prisoner but a slave. For many 
years he paid the price of the gratifica- 
tion of his youthful passions. It was an 
awful price — a shattered nervous sys- 
tem, a weakened mind, a lost soul. 

GO:!. A mother lay dying; her earthly 
hours were numbered, and the sands of 
life ran low. Grouped around her were 

i her three daughters, so soon to be left 
motherless and alone. Wistfully she 
eyed the group. Too weak to more 
than whisper, she made known her 
wants, of paper, pen and ink. They were 
brought to her by the eldest. She beck- 
oned to them to come closer. Wonder- 

i ingly they obeyed. Falteringly she 
dipped the pen into the ink well, and 

: with a death-palsied hand quiveringly 
held the full pen over the spotless page 
until one drop of ink spattered on the 
page. 

"Dears, erase it," she whispered, 
faintly. 

"We can not get it all off, mother," 
they said. 

"1 know it, my children; neither can 
you remove all the blemish of a -in 
iron) your soul. Your soul, children, is 
the page. Remember; keep it spotless." 

With these last words on her lips she 
passed to the great beyond, still clasp- 
ing tin' blotted page in her nerveless 
j hand. It was a lesson written Indelibly 



Sins Classified. 



— 94 — 



The Consequences of Sin — Immediate, 



upon the memory of every one of the 
three. 

60L "Often," says Thomas Fuller, 
"have I thought with myself, I will sin 
but this one sin more, and then repent 
of it, and of all the rest of my sins to- 
gether. 'So foolish was I, and ignor- 
ant.' As if I should be more able to 
pay my debts when I owe more; or, as 
if I should say, I will wound my friend 
once more, and then I will lovingly 
shake hands with him. But what if my 
friend will not shake hands with me? 
Besides, can one commit one sin more, 
and but one sin more?" 

605. At a general election in England, 

a candidate personally unknown to the 
voters of ascertain borough was asked 
by a party leader to stand for it. He 
belonged to a good family, and was a 
barrister of prominence in London. 
His path to success was open, as the 
borough belonged to his party. But 
when he mounted the platform to ad- 
dress the electors, after a sentence or 
two he suddenly became pale and con- 
fused, his eyes fixed on a board oppo- 
site on which was scrawled with char- 
coal, "Forty pounds!" He stumbled 
through a short speech, and then hur- 
riedly left the stand. A few days later 
he rose to speak in another town, and 
again the mysterious words written in 
black on the wall confronted him. Again 
he left the pl.itform, and that night 
he retired from the contest for the 
seat in Parliament. Not long afterward 
he disappeared from public life, and re- 
tired to an English colony, where he hid 
himself on a ranch. The words, it was 
found, referred to a theft committed in 
his youth, which he supposed had been 
forgotten. 

Behind all the happiness of life, be- 
hind even God's love, there is such a 
thing as law. "Who breaks it always 
pays the penalty." God may forgive 
him, but the lines on his face, the taint 
in his soul, remain to tell of the vice of 
his early days. 

606. There was a time when almost 
any man with a clear eye for historic 
perspective would have said of Parnell, 
"Here is a man who will live in history as 
one of its great figures." In 1882 he was 
great enough to offer of his own accord 
to Mr. Gladstone to retire from public 
life altogether, if in the great English- 
man's judgment such an act would be 
helpful to the Irish cause. 

Then came his secret overthrow. The 
sin which destroyed Samson under- 
mined him. It was long covered up and 
hidden; but like all sin, as it grew into 
mastery and control of the man's na- 



ture, it became bold and defiant. In 
the autumn of 1890 his shame was un- 
covered before the whole world. Then 
he was asked to retire; he was shown 
his cause would certainly fail unless he 
relieved it of his burden. But his sin 
seemed to have changed his whole na- 
ture, and he no longer had the power 
to be self-denying, or to do great and 
generous deeds. Justin McCarthy, who 
had been bis dearest friend, says: "He 
seems suddenly to have changed his 
whole nature and his very ways of 
speech. We knew him before as a man 
of superb self-restraint, cool, calculat- 
ing, never carried from the moorings 
of his keen intellect by any waves of 
passion around him — a man with the 
eye and the foresight of a born com- 
mander-in-chief." That was the man 
before he had sold himself to the devil, 
before secret sin had eaten out his man- 
hood and drugged his conscience and 
palsied his will; but what kind of a man 
was he afterward? Hear McCarthy 
again: "We had now in our midst a 
man seemingly incapable of self-con- 
trol; a man ready at any moment, and 
on the smallest provocation, to brealt 
into a very tempest and whirlwind of 
passion; a man of the most reckless 
and selfcontradictory statement; a man 
who could descend to the most trivial 
and vulgar personalities, who could en- 
courage and even indulge in the most 
ignoble and humiliating brawls." You 
all know the result. As Lucifer fell 
like a star from heaven to the deepest 
hell, so he fell from leadership, from 
the respect of mankind, and died as 
Samson did, broken-hearted and in 
shame. — Banks. 

607. Take a shield and cast a spear 
upon it, and it will leave on it one great 
dent. Prick it all over with a million 
little needle shafts, and they will take 
the polish from it more than the pierc- 
ing of the spear. So it is not so much 
the great sins which take the freshness 
from our conscience, as the numberless 
petty faults of our daily lives. 

In God's Word there is one prevailing 
thought about sin, that it entails es- 
trangement from God to begin with, and 
sooner or later abandonment to self. 
It was the keen consciousness of this 
banishment that made Judas despair. 

608. Felix, the Earl of Wurtemberg, 
a captain of Charles V. of Germany, in 
the presence of a company, at supper, 
swore that before he died he would 
ride "up to the spurs" in the blood of 
Lutherans. But that very night, by the 
bursting of a vein, he was choked and 
strangled in his own blood 

609. One of the brightest young -men 



Sins Classified. 



— 95 — 



The Consequences of Sin — Immediate. 



that ever entered Yale University, was 
powerfully awakened during a revival 
of religion, and for several days was on 
the verge of giving his heart to God. 
After a severe struggle he yielded to the 
dazzling offer of the tempter, who prom- 
ised him the glory of the world. The 
voice that called him was silent hence- 
forth. Brilliant as this young man 
was, his career was dark.' He rose to 
fame and sank to infamy and died in 
disgrace. He paid the price. When 
we contemplate the career which- was 
opened before him in the kingdom of 
God, and consider what he might have 
become and accomplished, we tremble 
at the thought that he forfeited it all 
for the gratification of an unworthy am- 
bition, and was cheated out of life. 

010. Until 56 years old the Emperor 
Tiberius was a man of noble qualities. 
But when he gained the world he sur- 
rendered to sensuality. In his beautiful 
summer palace on an island in the Bay 
of Naples, he had everything that could 
minister to voluptuous ease. And yet 
from that same place he wrote Ins fa- 
mous message to the Roman Senate: 
"What to write to you, Conscript Fa- 
thers, or how to write, or what not to 
write, may all the gods and goddesses 
destroy me worse than I feel they are 
destroying me every day, if I know." 
Pliny said that Tiberius was by common 
consent, considered the saddest ol all 
men. 

011. "Warning — Live Rail — Danger," 
run the words in the electric car sta- 
tion. A man climbs down to the track 
and lays his hand on that rail. "Warn- 
ing — Live Hail — Danger," says his 
drawn, prostrate, death-struck body to 
horrified beholders. Will the people 
heed the warning of the words which 
were set on that rail now? Too often 
the penalties which others pay do net 
deter us. 

Let me not trifle with what thou hast 
set for the safeguarding of men's souls, 
O my God. — W. A. Knight. 

012. The connection between irreli- 
gion and degeneracy is very clear and 
unmistakable. 

Bolingbroke, Voltaire and Hume sent 
ti bllgnl over iho religious life of En- 
rope in their day. anil a terrible yield of 
immorality in it* worst forms was the 
result. Previous to the Hevolution of 
179 3 was the Augustan age of France — 
the time of the Encyclopaedists. The 
Bible, Christianity and God himself 
were discarded, but a prostitute was en- 
throned in Notre Dame as goddess of 
reason; and rapine, violence and blood- 
shed abounded. In Great Britain the 
Anglican Church was powerless, while 



Moderatism was crushing out the life of 
the Church of Scotland, and Arianism 
was undermining the Presbyterian 
Church of Ireland, and vice and corrup- 
tion, even in high places, were rampant. 
Rationalism had nearly rooted out 
evangelical religion in Germany, where 
morality also was rapidly disappearing. 
In England, during the latter half of 
the eighteenth century, both religious 
| belief and morality were restored by the 
| evangelical movement, which was a 
i moral reformation as well as a religious 
revival. And the decadence in Ameri- 
can morals was not stayed until the 
glorious revivals of 1802. — Pierson. 

618. No more terrible prison awaits 
the sinner than the chamber of a guilty 
memory. From it he may behold pleas- 
ant prospects of peace and even lean 
out of its windows to breathe in the 
freshness of his children's hearts; but 
that is all. Distrust and impatience 
spring from a knowledge of our own 
selves; and sin has power to kill the 
soid's organs of communion and re- 
sponse, making us practically moral 
paralyticus. We do not know what 
tragedies men carry within their souls, 
under exteriors as fair as any here. 
Sin, no doubt, to many men, seems an 
entrance to good fellowship. But did 
you not feel — you who have trodden 
this pathway — that, as you fell, a door 
seemed to shut somewhere behind you? 
Remember that habits of sin make you 
unworthy of all you used to love and 
admire. 

614. A man broke into a small church 
in Scotland with the sacrilegious inten- 
tion of stealing the communion plate. 
Hearing steps outside the building, and 
expecting that he would be discovered, 
he hurried to the end of the church, 
where, seeing a long rope depending 
to the ground, he laid hold of it for the 
purpose of climbing out of sight. But 
it proved to be the bell-rope, and his 
weight rang the bell, which attracted 
his pursuers immediately to the spot. 
The man, of course, was caught; and 
thus wittily addressed the unconscious 
cause of his detection: "If it had not been 
for thy long tongue and empty head 
I should not have been in my present 
predicament." Those who sin are pret- 
ty sure, sooner or later, to turn king's 
evidence against themselves. There is a 
voice in wrong doing; its long tongue 
will not always be quiet. All unaware, 
the offender puts out his hand and pulls 
the bell which tells against himself and 
summons vengeance to overtake him. 
l.cl no man dream that he can secure 
Secrecy for his own wickedness. livery 
I timber in lloor or roof is ready to cry 



.Sins Classified. 



— 96 — 



The Consequences of Sin— Final. 



out against him, and before he is awa r c 
of it, he will himself be ringing out his 
own infamy. "What will be his dismay 
when he stands self-convicted before 
the assembled universe! 

615. At Aix-la-Chapelle is the tomb 
of the great Emperor Charlemagne. In 

the death-chamber beneath the floor he 
sat on a marble chair — the chair on 
which kings had often been crowned, 
and, wrapped in his imperial robes, a 
book of the Gospel lay open in his lap; 
and as he sat there, silent, cold, motion- 
less, the finger of the dead man's hand 
pointed to the words of Jesus, "What 
shall it profit a man if he gain the world 
and lose his own soul?" 

616. On September 30, 1863, there 
died in a little town of Alsace, an idiotic 
beggar woman. She was an object of 
curiosity to those who knew her strange 
history, whose one crowning moment of 
insane excitement she was never tired of 
mumbling an account of to her visitors. 
For this woman was the very one whom 
the godless mob, in the days of the 
French Revolution, had elevated to be 
their "Goddess of Reason." On that 
day, she had sat on the altar of Notre 
Dame, clad in white robes, ornamented 
with a blue mantle and red cap, and 
holding a pike in her hand. There she 
had mocked at Christ, and there she 
had been hailed as the new deity who 
was to redeem France from ali errors 
and distresses. What a pathetic com- 
mentary on the folly of sin was seen in 
the beggar woman! — old, idiotic, blind, 
dying in want and misery nearly 
seventy years afterwards. What a 
spectacle of the revenge of history upon 
those who set themselves against . the 
cause of Christ! It is still too true that 
they who fall on the stone cut out for the 
corner shall be broken, but they upon 
whom it shall fall shall be ground to 
powder. 

617. A Death without hope. Upon 
the canvas of a modern painting, en- 
titled "Death in the Desert", is seen in 
the foreground a dying camel, lying on 
the burning sand. The sun shimmers 
in the midst of a heaven of glowing 
brass. Not a blade of grass is visible. 
The poor creature, abandoned by some 
passing caravan, lifts a feeble head to 
look up toward the sky, in which a 
number of impatient vultures are circ- 
ling. 

618. There is no sort of wrong deed of 
which a man can bear the punishment 
alone; you can't isolate yourself, and 
say that the evil which is in you cannot, 
spread. Men's lives are as thoroughly 
blended with each other as the air they 



breathe; evil spreads as necessarily as 
disease. Every sin causes suffering to 
others, besides those who commit it. — 
Geo. Eliot. 

The Consequences of Sin — Final. 

(619-623) 

619. Dr. Maclaren says, "I remember, 
away up in the lonely Highland Valley, 

where, beneath a tall, black cliff, all 
weather-worn, and cracked and seamed 
there lies at the foot, resting on the 
greensward that creeps round its base, 
a huge rock that has fallen from the 
face of the precipice. A shepherd was 
passing beneath it; and suddenly, when 
the finger bf God's will touched it, and 
rent it from its ancient bed in the ever- 
lasting rock, it came down, leaping and 
bounding from pinnacle to pinnacle — 
and it fell; and the man that was be- 
neath it is there now! Ground to pow- 
der". Since all that stand against him 
shall become as 'chaff of the summer 
threshing floor,' and be swept utterly 
away, make him the foundation on 
which you build." The man, the com- 
munity, the nation that resists the au- 
thority of Christ, will be broken "in 
pieces like a potter's vessel." 

620. In many chemical works, says 
the Los Angeles Times, the men are 
strictly forbidden to enter the cyanide 
house alone. The white, beautiful crys- 
tals exercise a strange fascination, 
though you know that the stuff is dead- 
ly, you feel a horrible longing to put 
some of it into your mouth. And many 
cases are recorded of men who were un- 
able to resist this awful longing— hap- 
py, prosperous and young men, found 
dead in the laboratory beside a glitter- 
ing white heap of cyanide of potassium 
crystals. Some unexpected day final 
doom comes to every man, who dallies 
with sin. Their payment may be post- 
poned, but nevertheless, "the wages of 
sin is death." 

621. Sin tends to destruction. It pre- 
figures its own punishment. It carries 
■its own condemnation. The physical 
organs sinned against begin at once to 
lose their vitality. The mental powers 
outraged wane. The spiritual sense vio- 
lated or neglected immediately deteri- 
orates from its high standard. Sin al- 
ways means separation. The moment 
the soul becomes conscious of sin, it be- 
comes conscious also of loneliness. God 
seems afar off. The greatest punish- 
ment that can come to the persistently 
wicked is a sense of the eternal aban- 
donment of their case by God. He who 



Sins Classified. 



— 97 — 



Salvation Offered. 



gains the greatest earthly good at this 
cost is paying a fearful price. 

As Bums sang in his inimitable way: 

The great Creator to revere 

Must sure become the creature; 

But still the preaching cant forbear, 

And ev'n the rigid feature; 

Yet ne'er with wits profane to range, 

Be complaisance extended; 

An Atheist's laugh's a poor exchange 

For Deity offended. 

622. One who spent a summer in the 
forests around Lake Superior relates 
that he was one day passing along the 
side of a ridge which descended to a 
shallow channel, beyond which was a 
low, narrow thicket, and beyond that a 
deep lake. Suddenly he heard the 
noise of a deer in full flight. She was 
coming down the hill in magnificent 
bounds, clearing forty to fifty feet at a 
leap, and behind her the "yip-yip" of 
wolves. At first he apprehended no 
danger for her, as a few -more leaps 
would give her deep water, and no wolf 
could catch her at that speed, any way. 
But the wolf pack had divided and laid 
an ambuscade for her in the thicket, 
and as she reached its edge they sprang 
at her. The pursuing pack closed in, 
and, quick as thought, she was encir- 
cled. Right up into the air she bound- 
ed — and into the air bounded every 
wolf but one; this one rushed in level 
and fastened upon her flank when she 
came down. She dragged him, but the 
other wolves went into the ai>- again on 
every side to meet her should she try to 
overleap them. Then the pitiful cries 
of the deer, and the savage yells and 
snarls and snapping jaws of the wolves, 
were such as to bring paleness to the 
face and palpitation to the heart of the 
man who was compelled to witness the 
scene while helpless to give defense. 
For him to have rushed in, unarmed as 
he was, among the enraged brutes 
would have sealed his own fate. 

The picture of that deer beset by the 
wolves is not an exaggerated illustra- 
tion of many a soul that i-- destroyed by 
sin. — Banks. 

628. The Devil, says a writer in The 
Presbyterian Review, 1. Is totally de- 
praved. The - names and titles by which 
he is designated indicate this. He is 
Beelzebub, "the prince of unclean spir- 
its"; Satan; Apollyon. the destroyer, 
who "walketh about as a roaring lion 
seeking whom he may devour." 

2. He possesses \a~i intellectual pow- 
ers. Sin is a poison which weakens 
and perverts the mental faculties, but 
does not destroy them. Under its per- 
nicious Intluonce as Satan Is, with all 
his splendid powers impaired, he is yet 
7 Prac. III. 



as immeasurably superior to man, in- 
I tellectually, as man is to the brute. 

3. He is subtle. He is "that old ser- 
pent which deceiveth the whole world"; 
who "beguiled Eve through his subtlety, 
corrupting her from the simplicity" of 
her first faith. 

4. He is false. He is a "lying spirit." 
He abideth not in the truth, because 
there is no truth in him. When he 
speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his 
own; for he is a liar and the father of 
it. 

5. He is malicious. His chief delight 
, is to make all other creatures as wicked 
, and as miserable as himself. He se- 
duced a whole race of holy and happy 
beings, involved them in guilt and woe, 
and has ever since relentlessly pursued 
them with a course of systematic cruel- 
ty-. 

As a practical illustration of the best 
way of "resisting the Devil", Billy Bray, 
the Cornish miner, whose rugged piety 
and real consecration to Christ's ser- 
vice have been made a blessing to so 
many hundreds of God's children, says 

i of himself that, one day, when he was 
a little down-hearted, he stood upon 
the brink of a coal-pit; and some one 
seemed to say, "Xow Billy, just throw 
yourself down there and be rid of all 

I your trouble". He knew in a minute 
who it was, and, drawing back, said, 
"Oh no. Satan, you can just throw your- 
self down there. That is your way 
home; but I am going to my home 
in a different direction." Another time 
he tells us that his crop of potatoes 
turned out poorly; and as he was dig- 
ging them in the fall, Satan was at his 
elbow, and said, "There, Billy, isn't 
that poor pay for serving your Father 
the way you have all the year? Just see 
those small potatoes." He stopped his 
hoeing, and replied, "Ah, Satan, at it 
again, talking against my Father; bless 
his name. Why, when I served you. I 
didn't get any potatoes at all. What are 
you talking against Father for?" And 

i on he went hoeing and praising the 

I Lord for small potatoes. 

SALVATION OFFERED AND ACCEPTED. 

(624—870) 

Salvation Offered— Grace. (624—660) 

624. When a convicted criminal Is 
awaiting the execution of his sentence 
he is closely confined. It might be ex- 
pected that, when the human race came 
under condemnation to death, It would 
have been reserved, like the apostate 
angels, "in everlasting bonds under 
darkness," and that this earth would 



Salvation 



— 98 — 



Offered. 



have been transformed into a gloomy 
prison-house. Yet upon all of sinning 
mankind comes not the fiery tempest 
that ruined the cities of old, but the 
welcome rain from heaven; on all na- 
tions streams the life-giving light; to 
all peoples the earth yields seed to the 
sower and bread to the eater; every- 
where come fruitful seasons filling men's 
hearts with food and gladness. When 
man hears God's voice calling, the nat- 
ural impulse is to do as did the first 
sinners, and to seek to hide from the 
Divine Being; when the Lord says, 
"Behold, I stand at the door and 
knock," the first thought is that the 
knock is that of Justice seeking an of- 
fender; it would be in accord with the 
suggestions of conscience had Christ's 
words been, "I am come to seek and to 
punish." But none of God's favors are 
mockeries, none of his invitations insin- 
cere; all alike are vouchsafed as tokens 
of the love that sin ever distrusts, the 
love that does not wish that any should - 
perish. By all evidences of His good- 
ness God is seeking to lead men to re- 
pentance. 

625. A maiden plead with Napoleon 

for the life of her father, a deserter, 
condemned to be executed. A frown 
gathered upon Napoleon's brow as he 
answered; "He has already twice de- 
serted and do you ask his life?" "Sire", 
she answered, "I do not ask for justice 
but for mercy." 

626. Grace means unlimited mercy, 
undeserved or unmerited favor. I had 
a man come to see me, and his plea 
was that he was not fit to be saved. He 
said there was no hope for him, be- 
cause he had sinned all his life, and 
there was nothing good in him. I was 
very much gratified to hear him say 
that. There is hope for any man who 
thinks there is nothing in him. — Moody. 

627. Christ is seeking us by our un- 
rest, by our yearnings after we know 
not what, by our dim dissatisfaction, 
which insists upon making itself felt in 
the midst of joys and delights, and 
which the world fails to satisfy as much 
as it fails to interpret. There is a cry 
in every heart little as the bearer of the 
heart translates it into its true meaning 
— a cry after God. And by all your un- 
rests, your disappointments, your hopes 
unfulfilled, your hopes fulfilled and 
blasted in fulfillment, your desires that 
perish unfruited — by all the mystic 
movements of the spirit that yearns for 
something beyond the material and the 
visible, Jesus Christ is seeking his sheep. 

He seeks us by the discipline of life, 
for I believe that Christ is the active 
providence of God, and that the hands 



that were pierced on the cross do move 
the wheels of the history of the world 

and mold the destinies of individual 
spirits. — Alexander Maclaren. 

628. If you would know how God 
loves even the guiltiest of his children, 
see Misery left alone with Mercy on the 
Temple floor, and hear the voice, so aw- 
ful in its warning, yet so solenm in its 
tenderness, "Neither do I condemn thee; 
go and sin no more." And he who thus 
represented God by his acts, how did he 
represent him in his words? Was it 
not solely, essentially, exclusively as a 
father? as "our Father which art in 
heaven;" as the God who maketh the 
sun to rise on the evil and the good, and 
sendeth rain on the just and on the un- 
just; as the God of little children, whose 
angels behold his face in heaven; as the 
God of the lilies and the ravens; the 
God of the lost sheep; the God of the 
falling sparrow; the God of the prodigal 
son; the God by whom the very hairs of 
our head are all numbered; in one word, 
which comprises all, the God of love? — 
F. W. Farrer, D. D. 

Lincoln's proclamation of amnesty 
to the Confederates was issued regard- 
less of their desire for it. Some held out 
for years. Some never accepted it. But 
it was their's for the taking all the time. 
So with God's grace. 

629. I like that expression "Lifter-up 
of my head." I know it means to restore 
to honor; but it means this also. There 
is your child, my good mother, and your 
child has been bad, and you have chas- 
tised him. You have put the poor little 
bundle of wretchedness and crossness 
into a corner, and there he is standing, 
soiling all his face with hot and scalding 
tears. Then your heart relents; the ex- 
treme of misery tells upon you, for you 
are its mother, and blood is thicker than 
water. And you come toward the little 
thing, and, as you come nearer and 
nearer, the farther it creeps into the 
corner, and the lower it hangs its head. 
And what do you do? Instead of chas- 
tising it any more, you come quite close, 
and with one hand on the little one's 
shoulder, you put the other hand below 
his chin, and literally you lift up the 
little face into the light of your own and 
stoop down to kiss it. Did you ever 
think that that is what God wants to do 
with the poor weary sinner who has gone 
back and done shamefully? — Rev. John 
McNeill. 

630. When Whittier was a little boy 
of seven, he was taken by his mother to 
see a girl who had fallen, and who was 
now dangerously ill. The pious people 
of the village let her severely alone, but 
the poet's mother, who was a Quaker 



Salvation 



— 99 — 



Offered. 



woman with a very kind heart, did not 
allow herself to be influenced by com- 
mon prejudice. "Whittier never forgot 
how his mother addressed the sufferer 
as "my dear girl", gave her food and 
attended to her comfort. "After 
awhile," he told me, "I went out of 
doors and looking up to the blue sky, 
I thought that the Gotl who lived up 
there must be as good as my mother. 
If she was so helpful to wicked people, 
he could not be less kind. Since that 
time", he added, "I have never doubted 
the ultimate goodness of God and his 
loving purpose for the world." — British 
Weekly. 

631. The Gospel gives a man another 
chance. It says to the sinner, "Thy 
sins are forgiven thee, go and sin no 
more," and when a man experiences 
the forgiveness of Jesus Christ and 
through faith receives the tide of his 
love and strength into his being, then 
the mistakes of his past become the in- 
structors of his present and future; his 
old failures and follies the guide-posts 
of the straight and narrow way that 
leadeth unto life. 

632. Boundless Love. I know of a 
father who, after his son came back the 
fourth time, said: "No! I forgave you 
three times, but I will never forgive you 
again." And the son went off and died. 
But God takes back his children the 
thousandth time as cheerfully as the 
first] As easily as with my handker- 
chief I strike the dust off this book, God 
will wipe out all our sins. O, this mer- 
cy of God! I am told it is an ocean. 
Then I place on it four swift-sailing 
craft, with compass, and charts, and 
choice rigging, and skillful navigators, 
and I tell them to launch away, and 
discover for me the extent of this ocean. 
That craft puts out in one direction, 
and sails to the north; this to the south; 
this to the east; this to the west. They 
crowd on all their canvas, and sail ten 
thousand years, and one day come up 
to the harhor of heaven; and I shout 
to them from the beach, "Have you 
found the shore?" And they answer: 
■•No shore to God's mercy." Swift an- 
gels, dispatched from the throne, at- 
tempt to go across it. For a million years 
they fly and fly; but then come back and 
fold their wings at the foot of the 
throne, and cry; "No shore! no shore 
to God's mercy!" — Talmage. 

633. A French hoy made his servant 
wake him every morning with the cry, 
"Rise, Monsieur le Comte, you have 
ureal thing's to do to-day!" Christ 
comes to the sleeping sinner, with his 
offer of salvation, calling; "Young man. 
i saj unto thee arise!" 



634. Men have sometimes tried to get 
at God's thought of sin by peering down 
into some dungeon of terror and fire 
such as Dante saw; but it is far better 
to look at the cross of Jesus Christ. We 
belong to a race, we have been smitten 
with something of the poison in a race, 
which crucified the Lord of Glory. And 
surveying the wondrous cross which 
guilty men reared on Calvary, and 
remembering that Jesus died for us, we 
may well pour contempt on all unholy 
pride. — Rev. Dr. J. H. Barrows. 

635. A missionary sat in the midst of 
a little circle of South Sea Islanders. 
He read to them the third chapter of 
John's Gospel. Presently he came to the 
verse "God so loved the world," etc. 
One of his hearers started from his seat 
and exclaimed: "What sounds were 
those I heard?'" The missionary re- 
peated the verse. The native again rose 
up from his seat, and earnestly asked 
his instructor: "Is that true?" can it be 
true that God so loved the world? God's 
own Son came to die that man might 
not die? Is it true?" The missionary 
assured him that it was the very mes- 
sage he had come so far to deliver, and 
that they were happy who would re- 
ceive it. The man burst into tears, and 
turned from the little company into the 
bushes to think alone over the wonder- 
ful news. 

636. In the shop of a diamond mer- 
chant at Amsterdam we saw great ma- 
chinery and much power all brought to 
bear on what seemed to be a small piece 
of glass. One might be sure of the val- 
ue of that transparent morsel if he 
would but look around and see what 
skill and labor were being expended up- 
on it. God has laid out for the good of 
a soul the watchfulness of angels, the 
providence of this world, the glory of 
the next, the councils of eternity, him- 
self and all that he hath, the Holy 
Spirit and all his Divine influences — 
yea, he spared not his only Son. 

637. Pardon is sure. At the close of 
the twelfth century Richard, son of 
Henry II., conspired against his lather 
and took refuge in a walled city, to 
which the king laid siege. In th course 
of the campaign Kiehard was wounded 
unto death; and, being overwhelmed 
with contrition, sent a messenger to his 
father asking that he might be per- 
mitted to see his face. His request was 
refused. Once and again he sent hi* 
humble appeal In vain. At length a 
procession passed through the gateway 
of the city under a flag of truce bearing 
the dying prince upon a stretcher; hut 
ere it reached the royal pavilion he had 
breathed his last. As the bearers 



Salvation 



— 100 — 



Offered. 



waited there, they heard from within a 
strong cry like that of David, "O Rich- 
ard, my son; would God I had died for 

thee!" The Lord, with whom we have 
to do, makes no such mistakes. He 
knows the deep secrets of the heart; 
and, where there is true penitence, he 
has sworn by himself that he will not re- 
ject it. 

638. If ever a man was justified in 
turning with tragic hopelessness away 
from the human race, it was Jesus of 
Nazareth. Why did he not give us up? 
The answer is, Because he knew what 
was in man. Because underneath the 
man of lust and murder and treachery he 
saw another man who cannot be given 
up. He knew the passion of the Prodi- 
gal, the passion which led him from his 
father's house into every iniquity; but 
he also knew that in the Prodigal there 
was a deeper passion which, if awak- 
ened, would lead him from among the 
swine back to the life where he be- 
longed. He knew the disloyal coward- 
ice of Peter, but he knew that below 
the cowardice and disloyalty there was 
a Peter who would stand like a rock in 
the storm. He looked out from his 
Cross upon a jeering multitude, symbol 
of the vaster multitude who forever 
jeer and crucify the good, and there he 
performed his supreme miracle. He be- 
lieved in them. He saw what was in 
them. He saw through the darkness 
and through the whirlwind of evil pas- 
sion the real multitude, whose deepest 
law, whose deepest necessity, is that 
they shall be loyal to each other and to 
their Father in Heaven. — William Lowe 
Bryan, in the Outlook. 

639. In Mrs. Barr's story, Paul and 
Christine, her heroine, tired of the mo- 
notony of home, vexed her husband 
more and more by seeking her pleasure 
elsewhere, till at last, against his pro- 
test, she went to a ball one night, and 
returned in the morning to find her 
child had died from croup. Then the 
home was broken up. Christine went 
from bad to worse till her name came 
to be mentioned only with contempt. 
At last, in utter despair, and on the 
verge of suicide, she went to the village 
pastor, and, led on by his sympathy, 
she told him the whole story of her sin 
and grief and shame. When she had 
finished, he said, "Christine, Jesus is 
your Sin-bearer. Cast all your guilt 
and shame on him?" The woman 
threw herself prostrate in prayer. 
The author of the story says "Some- 
thing untranslatable passed between her 
soul and her Master. She knew that 
she was forgiven; and like one of old, 
she rose up and went down to her house 
justified". — Monday Club Sermons. 



640. Some of you may be saying, 
"If I could see my name in the Bible 
I would believe that Christ wants me to 
be saved. When Christ called Zaccheus 
he said, 'Zaccheus, come down'. He 
called him by name, and he came down 
immediately. Now, if Christ would call 
me by name, I would run to him im- 
mediately." Now, to you I say, Christ 
does call you by your name, for he says, 
"To you, O men, I call". Suppose that 
Christ had written down the names of 
all men and women in the world your 
name would have been there. Now, in- 
stead of writing down every name, he 
puts them all together in one word, 
which includes every man, and woman, 
and child, "Unto you, O men, I call; and 
my words are to the sons of man". So 
your name is in the Bible. "Go and 
preach the Gospel to every creature." — 
R. M. McCheyne. 

641. God is pictured as bending over 
the sinner in his utter need, and endow- 
ing him with heavenly strength. For- 
giveness was the thought in the prodi- 
gal's case; compassion which has no 
limit. The sinner is a poor, trembling 
leper crouching away by himself from 
the gaze of all pure eyes, and God stoops 
down in his wondrous pity and lifts him 
up in his healing arms, and the scales 
disappear, and the sinner becomes re- 
generate. The sinner is a returning 
prodigal, ragged, begrimed, loathsome, 
but penitent. God runs toward him, 
calls him his son, prints a kiss on his 
neck, puts a ring on his finger, and in- 
vites him to a banquet where angels 
chant the glories of redeeming love. 
Does it not seem incomprehensible that 
so many can hear from week to week 
of the divine compassion and yet feel no 
answering throb of gratitide, and shed 
no penitential tear over their heart 
wanderings from the favor of this lov- 
ing Father.? 

642. What a black, cheerless world 
this would be were it not for the light 
that streams from the cross! Sin has 
spread pollution everywhere. The 
whole world bears the blot of sin. And 
there is no remedy, no light, in all the 
philosophies and religions that men 
have devised. Sin is the stain that no 
mere ethical teaching can remove. But 
even sin must be dissipated and disap- 
pear before him who is the Light of 
the world. . Within the last 77 years 
300 of the Islands of the Pacific have 
been evangelized. Many of them have 
become altogether Christian, with no 
professing heathen left. They have not 
only self-supporting churches, but are 
engaged in mission work among their 
heathen neighbors on other islands. 
"The entrance of thy word giveth light." 



Salvation 



— 101 — 



Offered. 



643. President Lincoln issued the 
emancipation proclamation for all the 

slaves of the South. It granted free- 
dom to all regardless of individual cir- 
cumstances, or desires or deserts. So 
God's grace offers forgiveness, salvation 
to all regardless of their past. 

644. Stanley tells this story of what 
one Bible accomplished: "In 1875 Miss 
Livingstone, the sister of David Living- 
stone, presented me a beautifully bound 
Bible. On a subsequent visit to Mtesa 
I read to him some chapters, and as I 
finished it flashed through my mind 
that Uganda was destined to be won 
for Christ. I was not permitted to car- 
ry that Bible away. Mtesa never for- 
got the wonderful words, nor the thrill- 
ing effect it had upon me; and just as 
I was turning away from his country to 
continue my explorations farther into 
the Dark Continent, a messenger came 
to me, after traveling 200 miles, crying 
out that Mtesa wanted that book; and 
he got it. Today the Christians in 
Uganda number many thousands; they 
have proved their faith at the stake and 
under torture unto death." — Missionary 
Helper. 

645. A large number of children are 
lost in New York every year. The lar- 
gest number ever sheltered at police 
headquarters in one year was in 1892. 
Many little ones go to school for the 
first time and are too small to find their 
way home. They wander aimlessly 
about, and, finally tired out and dis- 
couraged, begin to cry. Here some of- 
ficer takes a hand, and the child is 
brought to the central office. So is it 
with God's children. They wander 
about aimlessly for a few years, some 
many years. Sin-burdened and discour- 
aged, they sink down by the wayside 
with bitter weeping. Here they find a 
hand that has been secretly following 
them, stretched out to help. They ne- 
ver realized before that help in time of 
need was so near at hand. Many travel 
the way of life and reach almost the 
i ml before they discover that God is so 
near. 

616. A Calcutta paper relates that re- 
cently a young Brahman came to the 
house of a missionary for an interview. 
In the course of the conversation, he 
said: "Many things which Christianity 
contains I find in Hinduism; but there 
is one thing which Christianity has and 
Hinduism has not." "What is that?" 
the missionary asked. His reply was 
striking: "A Saviour." 

617. In the course of mission work 
In one of the Tahiti Islands, an aged 
chief, hearing impressively presented 
the fact that "Christ Jesus came into the 



I world to save sinners," rose up amid a 
I crowd of natives and running his fin- 
gers through the long locks of his white 
hair and lifting them up over his head, 
exclaimed: "Do you see those white 
locks? Once these locks were as black 
as the wing of a raven; now they are 
white as snow, and I have waited all 
these years to hear words like these." 

648. A man once stopped a preacher 
in a street of London, and said: "I once 
heard you preach in Paris, and you 
said something which I have never for- 
gotten, and which has, through God, 
been the means of my conversion." 
"What was that?" said the preacher. 
"It was that the latch was on our side 
or the door. I had always thought that 
God was a hard God, and that we must 

I do something to propitiate him. It was 
1 a new thought to me that Christ was 
waiting for me to open to him." 

649. Columbus had no gold; he begged 
bread for his hungry boy and died in 
want, but he gave the world that which 
was better than gold — a new continent. 
Millet had neither gold nor silver, 
pinched with poverty all through life, 
but he gave to the world "The Ange- 
las." Jonathan Edwards had no gold 
to give; his wife and daughters were 
compelled to help support the family, 
but he gave to the world a great book 
— perhaps the profoundest volume pro- 
duced on this continent. Jesus Christ 
had neither gold nor silver. He sup- 
ported Himself as a carpenter, and of- 
ten ate the bread of a mendicant. 
"When crucified he was nailed to a 
cross that belonged to his enemies." 
But he spake as never man spake, in 
words of priceless truth. 

650. A missionary told how she was 
once describing the loving character of 
the Christian's God to a company of her 
Chinese sisters. As she went on in her 
holy enthusiasm, picturing God's real 
character as full of mercy to the sinful 
and the suffering, one of the Chinese 
women turned to her neighbor and 
said, "Haven't I often told you that 
there ought to be a God like that?" 

<;.->!. Salvation is for all. How the 
Church grew and flourished in face of 
every obstacle when the world-view of 
Christ was appreciated and carried into 
practise! How dead the Church be- 
came when it hid its light under a bu- 
shel and became a cloistered hierarchy 
living for Its own -a in! The Reforma- 
tion broke the bonds and gave men 
freedom. How little the followers of 
Christ to-day feel responsibility when so 
large a part of the world lies in dark- 
ness and despair. Yet It is so clear 
that Christ thought of his message as 



Salvation 



— 102 — 



Offered. 



for all the world. He delighted to call 
himself the Son of man. Christ's al- 
most reckless inclusiveness of everybody 
in his scheme of redemption is a vir- 
tual challenge to us. We can imagine 
him saying to his followers to-day: "If 
you can find one man who feels the 
weight of sin and who finds my remedy 
inadequate to meet his need, I will not 
even urge you to continue as my disci- 
ples; but if such a man cannot be 
found, I lay upon you the responsibility 
of taking my gospel to every one who is 
in need, as you were. My gospel stands 
or falls on its universal validity." 

652. "Plato! Plato!" said Socrates, 
"it may be that the gods can forgive de- 
liberate sin, but how, I cannot tell!" 

653. There is a story of a Mohamme- 
dan warrior who, at the siege of Bel- 
grade in Servia, climbed upon the wall 
of the city and displayed his banner; 
and it seemed as though he were speed- 
ily to be followed by his soldiers, filled 
with the inspiration of his courage. 
But one of the besieged ran to him, 
and, clasping him with his arms, cast 
himself down with him from the wall; 
and so by his own death he saved the 
life of all the city. And so it was with 
our great Deliverer, who was engaged 
in a grapple with the enemy oi» man, 
and who could not destroy him save by 
himself descending into the depths; and 
for our sake cast himself down in or- 
der that we might be freed from the 
power of Satan. 

654. Before a synod not long ago, a 
professor in a theological seminary 
told how his eighteen-year-old son went 
to a rescue mission and came home say- 
ing: "Father, they've got the real thing 
there. Why have I not been told of it 
before?" This boy had been reared in 
a Christian home, was a communicant 
in the church, and had been accus- 
tomed to do such active church work 
as naturally came to him. But only in 
this mission was he made to see how 
Jesus Christ saves sinners. 

Is it possible that the very essence of 
the gospel is obscured through the re- 
finement of our social culture? 

655. It is said that when Edward I. 
of England was wounded with a poi- 
soned arrow, his wife Eleanor put her 
mouth to the wound, and thus risked 
her own life, to extract the poison. But 
the love of Christ was deeper than this 
when he knew that he was risking all 
that he had, and yet did not fear to in- 
vest it all in order that he might bring 
us unto God. 

656. Rev. Dr. Plummer, of Philadel- 
phia once preached before congress, 



and took for his text; "Though your sins 

be as scarlet etc." In his introduction 

he said; "Some weeks ago I preached in 

the Eastern Penitentiary and I used 

this text, and I see no reason for not 

using the same text here." 

"Through all the depths of sin and loss 

Drops the plummet of the cross; 

Never yet abyss was found 

Deeper than the cross could sound." 

657. England rules a state named 
Uganda. A number of years ago Henry 
Stanley reached the borders of the lake. 
David Livingstone had made a Chris- 
tian out of the cynical newspaper re- 
porter. One morning the London Tele- 
graph published Stanley's letter describ- 
ing Uganda, and asking that some 
board send out missionaries. The Lon- 
don Missionary Society was in session. 
On Wednesday a young man named 
Mackay read the letter. On Saturday 
he volunteered. The following Tuesday, 
with four young men, he sailed for 
Uganda. What have they done? They 
recently dedicated a building as large 
as our larger churches. They have 
three thousand native Bible readers. 
In contrast with the old era of* savagery, 
the land is an oasis in Africa's desert. 

658. Many a ship which had crossed 
the ocean and was within sight of shore 
has been lost on the treacherous Eddy- 
stone rocks lying twelve miles out in the 
English Channel, the curse of modern 
commerce for many generations. 

One day a man who was neither 
architect nor mason, in his imagination, 
saw a tower of warning on that reef. 
At the peril of his life he reached those 
slippery stones, over which the waves 
dashed resistlessly at every rise of the 
wind. Out of his own slender resources 
he paid for carrying building material 
over those watery miles. He persisted, 
for three years. Even when it stood 
eighty feet high he was the only one 
who dared stay there the first night. 
As though enraged by such defiance, 
that very night the storm smashed his 
boats, soaked his provisions, isolated 
him for days. It only animated him to 
build higher and stronger. Again the 
elements hid the light, and still higher 
he was forced to build, while the people 
of Plymouth laughed at his folly. But 
for a season the beacon light flamed 
forth to save. Christmas eve came, 
and an impending storm. Winstanley 
knew that the provisions of the keeper 
were low. Others would not carry the 
supplies because they wanted to spend 
the holidays with their families, so he 
volunteered. That night England ex- 
perienced the worst storm on record. 
Anxious eyes next morning looked 
across to where the tower had been, to 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 103 — 



Repentance. 



see nothing but the hated rocks. When | 
the sea grew calmer a boat crew found a 
few links of thick iron chain to prove j 
that Winstanley had really lived and 
built. Because he laid down his life the 
Etldystone lighthouse makes trans-At- 
lantic commerce possible. Because he 
died they live. — Rev. Edward Niles. 

659. A professional diver has in his 
house a bunch of oyster shells holding 
fast a piece of printed paper. The pos- 
sessor of this ornament was diving one 
day, when he observed, at the bottom 
of the sea, this - oyster on a rock with 
the piece of paper in its mouth. The 
diver detached the oyster and held the I 
paper up close to the goggles of his 
head-dress and commenced to read. It 
was a little gospel tract earnestly call- 
ing upon whoever should read it to re- 
pent at once and give his heart to God. 
It came upon him so unexpectedly and 
so impressed his unconverted heart, that 
he said: "I cannot hold out against God's 
mercy in Christ any longer, since it 
pursues me thus." And down there at 
the bottom of the sea he repented, and 
he breathed out his heart to God in 
prayer. — "The Fisherman and His 
Friends." 

660. A Scotch minister was once 
preaching at Inverness, and was about 
to enter the pulpit, when word was 
brought to him that an aged High- 
lander, now eighty years of age, who 
had been converted at sixty, lay dying. 
Though there were only a few minutes 
to spare, he went over to see this man. 
Going to the house, he said to him, "I 
have just four minutes. Do you think 
you could tell me in that time how you 
were converted?" "Oh, yes," he replied, 
"I could tell you in two. When I was 
sixty years of age, the Lord Jesus came 
along and said to me, 'Sandy, I'll ex- 
change you. Exchange, Sandy, and 
what did you give him?" asked the 
minister. And Sandy replied, "I gave 
him all my years of sin and my sinful 
heart, and he gave me in return his 
righteousness." 

SALVATION ACCEPTED. (661-870) 
Repentance. (661-701) 

661. Take an episode of English his- 
tory. The reign of that bad and unpop- 
ular monarch, James the Second, was 
drawing to a forcible close. The people 
of England, disgusted with the man, 
and alarmed at his intrigues for the 
restoration of popery. Invited the Prince 
of Orange to be their king. William 
crossed over from Holland with a few j 
followers and proceeded towards Lon- 
don. Everywhere along the route he i 



was greeted with joyous welcome, and 
the number of his adherents increased 
at every step, till on arriving at the cap- 
ital he found that James had run away 
from his own people. He was crowned 
with acclamation, and the nation long 
rejoiced under his wise and liberal rule. 
I think that this illustrates, so far as 
human things can illustrate divine, the 
reception we must accord to Jesus, the 
King of Glory; banishing the rival that 
has hitherto occupied the throne of 
our hearts, and putting ourselves with 
alacrity and submission under his be- 
nignant sway. — Dr. F. N. Zabriskie. 

662. Jewett tells of a man who 
dreamed he was a hare. Suddenly he 
heard the cry of the hounds. He pricked 
his ears, listened, and bolted full pace 
across the fields. The hounds drew nearer 
and nearer, and came at last so close to 
him that he felt their hot breath. Then 
he found he was leaving the green pas- 
tures and was reaching bare and rugged 
heights; and just when he reached those 
bare and rocky heights he became con- 
scious that his pursuers were not 
hounds. They were his sins and he was 
a flying soul! Away up, away up, away 
up toward the summit he saw a cave, 
and, terrified beyond measure, he made 
for the cave and then turned around. 
The entrance to the cave was flooded 
with a most unearthly light, and just in 
the centre of the opening there shone 
resplendently a cross, standing between 
him and the awful things that pursued. 
He awoke, and behold it was a dream! 
But its truth redeemed him. 

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, 
Let me hide myself in thee. 

603. "You cannot be sure that you're 
perfectly saved 
Till you know you are utterly lost." 

How forcibly these lines were illus- 
trated in the experience of S. II. Hadley, 
the New York Rescue Mission worker. 
He said: "One Tuesday evening I sat in 
a saloon in Harlem, a homeless, friend- 
less, dying drunkard. I had pawned or 
sold everything that would bring a 
drink. I could not sleep unless I was 
dead drunk. I had not eaten for days, 
and for four nights preceding I had 
suffered with delirium tremens, or the 
horrors, from midnight till morning. I 
had often said, 'I will never be a tramp. 
I will never be cornered, for when that 
time comes, if ever it comes, I will find 
a home In the bottom of the river.' 
But the Lord so ordered it that wh<-n 
that time did come I was not able to 
walk one quarter of the way to the 
river. As I sat there thinking, I seemed 
to feel BOme ureal and mighty presence, 
I did not know then what it was. I 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 104 — 



Repentance. 



did learn afterwards that it was Jesus, 
the sinner's friend. I walked up to the bar 
and pounded it with my fist till I made 
the glasses rattle. Those who stood by 
drinking, looked on with scornful curi- 
osity. I said I would never take another 
drink, if I died on the street, and really 
I felt as though that would happen be- 
fore morning. Something said, 'If you 
want to keep this promise, go and have 
yourself locked up.' I went to the near- 
est station-house and had myself locked 
up. * * * "A blessed whisper said, 
'Come!' the devil said, 'Be careful.' I 
halted but a moment, and then, with a 
breaking heart, I said, 'Dear Jesus, can 
you help me?' Never with mortal 
tongue can I describe that moment. 
Although up to that moment my soul 
had been filled with indescribable gloom, 
I felt the glorious brightness of the 
noonday sun shine into my heart. I 
felt I was a free man. I felt that Christ 
with all his brightness and power had 
come into my life; that, indeed, old 
things had passed away and all things 
had become new." 

664. "Though Christ a thousand times 
In Bethlehem be born, 

If he's not born in thee 

Thy soul is still forlorn. 

The cross on Golgotha 

Will never save thy soul; 

The cross in thine own heart 

Alone can make thee whole." — Anon. 

665. A little girl's definition: "Peni- 
tence is being sorry enough to quit." 

666. A black native of the Congo val- 
ley was the leading persecutor of the 
missionaries. With his drum and plenty 
of wine, he enticed people away from 
the gospel to pagan dances. He some- 
times would break up a Christian meet- 
ing. Nloko (a curse) was his heathen 
name. Suddenly in one of his awful at- 
tacks on the native Christians, "Christ 
appeared to him in a vision. No one 
knew how, but Christ came to Nloko's 
heart. Instantly he joined the Christians 
and wanted to preach. He wanted the 
hardest place. After some preparation, 
he was sent off to open up a new mis- 
sion among a hostile tribe. At first 
they rejected him, but he camped by the 
village. When he died in 1902, he had 
a church of 600 members, the result of 
his own labors. 

667. Conversion is unconditional sur- 
render. The first of the year 1862 was 
the beginning of the real fighting of the 
Civil War. There were two strongholds, 
Fort Henry, on the Tennessee River, and 
Fort Donelson, on the Cumberland, both 
in the hands of the Confederates. It 
was the design of the Unionists to drive 
the Confederates from Kentucky and 



Tennessee, and to do this they must cap- 
ture these two forts. Accordingly, an 
army under Gen. U. S. Grant, and a 
fleet of gunboats commanded by Com- 
modore Foote, proceeded against the 
forts. The boats went against Fort 
Henry and captured it. But the next 
task was more difficult to accomplish. 
Fort Donelson was strongly protected. 
But after a contest of four days the 
Confederates, hoisting a white flag, 
asked the terms. Grant's reply was: 
"No terms other than an unconditional 
and immediate surrender can be accept- 
ed." This answer gained him the title 
of U(nconditional) S(urrender) Grant. 
The fort was surrendered. 

668. Some years ago a lady was tak- 
ing a long sea voyage for her health, 
and one of her fellow passengers was 
an intimate friend, an old gentleman, a 
banker, whom she had known for years. 
She was a young woman, a Christian, 
and he was an old man who had lived 
a life of worldly pleasure, who went to 
church as a matter of respectability, but 
who never had applied any of the many 
sermons he had heard to his own heart 
or life. The lady had long felt anxious 
about this friend fast going to the grave 
unsaved. And for three or four years 
she had sent him every Saturday a little 
tract to read on Sunday, but she had 
always felt a diffidence about and 
shrinking from speaking to a man so 
m'ich older than herself, about his soul. 
But the Lord gave her the opportunity 
on this voyage, and she dared not neg- 
lect it. Tenderly and feelingly she 
spoke of his soul's salvation to her aged 
friend, and as she spoke tears rolled 
down his cheeks, and in a voice choked 
by emotion he cried: "Oh, why have you 
not spoken to me before?" But it was 
not too late, he who had lived for the 
world so long came as a little child to 
the loving Saviour, and in him found 
pardon and peace. 

669. Some time since a Japanese teach- 
er once got red-hot with anger on being 
told that he was a sinner. An evangelist 
preaching in Tokio said, "All men are 
sinners." Instantly he was challenged 
by a loyal fellow who indignantly in- 
quired, "Is his Majesty the Emperor a 
sinner?" And grasping a chair he pro- 
ceeded to knock such ideas out of the 
preacher's head until a policeman ap- 
peared. Those who have come near to 
Christ in this land are quick to see what 
they could not see before, that the com- 
ing of Christ to Japan has given a new 
and deep meaning to the old word, 
"sin." They then begin to understand 
the need of the gospel message, "Re- 
pent." 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 105 — 



Repentance. 



670. A minister asked a humble, illit- 
erate member of his congregation how 
he was converted. The man replied 
that it was through hearing, in the les- 
son read one morning, the words: "As 
the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I 
stand." The clergyman remarked that 
they were striking words, but he did not 
see how they could have led to con- 
version. "Don't you see, sir," was the 
reply, "'before whom I stand?' — I felt 
myself standing before God." That 
was the means for the Spirit's winning 
of the soul. 

671. It is said that the ancient city of 
Troy had but one entrance, and from 
whatever direction the travelers ap- 
proached the city they could not enter 
except through that one legally appoint- 
ed entrance. There is but one way that 
will lead us into the presence of God, 
that is Christ. "I am the way, and no 
man cometh unto the Father but by 
me." "So walk ye" in that way. 

672. A steamer from the coast of 
Africa was drifting, first in the fog. and 
then in a biting December gale, off the 
Canaries. ' She had lost her reckoning, 
and dread filled every heart. What was 
the relief of all on board to hear the 
cry, "Light ahead, sir: - ' A minute later 
two white flashes and a T id one made 
the captain cry out: "Thank God! It's 
the Ushant light." The ship's course 
was changed, and she went on her way 
in safety. So Christ comes into the lives 
of men and women who are perplexed 
ami tossed by fear and despait, and 
they see the one safe way before them. 

673. Captain A. T. Malian, the well- 
known authority on naval subjects, told 
how he happened one week-day in Lent 
into a church in Boston. "The preacher 
— I have never known his name — in- 
terested me throughout; but one phrase 
only has remained: 'Thou shall call his 
name Jesus, for he shall save his people' 
— here he lifted up his hands — 'not 
from hell, but from their sins'. Almost 
the first words of the first Gospel. I 
had seen them for years, but at last 
percei\ed them. Scales seemed to fall 
from my eyes, and I began to see Jesus 
Christ and life, as I had never seen 
them before. I was then about thirty. 
Personal religion Is but the co-opera- 
tion of man's will with the power of 
Jesus Christ, that man's soul, man's 
whole being may be saved, not for his 
own benefit chiefly, but that he ma^ lay 
it thus redeemed, thus exalted, at the 
feet of him who loved him and gave 
himself for him." 

671. A man who for forty years was 
an infidel, told me that In all that time 
he had used every influence to steel 



himself against a belief in the love of 
God. But at last trouble came to him, 
business perplexities surrounded him, 
death called away some of the inmates 
of his home, and in his distress he found 
nothing in his agnostic philosophy that 
could give turn comfort. At last he 
said, "I wish I could believe in God". At 
an evangelistic service he heard the 
minister say that if there was any one 
who wanted to know God, the people 
would be glad to pray for him. He rose 
up and said, "I am seeking to know 
God", and he knelt while the people 
knelt about him and prayed that 
God might reveal himself unto him. 
He went back to his home still in the 
darkness, and finally the thought oc- 
curred to him to pray for himself, and 
kneeling down he said, "O God, I wish 
I could believe in thee! O God, I wish I 
could believe in thy love for me!" And 
then by the enlightenment of the Holy 
Spirit he raised up his head and said, 
"I will to believe it." And as he said 
it the dark clouds left him, God's sun- 
light broke upon his soul, and "a new 
song was put into his mouth, even 
praise unto our God." — Mills. 

675. Dr. F. E. Clark told of watching 
two birds following their vessel, on the 
Atlantic, for days. They grew wearier 
and wearier; made feints at alighting, 
but were afraid to. At last, through 
sheer exhaustion, one dropped into the 
waves, and perished. The other, at the 
last moment, alighted on the steamer's 
deck, and was saved. "Come unto me 
and I will give you rest." . 

676. About the close of the 18th cen- 
tury, William Carey and his fellows so 
aroused the dormant missionary spirit 
in the churches, that the London Mis- 
sionary Society sent missionaries to Ta- 
hiti. There was a long "night of toil." 
Sixteen years went by without a sign 
of blessing. One day a missionary, with 
a group of savages about him, read from 
a manuscript copy of the gospel accord- 
ing to John, the third chapter. As he 
came to the 16th verse, which Luther 
called "the gospel in miniature," a rude 
warrior in the group asked him to read 
that verse again and again. Then he 
said, "This, if it be true, is for you only, 
not for such as inc." But the mission- 
ary repeated that wonderful word. 
"Whosoever", and dwelt upon its mean- 
ing. "Then", said the warrior, "your 
God shall be my God: for we have never 
heard such a message as this; our gods 
do not love us so." — Dr. Pierson. 

677. A man over forty years of age 
was under deep conviction of Bin, and 
claimed that he was willing to do any- 
thing that would secure for him God's 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 106 — 



Repentance. 



forgiveness and peace of mind. After 
his case had been very carefully consid- 
ered by the one to whom he applied for 
advice, he was told he could have no 
peace until he confessed his sin. His 
idea of confession was to begin to live 
a Christian life, letting bygones be by- 
gones. This he had endeavored to do 
several times, always with one result, 
humiliating failure. His adviser insisted 
that he must confess his sin to God, and 
to those against whom he had sinned. 
He was given this verse, "He that cov- 
ereth his transgressions shall not pros- 
per; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh 
them shall obtain mercy." After a 
struggle he took this verse, confessed 
his sins, forsook them, accepted the 
forgiveness offered by God, and immedi- 
ately began to develop spiritually. For 
years he grew in grace and in the 
knowledge of the truth, becoming a- very 
practical and efficient Christian worker. 

678. A medical student in Edinburgh 
University, was a manly fellow, a very 

Hercules in strength, but as gentle and 
lovable as he was strong. He was im- 
mensely popular, the captain of the foot- 
ball club, and not a cricket match was 
considered complete without him. He 
was a man of good intellectual gifts as 
well. He caught typhoid fever while at- 
tending the infirmary, and soon he lay 
dying' in a private ward. One of the 
house physicians — an earnest Christian 
and successful soul-winner — spoke to 
him about God and eternity. The dear 
fellow listened, became anxious, and 
eagerly heard the story of redeeming 
love. "Will you give yourself to Jesus?" 
asked the doctor. 

He did not answer for a space and 
then, earnestly regarding the man of 
God, he said, "But don't you think it 
would be awfully mean just to make it 
up now, at my last gasp, with one I have 
rejected all my life?" 

"Yes, it would be mean; but, my dear 
fellow, it would be far meaner not to 
do it. He wants you to do it now, for 
he has made you willing; but it would 
be doubly mean to reject a love that is 
pursuing you even to death." 

The dying man saw the point, and, ap- 
prehending the greatness of that exceed- 
ing love, he cast himself upon the eter- 
nal heart of mercy, and passed away in 
sweet blessedness and peace. 

679. A friend said to the painter, 
Holman Hunt, with reference to his cel- 
ebrated picture, "Christ knocking at the 
Door"; "Hunt, you have made a mis- 
take". "What is it?" Hunt asked. "Why, 
you have painted a door without any 
handle on it." "No," said the artist, 
"on this door the handle is on the in- 



side". We must open the door. Christ 
will not enter until we open. — Donald 
Sage Mackay, D. D. 

680. At Stonehaven, when I was min- 
ister there, I was swimming out in the 
clear, cool bay, when the water got sud- 
denly choppy, and my strength seemed 
suddenly to go from me. You that are 
swimmers know the sensation. Exhaust- 
ed, the waves flapping on your face in 
repeated blows as if to stun you, and 
beat you back to the current that was 
ready to seize you. No one in sight. 
Wearily on and on. I had almost given 
up, when suddenly there came to my 
foot the sensation of solidity amid the 
waves. Oh, what I felt as I stood there 
to recover breath, rescued from death! 
How solid the rock felt! How I thanked 
God that that rock had just been placed 
out in the bay for me, and that he had 
taken my sinking feet and fixed them 
there. That is the nearest that I can 
give to the sensation of the soul when 
Christ lays hold of you, saves you, 
and sets your feet on the Rock of Ages. 
—Rev. John Robertson. 

681. That dark time of conviction 
ended by divine mercy, in my full and 
conscious acceptance, in great need, of 
our crucified Redeemer, Christ our 
Sacrifice, in his complete atonement, as 
peace and life. The circumstances of 
that discovery are too sacred for me to 
detail. It is enough to say that it was 
granted to me to make it, and to find 
in "Christ for me" the divine answer 
to that 'exceeding need,' the sight of 
sin as guilt. — Bp. H. C. G. Moule. 

682. "O you beautiful old mirror! I 

can see my whole length in you!" The 
fair guest did indeed see a charming 
vision as she revolved gracefully and 
gayly in front of the family heirloom 
that had just been sent them. But as an- 
other, who was pale and stoop-shoul- 
dered for lack of the exercise she 
would forget to take, revolved before 
that mirror, the vision was not so fair. 
The child turned, and, running to get 
her tiny dumbbells, cried out: "Now I 
will be straight!" And she was 
straight in a few months. Seeing her- 
self daily in the great mirror did for 
her what mere admonition had never 
done. 

In order to awaken a desire for im- 
provement, we need to see ourselves as 
we are. If many only could realize 
what a hideous moral impression they 
make on others, they would try to 
straighten up. What we need is a mir- 
ror which will faithfully reveal our 
faults. A faithful friend or a wise fa- 
ther or mother is such a mirror, but 
the Word of God is one still better. 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 107 — 



Repentance. 



Look into that carefully and with the 
determination to be unsparingly honest 
with yourself, and see how manifest 
your defects will be. — Wellspring. 

683. "Fruits meet for repentance." 
John did not demand tears. He did not 
ask that a committee or a church ses- 
sion should probe the hearts of his 
hearers to find out how deep their con- 
victions of sin might be. He demanded 
outward and substantial evidence. 
"Bring forth fruits meet for repen- 
tance." He did not demand that they 
should sit every evening for weeks on 
an anxious seat. * * *"If you are sorry, 
show it by doing hetter." He said, 
"Let honester, purer and kindlier lives 
be proof of the sincerity of your repen- 
tance. If you have two coats, give one 
to some coatless man. That is better 
than any amount of anguish over sin- 
fulness in general." — Eggleston. 

681. Repentance is turning from sin to 
God. That is repentance — "from," "to". 
It is putting your hand on your heart 
and getting hold of the thing that has 
been your curse, the enslaving passion, 
the captivity, the predominating force 
in your existence, the blackening thing, 
the hellish thing, the damning thing of 
your soul and dragging it out — by the 
hair of the head and saying, "There, 
Lord Jesus, that is it. and I will die he- 
fore I commit it again. I turn from it 
now. and forever." Don't talk about be- 
ing a church member until you have 
done this. Which is the first thing? 
The first tiling is to repent. We must 
put God in his right place. — Gipsy Smith. 

685. "With all your heart." Do you 
know what that means? Let me tell you. 
A soldier who had been long in Southern 
prisons called at my home after the war. 
I had met him first while we were prison- 
ers in Charleston jail. Afterward we 
were together in the jail at Columbia. 
He had gone to Belle Island. Three 
years had passed: and now as we met 
once more, I asked him of his later pris- 
on experiences. "I don't remember much 
about it. Chaplain," he said, "only that 
I wanted bread. I know it was twenty- 
three months after my capture before I 
was released. Hut after I left Colum- 
bia it Is all confused in my mind. I 
know I was at Belle Island awhile, and 
a long time at Andersonville. 

"How hungry I was at Andersonville! 
For a while I used to want to hear 
from home. Then I grew so hungry 
that I didn't think of home. For 
awhile I wanted to escape. But by and 
by I was too hungry to care for that. 
I only wanted bread, bread, bread. Oh, 
how hungry I was and how much I 
longed for bread!" 



That, my friends, was longing for 
bread "with all the heart" — with one 
supreme, overmastering desire. Home 
and friends, and liberty and life, lost 
sight of, unthought of, in the ceaseless 
craving for needful food! Blessed are 
they who do thus hunger after the 
Bread of Life in Jesus Christ, "for they 
shall be filled" (Matt. v. 6 ).— Trumbull. 

686. A dying man was visited by a 
minister who did not seem to be able 
to point the invalid to the path of life. 
One morning after this minister had 
finished his sermon a messenger was 
waiting for him at the door, who said 
that the sick man was dying and de- 
sired to see him again without delay. 
The minister went to see the sufferer 
and said to him that he did not know 
anything else that he could tell him as 

; to how he could find the way of life. 
"But", he said, "I might read you the 
sermon that I have been preaching to 
my congregation. The text is this: "He 
was wounded for our transgressions.' " 
"Wait," said the sick man, " 'He was 
wounded for our transgressions.' That 
must mean for my transgressions." 
And as he said it over, "He was wound- 
ed for our transgressions." there came 
to him such a revelation of the love of 
God that lie was able to commit him- 
self unto Christ's keeping. 

687. But a man says to me: "I admit 
what you say is so, but I cannot yield 
myself all to Christ because there are 
things so deeply intrenched in my char- 
acter, hahits which have got so fast a 
hold, that I cannot expel them. I 
would like to give all, but I cannot." 
Now, let me make a very distinct point 
here which I know will help you; all 
that Christ asks you to do is to be will- 
ing to give him all. The will is the key 
of your life. Give him your will and 
say: "Christ, I would like to be all tot 
thee. I would like to get on the train 
at Northfield and go away home the 
slave of Christ; I would like that my 
whole being from this moment might be 
laid upon the altar and be used by thee, 
but I can only pive thee my will — I wish 
it, I will it, I cannot say more." I could 
not say as much. I could not walk, I 
came on my hands and knees and said: 
"Lord, I am not willing to be all for 
thoe, but I am willing to be made will- 
In-;" — and he took that — I don't know 
what Christ won't take. He will take as 
little as is possible, that he may have 
all presently. So I went down before 
him and said: "Lord, I don't want to 
give myself to thee; I don't want to give 
up that accursed thing for there was 
something in my heart which was 
throttling me — I don't want to give it 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 108 — 



Repentance. 



up, but I am willing to be made will- 
ing';" and Jesus Christ took that; he just 
came in through that narrow chink and 
forced the door open; and oh, my 
friends, if you to-day can only say that 
to Christ as you go away in the woods: 
"I have been crowding thee out of my 
life, but now I am willing to be made 
willing that thou shouldst have every- 
thing;" and then you will come out of 
the woods saying to yourself as you go 
back home: "I am his, I am thine!" — 
Meyer. 

688. At one time, when Andrew Bo- 
nar went to visit an old bed-ridden man, 
he reminded him of a sermon which he 
had preached ten years before. "I 
mind," said the old man, "you spoke 
about the cave of Adullam.'Do you like 
the cave, and do you like the Captain? 
Then come in, come in; no other condi- 
tion.' My! it sank into my heart like 
oil." 

689. A man said to me once, "I be- 
lieve in Christianity. I want to be a 
Christian but if I take Christ as my Sa- 
viour I can't go where I want to go." 
When asked where he wanted to go he 
said, "I want to go to a card party. It's 
in a Christian's house and they call all 
Christians who will be there. But I 
can't be a Christian and go there." I 
know a man who was under conviction, 
but was hindered from accepting Christ 
by his business. His business was soap. 
The label on the soap was false. He 
must choose between soap and salva- 
tion. After some days he finally decided 
for his fraudulent business, and rejected 
Christ, and died so. He put his soul in 
one scale pan and a cake of soap in the 
other, and pressed down that side and 
lost his soul. 

690. One night at a meeting in a 
country schoolhouse a young man arose 

and said: "Friends, a week ago all the 
money in this town would not have in- 
duced me to stand here. I've always 
claimed this was a free country; any 
one could become a Christian or not, as 
he chose. When approached on the 
subject by my pastor or Sunday-school 
teacher or my mother, I've replied, 
'You go your way and I'll go mine.' 
But of late it has looked to me differ- 
ently. I have come to realize that what- 
ever I do with the counsel of these 
friends, I must dp something with the 
truth. Pilate's question seems to be 
mine, too: 'What shall I do then with 
Jesus?' The Saviour is on my hands; 
I must accept him or reject him, and 
in that case what is there for me to do 
but accept him?" That was a natural 
conclusion. — Monday Club Sermons. 



691. A party started to ascend Mt. 
Washington, when the hotel proprietor 
urged them to take one of his guides. 
"We do not wish any guide," they said; 
"we are determined to find our own way 
to the Tip-top House." "But," said he, 
"you may get lost without a guide, and 
rather than have you go alone, I will 
send with you, all the way, a good, faith- 
ful guide for nothing." "No, we won't 
have him, even for nothing; we want to 
do something that will astonish our 
friends." "But it is very dangerous." 
"We are strong and will risk it." And 
so, with hearts full of hope, they started 
off for the top of Mt. Washington. 
When they got near the top they saw a 
white cloud above them. Up, up they 
went right into it. They found that it 
was a snow storm on the mountain. 
"Oh, how I wish we had that guide 
now!" said one. "But it's too late to 
go back for him; we must find our way 
alone," said another. And., so they 
struggled on, sometimes going quite out 
of the way. Darkness came on, and they 
were lost in that deep snow! But they 
kept moving upward as well as they 
could. The two ladies got so tired they 
could not walk another step. They sank 
down in the deep snow. In the morn- 
ing the storm had all cleared away, and 
as the keepers of the house looked out 
they saw only a little way off, the half 
buried party. They went to them at 
once, but it was too late to save the life 
of one lady, who had been frozen to 
death during that awful night; and all 
because she with the rest had said: "We 
don't want the guide" When I was at 
the top of Mt. Washington a few sum- 
mers ago, I saw a great pile of stones, 
which had been thrown together over 
the spot where the young lady was 
found cold in death— E. P. Hammond. 

692. The People of Dublin tell this 
story of a poor man who used to sweep 
the crossing of one of their principal 
streets. A prominent lawyer in a city, 
in his practice, came across a certain 
legacy for which no heirs were found. 
At length the name came to him — that 
is the name of the old street-sweeper. 
He studied the case up and found that 
he was the heir. The old man was hard 
at work when he went to him. There, 
in the middle of the street, he told him 
his story, and the old man stood, broom 
in hand and mouth wide open in aston- 
ishment. So carried away with the 
pleasure and excitement of his good for- 
tune was the old man, that, uncon- 
sciously, he dropped his broom where 
he was standing and followed the at- 
torney to enter on his new career. The 
broom! He had always been careful of 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 109 — 



Faith. 



that before. But he dropped it in the 
middle of the street, and forgot it. Do 
you wonder at his treatment of the 
broom? He is a rich man now. — Gregg. 

693. The primary condition of being 
made whole is in the will. Wilt thou be 
made whole? Granted that the will has 
become enfeebled by constantly yielding 
its sceptre to passion, — like one of the 
early English kings, a mere puppet in 
the hands of strong barons, — yet Christ 
must know that its choice is on his 
side before he will set on foot the 
health-giving processes. He is prepared 
to know that the will is vacillating and 
weak. This is no disappointment. He 
is well able to work in us to will and 
to do, when once the will has made its 
appeal to him. The viceroy of India 
might be overpowered by a revolt, and 
yet be true in his allegiance to his su- 
zerain. — Meyer. 

694. A young lady while crossing the 
ice, fell through. A gentleman hearing 
her cry, hastened to the spot. He put 
out both hands, saying: "Clasp my 
hands tightly, and I will save you." 

She replied, "I cannot lift up both 
hands, one rests upon the ice; were I 
to raise it, I should surely sink." 

He answered, "Let go your hold upon 
the ice, trust me ami I will save you. 
"Were I to take but one, I could not 
draw you out." 

She obeyed, and he drew her out re- 
joicing. 

So Christ waits to save imperilled 
sinners, hut they must give him both 
bands and trust him fully. 

695. Our choice in life must ho a cu- 
bic choice. It must have three dimen- 
sions. First, it must be very high, as 
high as I can reach with my life. Next, 
it must be very broad, covering all the 
powers of my life, — mind, voice, hands, 
feet. And then it must be very long. — 
run out seventy years, if that be the 
sum of my -days on earth. I cannot af- 
ford to swap horses in the middle of 
the stream. I cannot afford to change 
my course at thirty or forty. We are to 
make the choice the highest, the broad- 
est, and the longest possible. — Alexan- 
der McKenzie, D. D. 

696. Livingstone's conversion. "i do 
not remember any particular time of 
conversion or that I was much cast 
down or lift up." — Rev. John Living- 
stone, pastor of the Kirk of Shotts. 

697. John Henry Newman said: "I 
speak of conversion with great diffi- 
dence, being obliged to adopt the lan- 
guage of books. Kor my own feelings, 
as far as I remember, were so different 
from any account I have ever read, that 



I dare not go by what may be an indi- 
vidual case." 

698. Six Edinburg students, one eve- 
ning after a Moody meeting, were dis- 
cussing conversion in their rooms. 
Three remembered the circumstances of 
their conversion, and three did not. — 
George Jackson, B. A. 

699. Charles Kingsley's diary: '•June 
12, 1841. — My birthnight. I have been 
for the last half hour on the seashore, 
not dreaming, but thinking deeply and 
strongly, and forming determinations 
which are to affect my destiny through 
time and through eternity. Before the 
sleeping earth and the sleepless stars, 
I have devoted myself to God; a vow 
never (if he gives me the faith I pray 
for) to be recalled." 

700. Savonarola, in speaking of his 
conversion, used to say; "A word did 
it," but he never told what that word 
was. 

701. Once an American clergyman re- 
cited Tennyson's "Charge of the Light 
Brigade"' in a sermon, and was severely 
criticised by a conservative congrega- 
tion. Later a man told him, "Sir," I 
am a survivor of Balaclava. I have led 
an evil life since then until I happened 
in your church the Sunday you recited 
that poem, and it changed my life." 
"So", wrote the minister to Tennyson, 
"though 1 may have lost my congrega- 
tion I have saved a soul by your poem." 

Faith. ( 702-7:-Jo) 

702. In the reign of Henry VIIT. there 
was a young student at Cambridge, 
named Bilney. He became deeply anx- 
ious about his soul, and obtained a copy 
of the New Testament, and shut himself 
up in his room to study" it. As he read 
the book he came to the words, "This is 
a faithful saying, and worthy of all ac- 
ceptation, that Christ Jesus came Into 
the world to sue sinners." ill' laid 
down the book, to think on what he 
had read. He thus states the result: 
"This one sentence, through God's in- 
ward teaching, did so rejoice my heart, 
being before almost in despair, that I 
soon found peace. Jesus Christ saves:" 
he cried, "yes, Jesus Christ saves." 
From that time he became a preacher 
of those "glad-tidings", and at last he 
suffered as a faithful martyr. 

70;{. A party was told at the mint in 
Philadelphia that a spoonful of melted 
gold which dropped instantly through a 
thin piece of pine wood could be taken 
in the hand without burning it. If the 
hand should first be dipped In water. 
They expressed wonder. The guide 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 110- 



Faith. 



asked them to make the trial. "Oh no," 
they all said, "we believe you; but we 
don't care to make the trial." They 
believed, but they did not trust. But a 
lady in the party dipped her delicate 
hand and fearlessly put it to the test, 
holding in it the molten gold. She be- 
lieved and trusted. 

704. It is well for us all to recognize 
how simply and quietly the Christian 
life sometimes begins. A thoughtful 
girl of sixteen years, living in the coun- 
try at a distance from the church, 
which made attendance irregular, read, 
on a Sabbath, the memoir of a Christian 
woman. On closing the volume, she 
said to herself, "That was a beautiful 
life." And after a little thought, she add- 
ed, "And I should like to live such a 
life." A few minutes later she kneeled 
down and said, "Lord, I will try from 
this time." The decision was made. She 
went on steadily, and is still a useful 
and influential Christian woman, hon- 
ored and beloved, and widely known for 
her beautiful and devout character. — 
G. B. F. Hallock, D. D 

705. George III. issued a proclamation 
of amnesty during our Revolutionary 
War to all those in rebellion except John 
Hancock and a few kindred spirits. 
God's amnesty makes no exception. 
Whosoever will may ionic and be saved 
on the condition of repentance and faith. 

706. "Belief" comes from the same 
Saxon root as "leave." Its primary 
meaning is mere assent, admission. The 
old Saxon, when he heard a statement 
that seemed credible, said: "I believe 
it"; i. e., "I admit that it is true. I 
let it stand as correct." But it did not 
follow from this admission that he was 
going to do anything about it. 

Faith, on the, other hand, comes from 
the Latin "fideo," to trust. It means 
more than mere assent. It means such 
confidence as leads to corresponding 
action. Thus a man on a sinking ship 
might believe in a life-preserver — admit 
that it was what its name implied — and 
yet he might not put it on, because he 
might not realize that he needed it. But 
if he has faith in the life-preserver, he 
puts it on, and trusts himself with it to 
the sea. 

707. Accepting God's grace is like the 
recognition of the old nursery song by the 
child long captive among the Indians. 
She had been brought back, with sever- 
al others, and her mother was there to 
take her; but neither could the mother 
tell which child was hers, nor could the 
child remember her mother till she sang 
the baby lullaby, when the child with a 
cry flung herself into her mother's arms. 



708. In an obscure village there lived 
a plain old lady whom the neighbors 
called "Catharine with the great faith" 
on account of her piety. A traveling 
preacher once came to the village, and 
in the course of a conversation heard of 
this "Catharine with the great faith." 
He resolved to hunt her up, and was di- 
rected to her humble cottage. "Are you 
'Catharine with the great faith'?" he in- 
quired of her. With beaming counte- 
nance she replied, "Whether I have a 
great faith, I know not. but this I know, 
that I have a great Savior." 

709. The Elector of Brandenburg, Jo- 
achim II, (1540) told his ambassadors, 
who were going to attend the religious 
disputation at Worms; "Bring back with 
you the little word 'sola', or else dare 
not to come back." Salvation is by 
faith alone. 

710. A man who was trying to find 
the Lord became so distressed that he 
sought counsel of a minister at night. 
He could not go ahead, and so was 
afraid to venture, and had become dis- 
couraged and almost in despair. He 
obtained no relief, and started for home. 
As he carried a lantern, the minister 
asked him why he did so. "To light 
my way, because it is so dark," he re- 
plied. "But can you see your way 
home from where you stand?" was 
asked. '"Oh, no; it is very dark just 
ahead." "Of what use .then is the 
light?" "It will light the path as I go 
the same as it does here." "Thy word 
is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto 
my path," said the minister. "Walk in 
the light you have, and go on doing so, 
and it will shine around you all the way 
as you need to see." This simple illus- 
tration showed him how easy it is to 
find and walk in the way of salvation. 

711. As far as I can see, there is only 
one way in which faith is got, and it is 
the same in the religious world as it is 
in the world of men and women. I 
learn to trust you just as far as I know 
you, and neither more nor less. The 
way to trust Christ is to know him. You 
cannot help trusting him then. You are 
changed. By knowing him faith is be- 
gotten in you, as cause and effect. If 
you turn to the Revised Version of the 
Epistle of John, you will find these 
words: "We love, because he first loved 
us." "We" — not, "We love him." That is 
wrong. Look at that word "because." 
There is the cause of which I have spo- 
ken. The effect follows, that we love 
him. We love all men. Stand before 
that, and you will be changed into the 
same image, from tenderness to tender- 
ness. There is no other way. You can 



Salvation Accepted. 



— Ill — 



Faith. 



not love to order. — Prof. Henry Drum- 
mond. 

712. . I met an old Scotch woman, not 
long ago, who said she had been seek- 
ing Christ for forty years. She protested 
that she believed every word in the Bi- 
ble, and yet, when I pointed to her John 
v, 2 4, she did not believe it. That is, 
she said she "heard the word of Jesus 
gladly, and believed that God had sent 
him into the world;" but she did not be- 
lieve that she had "everlasting life," 
though the word of God clearly and 
plainly says, "He that heareth my word 
and believeth him who sent me, hath 
everlasting life." This is an illustration 
of how many people believe the Bible, 
who do not in the least believe God's 
word. — Pentecost. 

713. There are two kinds of believing: 
first, a believing about God which 
means that I believe that what is said 
of God is true. This faith is rather a 
form of knowledge than a faith. There 
is, secondly, a believing in God which 
means that I put my trust in him, give 
myself up to thinking that I can have 
dealings with him, and believe without 
any doubt that he will be and do to me 
according to the things said of him. 
Such faith which throws itself upon 
God. whether in life or in death, alone 
makes a Christian man. — Martin Luther. 

714. A man may settle the question 
of his eternal safety in a moment by a 
Single act of faith in Christ. The bulk- 
head doors of the North German Lloyd 
liner Kronprinz Willi elm can now be 
closed by the mere movement of a Little 
lever, operated by an officer on the 
ship's bridge. This device is for use in 
case of collision. There are nineteen 
doors in the submerged part of the ship 
and they close from above, descending 
like steel curtains. An alarm is sounded 
for twenty seconds to let the engineers 
get safely out. 

715. A night of terror and danger, 
because of their ignorance, was spent 
by the crew of a vessel off the coast of 
New Jersey. Just before dark a bark 
was discovered drifting helplessly, and 
soon struck her bows so that she was 
made fast on a bar, and in momentary 
danger of going down. A line was shot 
over the rigging of the wreck by a life- 
saving crew, but the sailors did not un- 
derstand that it was a line connecting 
them with the shore which they might 
seize and escape. All signs failed to 
make them understand this. So all 
night the bark lay with the big waves 
dashing over it; while the crew, 
drenched and shivering and terrified, 
shouted for help. 



In the morning they discovered how 
unnecessarily they had suffered and how 
all night there was a line right within 
their reach by which they might have 
been saved. Many a soul on life's 
stormy sea, cries for mercy. God's an- 
swer is immediate. But how often, 
failing to appreciate that "the Word is 
nigh us," we spend hours of anxiety and 
pain, when we might have at once 
reached out and caught hold of the Di- 
vine Hand! 

716. I heard once of a woman who 
could not pay her rent. A wealthy friend 
heard of her plight and came to her 
house intending to pay the rent for her. 
But when he knocked at the door he 
received no answer, and, concluding that 
the woman was out, he went away. A 
few days atter he met her, and re- 
marked that he had been at her house 
and she was not at home. "Why, was 
that you?" she exclaimed. "I thought 
it was the landlord". When Christ 
knocks at the door of our hearts, bring- 
ing with him forgiveness for all the past 
and grace to keep up through all the 
future, how apt we are to keep the door 
shut, as if he were come to press upon 
us some disagreeable claim! Let us rath- 
er, with full, thankful hearts, receive 
the unspeakable gift, and rejoice in 
God's immeasurable grace. 

717. An old-time Quaker preacher 
bad a strange experience at his conver- 
sion. He dreamed that he was dead, 
and was laid our for burial, when a 
shining one came and bending over him, 
said softly, "The man is dead." Then 
another came and laying his hand on 
his flesh said; "It is cold; he is dead." 
So one by one they came and spake, till 
one, kindlier that the rest came and lift- 
ing up his hand said, "Nay, what is this? 
A nail print in his palm, and a nail 
print in his other palm. This man is 
not dead, he has been crucified! He 
has been crucified with Christ and lives 
with blm." — Then he awoke and found 
the place in the Scriptures where it is 
written, "I am crucified with Christ; 
nevertheless I live; yet not I, Christ 
liveth in me." The secret of all spirit- 
ual life is to enter into fellowship with 
Christ. — Burrill. 

718. One of the foremost ministers in 
Glasgow, in his unconverted days, was 
once surrounded by his "fast" set on the 
I tothesay pier in a Clyde Sabbath ex- 
cursion. What a scene! Drink on 
board, and here they are swearing, 
lighting, tumbling, lying and drinking, in 
all directions. I'gh! What a beastly 
I >;i ck ! To the hr-;irt of the "chosen" 
youth from the prayer-surrounding 

■home on yon Ayershlre hills, swift from 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 112 



Faith. 



the Holy Ghost like the flash of the tor- 
rid lightning, there came this thought — 
Here's your set for eternity! Ah, it 
stunned him, felled him to the ground, 
and he cried from the very soul of him 
for mercy, mercy! There's no Jesus 
here, and no Jesus forever. Mercy he 
found, Jesus he found; and to-day in 
yon great city he points the masses to 
Zion, and he leads the way. — Robertson. 

719. Faith is the channel or aqueduct, 
and not the fountain head, and we must 
not look so much to it as to exalt it 
above the divine source of all blessing 
which lies in the grace of God. Never 
make a Christ out of your faith, nor 
think of it as if it were the independent 
source of your salvation. Our life is 
found in "looking unto Jesus," not in 
looking to our own faith. By faith all 
things become possible to us; yet the 
power is not in the faith, but in the God 
upon whom faith relies.- — Spurgeon. 

720. Are we not daily, all through 
life's journey, trusting ourselves to 
bridges whose supporting piers are 
away down beneath the water, believing 
in their strength without doubt, neither 
wondering nor complaining when by 
chance one of them trembles or swerves 
a hair's breadth in the storm? We walk 
the bridge of life. Can we not trust its 
safety on the resting places of God's 
wisdom that are hid from us in the 
depths of the two eternities? 

721. "Oh, papa, I can see you, and 
oh, I'm so glad," exclaimed Lena Lud- 
wig, nine years old, when she sprang 
into her father's outstretched arms as 
he left the gang plank of the steamer 
Nieuw Amsterdam, after it reached its 
Hoboken pier, the other day. It was a 
touching scene and the people standing 
by wept. 

"How glad I am that I can see you 
and mamma, and when we get home I 
can get dear old Dilly and make him 
bark." 

Herman Ludwig seemed to be even 
more delighted than his daughter. The 
child was totally blind. Her parents 
have a large fruit ranch in California 
and acting upon the advice of a young 
physician, whom they gave shelter over 
night when he had lost his way, the 
child was taken to Europe for treat- 
ment. Tears streamed down the young 
man's face as he listened to the story 
of the delights that vision had given his 
only daughter. 

"Oh, papa," she cried, "you don't 
know how beautiful everything is. I 
feel as I look at things that I had been 
dead. I often wondered when I could 
not see how things looked, but I never 



dreamed the world was so beautiful. — 

Daily Paper. 

722. Barnum said; "I have seen a 
good many people humbugged during 
my life, and have been humbugged my- 
self, but I have noticed that more per- 
sons, on the whole, are humbugged by 
believing in nothing than in believing in 
too much." 

723. An evangelist, told of a cham- 
pion chess-player's criticism upon the 
celebrated painting called "The Lost 
Game", in which a boy plays a game of 
chess with the devil. The champion 
said the boy had not lost the game, and, 
to prove it, sat down and won the game 
from the same combination of men on 
the chessboard in the painting. He won 
the game in two moves. He pointed the 
moral: The devil always thinks the 
game of life is lost, but in two moves — 
repentance and faith — Christ wins it. 

724. In order to have faith you must 
have faith in somewhat. From the top of 
Mount Washburn, in the Yellowstone 
National Park, I saw an eagle holding 
himself on pinions, motionless, two 
thousand feet above the surface of the 
earth. That eagle had dropped like 
lead could he not have trusted his 
wings. Faith is not an indefinite and 
longing feeling amid vacancy. Faith is 
definite grasp upon that which can float 
you where otherwise you were helpless 
and bedraggled. But there must be that 
definite something which faith can defin- 
itely grasp. 

725. What rich instruction in regard 
to divine photography there is in what 
we see in human art. In the practice of 
photography we see two things: faith 
in the power and effects of light, and 
the wise adjustment of everything in 
obedience to its laws. With what care 
the tenderly sensitive plate is prepared 
to receive the impression; with what 
precision its relative position to the ob- 
ject to be portrayed is adjusted; how 
still and undisturbed it is, when held 
face to face with that object! Having 
done this, the photographer leaves the 
light to do its wonderful work; his work 
is indeed the work of faith. 

726. A young man, distressed about 
his soul, confided in a friend. The friend 
said: "Did you ever learn to float?" 

"Yes I did," was the surprised reply. 
"And did you find it easy to learn?" 
"Not at first," he answered. 
"What was the difficulty?" his friend 
pursued. 

"Well, the fact was I could not lie 
still; I could not believe or realize that 
the water would hold me up without 
any effort of my own, so I always began 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 113 — 



Faith. 



to struggle, and of course down I went 
at once." 

•'And then?" 

"Then I found out that I must give up 
all the struggle, and just rest on the 
strength of the water to bear me up. 
It was easy enough after that; I was 
able to lie back in the fullest confidence 
that I should never sink." 

"And is not God's word more worthy 
of your trust than the changeable sea? 
He does not bid you wait for feelings; 
he commands you to just rest in him, to 
believe his word, and accept his gift." 

727. One day a poor laborer fell ill, 
and soon came down to death's door. 
Realizing his critical condition he asked 
a fellow-laborer to go and bring the 
priest, so that he might confess, receive 
the last sacrament, and be ready to die. 
This fellow-laborer said to him, "A 
neighbor of mine has a book in his 
house which I want to bring you first." 
So off he ran to bring the book. He 
himself knew very little about it, but as 
he returned and sat by the dying man's 
side, he opened the book, as he supposed 
accidentally at the Acts of the Apostles, 
and instantly his eye fell upon the fol- 
lowing verse, which he read aloud: 
"What must I do to be saved?" He read 
on: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, 
and thou shalt be saved." He proceeded 
to turn the leaves of that wonderful 
book, and read to his dying friend such 
verses as he thought appropriate to his 
circumstances. Soon the pallid counte- 
nance began to gleam, and the tears fell 
profusely. Then he asked his dying 
friend, "Shall I go now for the priest?" 
"Oh, no," was the reply, "I am satis- 
fied;" and in a few moments he died 
happy in Jesus. — A Colporteur in Spain. 

728. "We love him because he first 
loved us." A hunter who carried with 
him a deer-charm — a whistle which 
imitated the voice of the fawn — one 
day found when he blew upon it there 
came a beautiful doc and put her head 
out from the thicket and looked this 
way and that wondering where the child 
was that was calling for its mother. 
She saw the hunter standing there and 
knew that he was her mortal enemy, 
seeking her life; but although she trem- 
bled with fear she did not stir. And 
when the hunter saw that great exhibi- 
tion of mother-love he COuld not bear 

to take advantage of it. So he put down 
his rifle and. lifting up hand, fright- 
ened the doc back into the thicket. So 
(■oil's great love Inspires out- faith. 

72!). The child of a well -known 

French painter lost her sight in Infancy, 
and her blindness was supposed to be 
incurable. A famous oculist in Paris, 
8 Vrnc. 111. 



however, performed an operation on 
her eyes and restored her sight. Her 
mother had long been dead, and her 
father had been her only friend and 
companion. When she was told that her 
blindness could be cured, her one 
thought was that she could see him; and 
when the cure was complete and the 
bandages were removed, she ran to him, 
and trembling, pored over his features, 
shutting her eyes now and then and 
: passing her fingers over his face, as if 
to make sure that it was he. 

The father had a noble head and 
presence, and his every look and motion 
were watched by his daughter with the 
keenest delight. For the first time his 
constant tenderness and care seemed 
real to her. If he caressed her, or even 
looked upon her kindly, it brought tears 
to her eyes. 

"To think." she cried, holding his 
hand close in hers, "that I had this fa- 
ther so many years, and never knew 
him!" 

How many of us are like the little 
blind girl? — The Word and the Way. 

730. Ex-President Roosevelt, in the 

days before he was president, had an 
experience with Clara Barton which 
shows that in some cases asking is the 
only price of having. It is to be 
found in her "Story of the Red Cross," 
i and is too picturesquely told to spoil a 
word of it in condensing: 

"There came to our improvised camp 
an officer in a khaki uniform, showing 
hard service, and a bandana handker- 
chief hanging from his hat to protect 
the back of his head from the fierce 
rays of the sun. It was Colonel Roose- 
velt, and we (Miss Barton seldom says 
T) were very glad to see the gallant 
leader of the Rough Riders. 

"He said, 'I have some sick men with 
the regiment who refuse to leave it. 
They need such delicacies as you have 
here, which I am ready to pay for out 
of my own pocket. Can I buy them 
from the Red Cross?' 

" 'Not for a million dollars," Dr. Gard- 
i ner replied. 

" 'But my men need these things', he 
said, his tone and face expressing anxie- 
ty. '1 am proud of my men.' 

" 'And we know they are proud of 
you, colonel. But we can't sell Red 
Cross supplies,' answered Dr. Gardner. 

"'Then how can I get them?' 

" 'Just ask for them, colonel.' 

" 'Oh!' he said, his face suddenly 
lighting up with a bright smile. 'Then 
I do ask for them.' 

" 'When will you send for these sup- 
plies?' 

" 'Lend me a sack, and I will lake 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 114 — 



Faith and Feeling. 



them right along,' he answered, with 
characteristic decision; and before we 
had recovered from our surprise the in- 
cident was closed by the future Presi- 
dent of the United States slinging the 
big sack of malted milk, condensed 
milk, oatmeal, cornmeal, canned fruits, 
rice, tea, etc., over his shoulders and 
striding off through the jungle." Faith 
evidenced its strength by action. 

731. Faith defined. "The principal 
acts of saving faith are accepting, re- 
ceiving and resting upon Christ." — 
Westminster Confession. 

"Faith is an assured confidence." — 
Heidelberg Catechism. 

"Christian faith is also a full reliance 
on the blood of Christ and trust in his 
merits," etc. — John Wesley's Sermons. 

"Faith in Christ consists both of as- 
sent and trust." — Watson's Institutes. 

'Faith is cordially assenting to the 
Gospel offer, a receiving and resting up- 
on Christ for pardon and eternal life." 
— Dr. Leonard Wood's Theology. 

"The faith of the Gospel is that emo- 
tion of the mind which is called trust, 
confidence, exercised towards the' moral 
character of God, and particularly of 
the Saviour." ■ — President Timothy 
Dwight's Theology. 

"Evangelical faith is a trusting in 
Christ," etc. — Finney's Theology. 

"The Christian commits his lost soul 
to Christ and trusts in him alone for 
salvation. . . This act of committing the 
soul to Christ may be regarded as strict- 
ly the act of faith." — Dr. Enoch Pond's 
Theology. 

"The primary idea of faith is trust . . . 

This view of the nature of faith is all 
but universally received, not by theo- 
logians only, but by philosophers and 
the mass of Christian people." — Dr. 
Charles Hodge's Theology. - 

"Trust is the soul and kernel of the 
faith which saves the sinner." — Van 
Oosterzee's Christian Dogmatics. 

"Faith is essentially trust." Christian 
faith includes that which is primarily 
and specifically trust in Christ as a per- 
sonal Saviour, and as such in the Chris- 
tian it is a necessary condition of salva- 
tion. — McClintock and Strong's Cyclope- 
dia. 

732. Faith does not depend on reali- 
zation, and yet many people are hesi- 
tating to confess Jesus Christ because 
they do not realize that they are saved 
or that he accepts them. There are a 
thousand things which we know to be 
true, which are yet difficult to realize 
as being true. The other day I met a 
dear friend and congratulated him on 



the robust health he seemed to be en- 
joying; to which he replied, saying: "I 
never felt better in my life; never have 
been able to do so much work and do it 
so easily." To-day I heard, through a 
friend who came to tell me the news, 
that he was dead — dropped dead this 
morning, in a fit of apoplexy. I cannot 
realize that my friend is dead; yet I be- 
lieve it without a question, because I 
have confidence in the person who 
brought me the news. It is difficult for 
me to realize that Jesus is the incarnate 
Son of God, that he died and was raised 
again from the dead, and that through 
him my sins, which are many, are all 
forgiven; but my faith does not rest on 
my realization of these things; it rests 
on the record which God has given of 
his Son: and this is the record, that he 
hath given us eternal life, and that life 
is in his Son. — Pentecost. 

733. Unquestioning faith. An Irish 
hod-carrier was half way up the ladder, 
as his brother came running and called 
up that an uncle in Ireland had just 
died and left him $25,000. He dropped 
his hod on the scaffold and called to 
the bricklayers above, "Boys, ye'll have 
to get another hod-carrier, I've done 
with the business." 

734. When a miner looks at the rope 

that is to lower him into the deep mine, 
he may coolly say, "I have faith in that 
rope as well made and strong." But 
when he lays hold of it, and swings 
down by it into the tremendous chasm, 
then he is believing on the rope. Then 
he is trusting himself to the rope. It is 
not a mere opinion — it is an act. The 
miner just lets go of everything else, 
and bears his whole weight on those 
well-braided strands of hemp. Now 
that is faith. And when a human soul 
lets go of every other reliance in the 
wide universe, and hangs entirely on the 
atoning Jesus, that soul "believes on 
Christ." — Cuyler. 

735. Christ reserves his hand for a 
dead lift. A man in London saved 28 
people from drowning. He was asked 
how, and said; "I can swim well. I 
plunge in and wait until they grow too 
weak to struggle, and then I seize 
them." Christ can save us only when 
we no longer struggle to save ourselves, 
but let him do all. 

Faith and Feeling. (736-744) 

736. Martin Luther, in one of his con- 
flicts with the Devil, was asked by the 
arch-enemy, if he felt his sins forgiven. 
"No," said the great Reformer, "I don't 
feel that they are forgiven, but I know 
they arc, because God says so in his 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 115 — 



Word." Paul did not say, "Believe on 
the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt 
feel saved," but "Believe on the Lord 
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." 

737. Ask that man whose debt was 
paid by his brother, "Do you feel that 
your debt is paid?" "Xo," is the reply, 
"I don't feel that it is paid; I know from 
this receipt that it is paid, and I feel 
happy because I know it is paid." So 
you must believe in God's love to you as 
revealed at the Cross of Calvary, and 
then you will feel happy, because you 
shall know you are saved. 

738. A dear old Christian, on hearing 
persons speaking- of their feelings, used 
to say, "Feelings! feelings! Don't bother 
about your feelings. I just stick to the 
old truth that Christ died for me, and 
he is my surety right on to eternity, and 
I'll stick to that like a limpet to the 
rock." 

"Be my feelings what they will, 
Jesus is my Saviour still." 

739. A thousand times have I seen a 
darkened and struggling soul find a 
way along a path like this. He has said, j 
"I want the feeling of forgiven sin. of 
rest and peace." I have answered, "Let 
us take a word of Christ and follow it 
precisely. Here is the word, 'Him that 
cometh unto me I will in no wise cast 
out.' Coming is the assent and consent | 
of yourself in the personal Christ; it is ' 
the yielding of yourself to him as your 
Savior and Lord. Do you now, as far as 
you know yourself, make such rededica- 
tion of yourself to the personal Christ?" I 
When the answer has been, "Yes," and 

I have been sure of deep sincerity, I 
have added, "And here is the word of 
the personal Christ to you, "I will in no 
wise cast out.' Can you believe that 
word and rest on it? And how often 
have I seen the light break over the 
troubled face, and heard sighs give place 
to songs, as the soul by such great and 
yet simple faith has entered into the 
radiant certainty of forgiveness. — Way- 
land Hoyt, D. D. 

710. However false or unhealthy reli- 
gious feeling may sometimes be, the 
great truth still remains behind, that 
feeling Is the secret of doing. The heart 
must be engaged for Christ or the hands 
will soon hang down. The affections 
must be enlisted in his service, or our 
obedience will soon stand still. It will 
always lie the loi I workman who will 
do most in the Lord's vineyard. — Ryle. 

711. Gideon Ouseley, who passed like 

a flame <>i holy Are through Ireland 

preaching the gospel, the Lord in a won- 
derful way "confirming the Word with | 



signs following", tells how he obeyed 
the heavenly voice. 

"The voice said, 'Gideon, go and 
preach the gospel.' 

" 'How can I go?' said I, 'O Lord, I 
cannot speak, for I am a child.' 

" 'Do you know the disease?' 

" 'O yes, Lord, I do.' 

" 'And do you know the cure?' 

" 'Indeed, I do. Glory be to thy holy 
name!' 

" Go, then, and tell them these two 
things — the disease and the cure. All 
the rest is nothing but talk.' " — N. W. 

Advocate. 

742. A lady told a German pastor 
Flattich, that she had been seeking and 
longing in vain for the presence of the 
Holy Spirit; this gift of God was her 
chief desire, but still beyond her attain- 
ment. "Dear lady," said Flattich, "the 
other morning I searched in vain for my 
stocking; I wanted it, but could find it 
nowhere. Suddenly I discovered that I 
had it on! Madam, you have what you 
desire; your seeking and longing prove 
the indwelling power of God's Holy 
Spirit, and all you have to do is to cease 
searching and be happy in receiving.'' 
The lady found peace in believing. 

713. A man was telling me some time 
ago that he had prayed for over ten 
years that God would have mercy upon 
him. "Has not God answered your 
prayer?" "Xo." "Indeed! Let me ask 
you one question ; suppose I offered you 
that Bible as a gift and you were after- 
ward to eom>_ and ask me for it; what 
would I think of you?" "I do not know 
what you would think." "Well, but 
what do you suppose I would think?" 
"You would perhaps think I had gone 
a little wrong in my head." "What 
is the use of your asking that 
God would deal in grace with you, if 
you are not willing to receive it: or if 
you do not believe that he gives It to 
you?" — D. L. Moody. 

711. A prominent pastor, when a lad, 
was distressed by a suspicion thai he 
was not the real son of his mother. Ib- 
was so unlike his brothers in complexion 
and temperament as to deepen his sus- 
picion into a conviction, in the icy chill 
of which he lived until his burdened 
heart could suffer it no longer, and he 
poured out his SOITOW in the ear- of his 
mother. She enfolded him in hor arms 
and with unutterable passion ejaculated. 
"YOU are indeed my own true, true Inn." 
It was enough. That niKht when he lay 
upon his bed the old fear began to 
creep into his heart and shake him with 
Its chill, but he melted It all out by the 
warmth of his faith in his mother's 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 116 — 



Regeneration. 



word. How much more assuring is that 
than any agreeable or even powerful 
feeling. We can easily mistake a pleas- 
ant emotion coming- through the phys- 
ical senses for a work of divine grace in 
the heart. - A purely natural effect is 
often mistaken for a spiritual opera- 
tion. If our assurance is based on our 
emotions, only a philosopher who is 
able to analyze and understand his feel- 
ings can trust them with any degree of 
safety. A life of faith in the Word of 
God is infinitely more noble than any 
gusli of pious feeling. — Northwestern 
Advocate. 

The New Birth. Regeneration. 

(745-755) 

745. An old Scotchman, who was con- 
verted was asked why he was not more 
humble, and why he did not say he 
hoped he was saved or trusted that he 
was saved. He turned around — I will 
never forget his answer — "Why!" he 
said, "mon alive, I was there when it 
was done." 

■ 746. Nathaniel Hawthorne, in"Earth's 
Holocaust" tells of some men and wo- 
men who became disgusted with the foi- 
bles and flipperies of the world and de- 
termined to burn them. A broad wes- 
tern prairie was selected, and they were 
shipped thither — magazines, ledgers, 
pedigrees, wardrobes, liquor, tobacco, 
etc. There was a pile mountain high, 
and a fierce blaze. A group of repro- 
bates stood by the pyre downcast, and 
Satan came to comfort them. He said, 
"Be not cast down, there is one thing 
these wiseacres have forgotten." "What 
is that?" they shouted. "Why the hu- 
man heart; unless they hit upon some 
trick for purifying that foul thing, it 
will soon be the same old world again." 

747. In speaking to two ladies at an 

aftermeeting Rev. W. G. Puddifoot il- 
lustrated regeneration as follows: "Now 
listen, you did not know you were born 
the first time for some months after, 
did you?" 

"Why no," one said with a smile. 

"Well", I said, "it is the same with me. 
I must have been a year and a half old 
when I became conscious that I was 
born. It was in this way. I was seated 
on the floor when I noticed some little 
pink things that wriggled in a most fas- 
cinating way. I made a sudden lunge 
at them, and at once conveyed them to 
my mouth, and some little sharp teeth 
closed upon them, and with a loud cry 
I realized they were part of myself and 
that I was born." 

"You have a good memory, sir". 



"Yes, because I know things that no 
one could have told me. You see that 
if it takes so long to find out that we 
were born the first time, it is no won- 
der we cannot know of our second birth, 
of being 'born of the Spirit.' It puzzled 
Nicodemus, and he was a ruler of the 
Jews. Indeed there is a great mystery 
about it, for 'the wind bloweth where it 
listeth and thou hearest the sound there- 
of but canst not tell whence it cometh or 
whither it goeth; so is every one that is 
born of the Spirit." 

"But," said the woman, "how are we 
to know?" 

"I will tell you.' When you find that 
you desire that which is good, and that 
you are drawn toward godly people; 
that you dislike that which it bad; that 
you begin to feel kindly toward those 
who have ill used you; and better still, 
if you desire -to do them good, then you 
may be sure you are born again, or born 
of the Spirit, for these are the fruits of 
the Spirit." 

"Will you pray for us, sir?" 

"I will," and after a short prayer I 
left them, smiling through their tears." 

748. An old writer tells a story of a 
man who prided himself on his great 
morality, and expected to be saved by 
it, who was constantly saying: "I am 
doing pretty well on the whole; I some- 
times get mad and swear, but then I am 
strictly honest; I work on Sunday when 
I am particularly busy, but I give a good 
deal to the poor, and I was never drunk 
in my life." 

This man once hired a canny Scotch- 
man to build a fence round his lot, and 
gave him very particular directions as 
to his work. In the evening, when the 
Scotchman came in from his labor, the 
man said: 

"Well, Jock, is the fence built, and is 
it tight and strong?" 

"I cannot say that it is all tight and 
strong," replied Jock; "but it's a good 
average fence, anyhow. If some parts 
are a little weak, others are extra 
strong. I don't know but what I may 
have left a gap here and there, a yard 
wide or so; but then I made up for it 
by doubling the number of rails on each 
side of the gap. I dare say that the 
cattle will find it a very good fence, on 
the whole, and will like it, though I can- 
not just say that it's perfect." 

"What!" cried the man, not seeing the 
point, "do you tell me that you have 
built a fence round my lot with weak 
places in it, and gaps in it? Why, you 
might as well have built no fence at all. 
If there is one opening, or a place where 
an opening can be made, the cattle will 
be sure to find it, and all will go 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 117 — 



Regeneration. 



through. Don't you know man, that a 
fence must be perfect or it is worth- 
less?" 

"I used to think so," said the dry 
Scotchman, "but I hear you talk so 
much about averaging matters with the 
Lord, seems to me that we might try it 
with the cattle. If an average fence 
will not do for them, I am afraid that 
an average character will not do on the 
day of judgment." 

7J9. I have seen a little tugboat pull 
the great sea-going vessels about the 
harbor of New York, but when these 
vessels were out on the sea they needed 
something more than the pull of the tug- 
boat; they must have the throb of power 
within themselves. And so we may be 
drawn ahput by outside influences — the 
preaching of a sermon, the singing of a 
hymn; but what is needed for every 
child of God, if he would brave the 
storm and safely reach the harbor, is 
that he himself have God's power with- 
in him. 

750. All religious acts are certainly 
good acts, but it cannot follow that all 
good acts are religious acts. The ap- 
pearance of a deed may be good and yet 
the design — the motive — may have been 
evil. To illustrate. I read an incident 
the other day, which is as follows: 

"A young man met a minister of his 
acquaintance and in the course of their 
conversation, he told the minister that 
he was not a very bad young man, for, 
said he, *I have been doing a great 
many good things.' 'Well', said the 
minister, "I have no disposition to dis- 
pute that, but your good acts were not 
religious acts — nor is it any evidence 
that you are a Christian.' The young 
man seemed surprised. 

" You are the owner of a horse, are 
you not?' 

" 'Yes.' 

" 'Does he not do many good acts?' 
" 'Yes.' 

" 'Do you not think him a good 
horse?' 
" 'Yes.' 

•• i- your horse a Christian?' 

" 'Well,' he replied, 'about as much 
of a one as I am, I guess.' " 

The young man saw the point, and 
admitted that a good act in man or 
beast is a good thing, but nothing more. 
It Is nature and not grace, Instincl and 
not holiness. A good character is a good 
thing, education is a good thing, money 
is a good thing, but these things, good 
as they are, will not carry a man to 
heaven, but they will come just as near 
doing so as mere morality will. 

751. The old nature in 1 1 — t be changed. 
A wild chamois was captured by a shep- 



herd when young, and kept for two 
years with the flock, tame, a bell on its 
neck etc. One day it heard some cham- 
ois off on the mountain; it listened 
trembling with eagerness for a moment, 
and then bounded off to join its kin, 
and was never seen afterward though 
far up — hidden in the mists, its bell was 
often heard. 

752. "You say to me." said Moody, 
" 'Well, but don't you think those things 
will come back? There is that cursed 
passion in my life; don't you think it 
will come back?' I dare say it will; and, 
mind you, if your heart is empty — that 
is. if you only sent the Devil out by a 
pledge or by a resolution — and he comes 
back, he will come to the front door 
and he will say, 'Is there anybody in- 
side?' and if there is silence he will go 
around to the back door and will cry, 
'Is there anybody inside?' If there is 
siler.ee he will smash that door open 
through all your resolutions, and he will 
bring seven devils along with him, and 
he will fill your heart with riot and sin. 
But if. when he comes back, he says, 
•Is anybody inside here?' and Christ 
says, 'I am here', that is enough." 

753. Sons and heirs through regener- 
ation. Moody once pictured a reception 
room in a private residence at an early 
morning hour. It was. entered by a man 
who proceeded to open the shutters and 
put things to rights. No one needed to 
be told- that he was a servant. Shortly 
after another n.an entered. He walked 
around the room examining the por- 
traits, paintings and ornaments as if 
they were new to him; and finally tak- 
ing a book sat down to read. Evidently 
he was a guest. Next came rushing 
into the room a rollicking boy of six- 
teen. After a bright "good morning" to 
the guest, he darted into the library, 
overhauled the mail lying there on the 
table, hurried into the dining room to 
see if breakfast was ready, lifted one or 
two covers to see what was to be served, 
and then, hearing familiar footsteps in 
the reception room, he rushes there and 
flings himself into the arms of the mas- 
ter of the house, who had just given the 
guest a warm handshake of welcome, 
but to this boy gave a hug and a kiss. 
N<> one needed to be told thai this boy 
\\ a- th(> son. 

George Maedonalfl said: "So long as 
God's will Is our law wc arc slaves; bui 
when God's will becomes our will, duty 
becomes pleasure and service a delight." 
This is the glorious liberty of the -on- of 
God. 

751. How foolish it would be for mhw. 

sitting at the feet of their teacher, and 
learning lessons of maturity, allowing 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 118 — 



Moralists. 



themselves to be intimidated by the old 
schoolmaster (servant) under whose rod 
they had been brought to school, and 
who now through the window is seeking 
to attract their attention to certain pla- 
cards bearing such inscriptions as "You 
must keep the Sabbath," "You must 
tithe your income," "You must abstain 
from certain kinds of food," etc., etc. 
The enlightened believer sitting now at 
Jesus' feet pays no attention to any such 
commands coming from any such 
source. He has long ago passed from 
under such jurisdiction, and rejoices 
now in the liberty with which Christ has 
set him free. — "The Truth about Grace." 

755. Ask the first man you meet how 
he expects to reach heaven, and he will 
answer in effect "by being good." When 
the fact is that no one has or will get 
to heaven by being or by doing good. 
That it not the way at all. The way is 
by the Cross where flowed the blood. 
Nor can the believer who has been 
washed in the blood add aught to his ac- 
ceptability in the sight of God by being 
or by doing good. His standing in God's 
sight has been settled by an entirely 
different process, even in the offering 
up of the only perfect or good life this 
world has ever seen, that of the spotless 
Lamb of God. There is positively no 
room or need for any auxiliary force 
that can be presented. And no one in 
glory will be able to say, "I am here, 
because of the Cross and — — ". Neither 
are even the believer's "holding out" or 
his progress in "holiness" to be made 
primary, or even secondary; for plainly 
it is written "not of works lest any man 
should boast." — "The . Truth About 
Grace". 

Moralists. (756-761) 

756. Suppose a man starts from Green 
Bay with his boat to go to Saekett's 
Harbor. He rows his own boat; by day 
he is scorched by the sun; at night, 
chilled with the cold, He finds in Lake 
Huron a company of shipwrecked fish- 
erman on an island without boat or 
provisions. He supplies their wants 
from his own store, and by turns carries 
them all to the main land without fee 
or reward. He journeys on, the lake is 
boisterous, the head winds delay him, 
and he soon comes upon a wrecked ves- 
sel with the men clinging to the rigging. 
He labors and rescues them all — -feeding 
them from his own scanty store, and 
then journeys on. He passes into Lake 
Erie and moves on down the lake and 
enters into the river Niagara. He looks 
on his chart, and sees laid down these 
directions: "River Niagara. Turn ye, 
turn ye, for why will ye go over the 



cataract of Niagara? Because there is 
danger — take care, lest ye go over the 
Falls of Niagara." He is amazed. It is 
all different from what he has seen be- 
fore; and while wondering at this unsus- 
pected warning, he sees on the left of 
his chart this direction: "Wellands Ca- 
nal. Strive to enter into Wellands Ca- 
nal, for strait is the lock and narrow is 
the way that leads to Lake Ontario." 
He begins to review his hardships — the 
cold and the heat, the sufferings 
through which he had passed, the lives 
he had saved, how he had injured no 
one, but had helped and benefited many. 
God would not let him go over the Falls 
and perish, after he had endured so 
much and done so much good. So he 
doubts whether there are any Falls, and 
heeds not the warning, "Turn ye, turn 
ye," nor the exhortation, "Strive to en- 
ter into Wellands Canal," but ventures 
into the rapids and approaches the 
great cataract. Now listen; could God 
save him from going over the Falls 
without working a miracle for his spe- 
cial benefit? Would all his long suffer- 
ing on that journey and his benevolence 
save him from the fate awaiting him?" 

The mercy of God was manifest in 
the provision made for his escape: he 
neglected it, and must necessarily take 
the consequences, and he alone is to 
blame.- — Dr. Graves. 

757. On Sunday March 6th, 1881, a 
barque was wrecked off the north coast 
of Scotland. Fishermen on shore made 
several attempts to get a line on board 
by means of the rockets, but the wind 
being so strong, they were beaten down 
into the water before reaching the ship. 
They succeeded at last, however, by us- 
ing an empty barrel, which was thrown 
overboard, with a small cord attached, 
by which, after some hard work on the 
part of those in the ship, a large rope 
was hauled in and made fast to the fore- 
mast. 

There were eleven men on board, but 
only four or five were able to do any- 
thing, the remainder being down below, 
entirely helpless from long exposure to 
the cold. As soon as the apparatus was 
in working order for the traveling cage 
which was to be drawn along the rope, 
one young sailor was put into it, and a 
few minutes found him on shore in the 
hands of kind friends. 

This first man was scarcely saved, when, 
through the - fast rising tide and the 
strong wind beating upon the ship, her 
stern was suddenly raised up over a 
reef of rock which previously had kept 
her head on, and swinging round broad- 
side onto the beach, she settled down 
across another rock, her back broke, 
and her mainmast splintered almost to 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 119 — 



Moralists. 



pieces. The traveling apparatus becom- 
ing entangled across her bow, it was 
rendered unmanageable, and it could no 
longer be used. 

At this juncture we saw through the 
drifting snow, a man descend from the 
vessel, and try to save himself by com- 
ing along the rope hand over hand; but 
alas, such an attempt was evidently use- 
less. The waves were beating over him 
like falling houses, and the poor fellow 
had gone but a little distance from the 
ship, when one heavy sea swept so com- 
pletely over him, that he was soon done; 
and when it was passed, we saw that 
strong man hanging helplessly by the 
bend of one of his arms; in a few sec- 
onds he dropped into the surging waves. 
When the body was picked up two days 
afterwards, it was found that the sea 
which came over him while on the rope, 
had dislocated both his shoulders. 

A few moments after this man was 
lost, the bow of the ship lifted again 
over the rocks which were keeping it, 
and in almost a moment she was once 
more head on to the beach, the appa- 
ratus disentangled, and again workable. 
No time was now lost, as the doomed 
vessel was fast breaking up, and in half 
an hour the men were all safely landed, 
the helpless ones being first of all put j 
into the apparatus by those who had a 
little strength left. One brave fellow, 
who had helped to put all his shipmates 
(captain included) out of the ill-fated 
ship, into the hands of the friends on 
shore, remained on board till the last, 
with a quiet fearlessness which aston- 
ished all who saw him. Almost the 
first question put to him when he came 
ashore, was respecting the secret of his 
calmness; he said, "I was converted at 
one of Moody's meetings in America, 
and I knew that I was safe, the source 
of my confidence being Psalm xxvii: 1, 
'The Lord is my salvation, whom shall 
I fear?" We then asked him about 
the poor lost man. "Ah," he said, "we 
tried to persuade him not to attempt 
such a useless task, as it would be Im- 
possible for him to reach the shore in 
that way, but he would — he would and 
would not listen to us." "A fine fellow 
he was," added the captain, with tears 
running down his face, "the best man 
in the crew: but ho was lost, because lie 
tried to save himself in his own way." 
Yes, all the rest were saved, but by other 
hands than their own. 

When the tide went out, it left noth- 
ing but a scene of desolation. A splin- 
tered skeleton of timbers, scattered 
planks, and broken barrels, but nothing 
left such a solemn sight as we looked 
upon all around and remembered the 
poor lost man. 



Lost! and yet the best man of the 
crew! How was it possible? Simply 
because he wanted to save himself, and 
trusted in his own strength to face the 
waves instead of relying on the means 
that had been provided. — Times of Re- 
freshing. 

758. "Why are not my chances of go- 
ing to heaven about as good as those 
of some of your church-members?" 

These words were spoken to Dr. W — , 
the pastor of a church in one of our 
Western cities, by a young man to whom 
he had been talking on the subject of 
personal salvation. John Sands was a 
man of excellent character. He had re- 
ceived the best training in a Christian 
home, and had imbibed the loftiest prin- 
ciples of honor and integrity. He had 
recently begun business for himself, and 
was known as a strictly upright young 
man, honest and refined, a good neigh- 
bor and a useful citizen. 

When good Dr. W urged upon 

him his need of a Saviour and the duty 
of taking a stand as a Christian, he at 
once raised the question, "Why do I 
need a Saviour?" "What good will it do 
me to become a Christian?" Then he 
called to mind several of the members 
of the church whose lives were notori- 
ously inconsistent. But in a moment he 
added with his natural frankness, "I 
know they are hypocrites, so I won't 
speak of them! but just look at Mr. 

D and Mrs. I and young Mr. 

M . You believe they are real, ear- 
nest, true Christians. Well, now, they 
do not stand as high in the community 

as I do. Mr. D is a narrow-minded, 

troublesome fellow, and Mrs. J is 

always complaining about her neighbors, 

and young M is very rowdyish in 

his manners, and uses tobacco to great 
excess, and even drinks occasionally. 
Now, if I may be pardoned for speaking 
frankly of myself, I haven't a bad habit, 
and I always mean to be honest and up- 
right.- Why are not my chances of go- 
ing to heaven as good as theirs?" 

Dr. W did not reply at once to his 

question, but said: "Wouldn't you like 
to take a short walk with me this fine 
morning?" The young man readily con- 
sented, and they set out. In the course 
of their walk they came to a bridge; 
and as they looked over the parapet and 
down the stream, the pastor noticed two 
boats headed towards the bridge, one 
about twenty rods away, and the other 
nearly half a mile down stream. Turn- 
ing to his companion, he asked, "Which 
of those boats will reach the hridi>e 
first?" The young man looked at them 
a few moments, and replied: "That one 
away down stream. Why," said the 



Salvation Accepted. 



— . 120 — 



Character Transformed. 



Doctor, "this one is nearly a half-mile 
higher up stream that that, and has but 
a few rods to come." "Yes," replied 
the young man; "but see the difference. 
This one is drifting down stream, and 
the other is cutting its way rapidly up 
against the current. In the farther one 
are strong rowers pulling against the 
stream with all their might; but this 
one is empty, and simply drifting." 

"True," replied Dr. W ; "and do 

you not see that you have answered the 
question you asked me half an hour 
ago?" "You think you are more likely 

to reach heaven than Mr. D and the 

others. Now I grant that you are bet- 
ter than any one of them; but think a 
moment. What was their early train- 
ing? Mr. D was born in the midst 

of crime. His early associations were 
all of. evil, and he knew nothing of 
Christian teaching or life. But he has 
broken away from all these associations, 
and is trying to be a Christian. He's 
rough yet, and disagreeable, and his 
conscience isn't as clear as yours; but 
he's pulling against the current with all 

his might. Mrs. J has had a hard 

time in life; her husband died a drunk- 
ard, and she has met with many trials 
that have sharpened her temper. But 
everybody that is acquainted with her 
knows how fast she is overcoming these 
evils. She is far down the stream, but 
she is pulling hard at the oars. Then 

about young M . His mother died 

when he was a baby, and his father is a 
reckless, ungodly man. He has had no 
training, and has been very wild. But 
since he joined the church, he has im- 
proved in every respect. Away down 
stream, but he is pulling with might and 
main against the current of the stream. 

"Now look at John Sands. What sort 
of a training have you had? A Christian 
father and mother; the best of care and 
culture; no temptation to do wrong. 
Ever since you were a child you have 
been watched over and protected from 
evil, and your mind has been cultivated 
and your conscience enlightened from 
God's Word. Your character is good, 
because it couldn't easily be other- 
wise. You are high up stream, but you 
are like this boat so near by. It was 
towed up by a river steamer, but the 
rope became unfastened and it began to 
drift backward at once. You have been 
carried far up the stream by your par- 
ents; but now the line is loosed, and 
you are starting out for yourself. Un- 
less you pull right along up stream, you 
will never go any higher than you are 
now. You will drift downwards. Per- 
haps you will not notice it; you may 
seem to stand still. But you will find 
that, with all your advantage, Mr. D 



and Mrs. J and young M will 

pass you. 

The question is not, "Who is now 
highest up the stream?" or, "Who is 
now nearer heaven?" but "Which way 
are you going?" — S. S. Times. 

759. There must be a change of heart. 

A man buys a farm and he finds on the 
farm a pump. He goes to the pump 
and begins to pump. A person corner 
along and says, "Look here, my friend, 
you don't want to use that water. The 
man who lived here before, he used that 
water, and it poisoned him and his wife 
and children." 

"Is that so?" says the man. "Well, I 
will soon make that right. I will find a 
remedy." And he goes and gets some 
paint and paints the pump, putties up 
all the holes, and fills up the cracks in 
it, and now he has a fine looking pump. 
And he says, "Now I am sure it is all 
right." 

You would say, "What a fool to go 
and paint the pump when the water is 
bad!" But that is what sinners are try- 
ing to do. They are trying to paint up 
the old pump that has always given bad 
water. It was a new well the man want- 
ed, and the sinner needs a new heart. 

760. The highest conception of nobil- 
ity among the Romans is suggested by 
the epitaph on Sulla's monument in the 
Campus Martius at Rome: "No friend 
ever did me so much good, or enemy so 
much harm, but I repaid him with in- 
terest." 

761. The Bible knows nothing of an 
unpractical theology, but, on the other 
hand, it knows still less of an untheolog- 
ical morality. — Alexander Maclaren, 
D. D. 

Christ's Transforming Power. Miracles 
of Grace. (762-835) 

762. Dr. Clafford, in his book entitled 
"Inspiration," says that a high priest 
came to his tent one night and asked 
him this question, "What is it that 
makes that Bible of yours have such 
power over the lives of those who em- 
brace it? Now, it is but eight months 
since the people joined you. Before, they 
were quarrelsome; they were riotous; 
they were lazy; and now see what a 
difference there is in them! Now they 
are active, energetic, laborious. They 
never drink; they never quarrel. In all 
the region around here, the people all 
respect and honor them. What is it that 
makes the Bible have such power over 
the lives of those who profess it? Our 
Vedas have no such power. Please, sir, 
give me the secret." 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 121 — 



Character Transformed. 



763. Lord Chesterfield, visiting in 
Paris, was entertained at the table of a 
distinguished literary woman who was a 
bitter foe of Christianity. She said to 
him, "My Lord, I am informed that your 
English parliament is composed of five 
or six hundred of the most profound and | 
brilliant thinkers: this being so, will you 
explain to me how you account for the 
fact that under their authority, the ob- 
solete religion of the Xazarene Carpen- 
ter is still maintained as the religion of | 
the realm?" "Madam", he replied, "it 
is a mere temporary makeshift. We are 
casting about for something better: 
when that is discovered Christianity 
must give way." Ah, the world has been 
casting about all these centuries for 
"something better" and has not found it. 
There is no power to compare with 
Christ for ennobling manhood and en- 
riching lite, through the transforming of 
character. — Burrill. 

764. "God worketh in you". This im- 
plies the actual presence of God at the 
center of our being. The very simplic- 
ity of the words renders them difficult 
of understanding; for no man under- 
stands the complex and marvelous 
mechanism of his own personality. God 
worketh in you — not outside, but in — in 
the place where thought is born and the 
throne of the will is set up and the af- 
fections have their scat. — Campbell Mor- 
gan. 

765. When the statue of George Pea- J 
body, erected some years ago in one of 
the thoroughfares of London, was un- 
veiled, the sculptor Story was asked to 
speak. Twice he touched the statue with ' 
his hand, and twice he said, "That is my i 
speech! That Is my speech!" What a 
suggestion to Christians! Even so should 
they allow their actions, their consecrat- 
ed lives speak of the Saviour they pro- 
fess. 

766. When a man asks me why I be- 
lieve in miracles, I answer, "Because I 
have seen them." He asks, "When?" I 
reply, "Yesterday." "Where?" "In such 
and such a place I saw a man who had 
been a drunkard redeemed by the 
power of an unseen Christ, and 
saved from sin. That was a mira- 
cle." The best argument for Christian- 
ity is a Christian. That is a fact which 
men cannot get over. There are fifty 
other arguments for miracles, but none 
so good as that you have seen them. 
Perhaps you are one yourself. Show a 
man a miracle with his own eyes, and 
If he is not too hardened he will believe. 
— Prof. Drummond. 

767. A pastor once asked the follow- 
ing questions of a little girl who had ap- 



plied for church membership: "Have 
you experienced a change of heart?" 

"Yes," was the reply. "Were you a sin- 
ner before?" "Yes," was the answer. 
"Are you a sinner now?" "Yes," again 
was her answer. "Where, then, is the 
difference between your former and 
present condition?" She thought a mo- 
ment, then, her face brightening, she 
said, "Before I was converted to Christ 
I was a sinner that runs after sin: now 
I am a sinner that runs away from sin." 
A changed purpose in life had brought 
for her a changed life. Martin Luther 
said, "To do so no more is the truest re- 
pentance." In running away from sin 
she showed sincere repentance. Some 
of us repent, wondering how far we may 
run after sin and escape condemnation. 

768. The first time I saw Cologne Ca- 
thedral — nearly half a century ago — it 
presented a stumpy appearance, for the 
towers had not yet been built. The next 
time I saw it, the scaffoldings on which 
the builders were busy were rather a 
disfigurement. But a few years since, 
when I beheld the completed towers, 
lifting their snow-white splendors into 
the sunlight, I felt that the old historic 
Rhine saw no such magnificent object 
in all its course from the Alpine moun- 
tains to the sea. This is a bit of a para- 
ble of the way in which the Master con- 
structs a Christian. — Cuyler. 

769. In the Armenian troubles a few 
years ago a band of Turkish soldiers 
captured an Armenian boy who was a 
Christian, and tried to make him re- 
nounce his belief. They stood him up 
and the leader said: "Lift up your right 
hand and blaspheme." He lifted up his 
right hand and said: "I believe in Jesus 
Christ, my Saviour." They placed his 
right hand on a block and cut it off at 
the wrist. Then they told him to raise 
his left hand and blaspheme. He raised 
his left hand and said: "I believe in Je- 
sus Christ, my Saviour." They put his 
left hand on a block and cut it off. Then 
they said: "Now blaspheme," and he 
said: "I believe in Jesus Christ, my Sa- 
Viour," and they tore his tongue out by. 
the roots and then killed him. As Chris- 
tians we should follow our Master in the 
same spirit as the Armenian boy, fear- 
less of the consequences. 

770. I was traveling In southern Flori- 
da, and I encountered a man who was a 
very Important personage in his bearing. 
He had taken the only private saloon or 
stateroom on the car, and something in 
that saloon or stateroom gave him of- 
fense, and he summoned the colored por- 
ter and addressed him in language which 
I hope never to bear repeated, and then 
sent for the conductor. There was ob- 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 122 — 



Character Transformed. 



viously no grievance in the case; the 
man had lost his temper, was irritable 
and unreasonable from his last night's 
debauch, and, if possible, his language 
to this young man was more brutal and 
more insolent and unwarranted than to 
the colored porter. 

I sat through it all, and may as well 
confess here that a sensation tingled at 
the tips of my fingers which was strictly 
unepiscopal. This young man, who was 
a generous type of a southerner, gave 
me his name when it was all over. 
When he told me who he was I recog- 
nized his old Virginia stock. It was just 
after the war, and he had to go to work 
for the first time in his life. This young 
man, this conductor, who through it all 
had illustrated the only gentlemanly 
speech and bearing I had witnessed, 
came to me and said: "I beg your par- 
don, but you have seen what has hap- 
pened?" "Yes," I said, "and if you 
want to refer to me, have no hesitation 
about doing so. I want to congratulate 
you on the spirit you have shown, and 
thank you for an exhibition of good 
manners in the face of the boor who in- 
sulted you every time he spoke, and to 
felicitate you for the dignity with which 
you have borne this." "Oh, sir," he said, 
"when a man has come to learn how his 
Master controlled himself, he ought to 
be ashamed not to be able to illustrate 
at least an equal control under less pain- 
ful and trying circumstances." I thought 
it was the finest testimony to the power 
of the religion of Jesus Christ which I 
had ever been privileged to listen to. — 
Bishop Potter. 

771. One night, about 1835, a worth- 
less drunkard, by the name of Parsons, 
who lived in New England, lay down to 
sleep. He woke up the next morning, 
an absolutely changed man, and for 
nearly forty years lived a life without a 
blemish. He said that Christ appeared 
to him that night in a dream, and 
seemed so pure, so lovely, so good, that 
when he awoke he forgot all his vices, 
and so loved Christ that he could not 
displease him. He was transformed by 
beholding. — James H. Taylor, D. D. 

772. Africaner was a Hottentot des- 
perado of Namaqualand. With a few 
hundred followers he terrorized alike the 
neighboring tribes and Dutch farmers. 
The government at Cape Town offered 
five hundred dollars reward for his ar- 
rest or death. It was under the patron- 
age of such an outlaw that Robert Mof- 
fat opened his first mission in 1818. The 
white settlers had regaled the ears of 
the young missionary with the predic- 
tions that he would be made a target for 
the arrows of the small boy savages, 



his skin would be used for drum- 
heads, and his skull for a drinking-cup. 

Within a year of these dire forebod- 
ings Moffat, with Africaner disguised as 
his attendant, was again among the 
Dutch farmers. He was taking the Hot- 
tentot chief to Cape Town to demon- 
strate to the government the marvelous 
fact that the savage had been supplanted 
by a new man in Jesus Christ. It had 
been reported that the missionary had 
fallen a victim to the cruel whim of his 
blood-thirsty patron. That the love of 
God should have conquered Africaner 
seemed beyond credence. 

After live years of faithful Christian 
life Africaner gave his people his death- 
bed charge (1822): "We are not what 
we were — savages, but men, professing 
to be taught according to the gospel. 
Let us then do accordingly. My former 
life is stained with blood, but Jesus 
Christ has pardoned me. Beware of 
falling into the same evils into which I 
have frequently led you. Seek God, and 
he will be found of you to direct you." — 
Missionary Comments. 

773. All our gifts and charms of per- 
son, voice, or heart, may be used in 
God's service. An attractive woman 
may consecrate her graces to the ser- 
vice of the Master. A man of social 
tact and skill may follow Christ and be- 
come, through his gracious hospitality, 
a fisher of men. There is nothing bright 
and winsome in every-day life that may 
not fill the house with a richer frag- 
rance, when, like the broken box of 
alabaster, it is laid at the feet of the 
Lord. 

774. When an ordinary lighthouse is 

built, the one object sought is to rear 
a structure which will endure storms 
and give forth its light. It may be 
architecturally graceful, even beautiful, 
but never at the expense of being use- 
ful. Every stone that goes into that 
structure looks to the establishment of 
a base for an unfailing light. As Chris- 
tians we are the spiritual lighthouses of 
the world. Our lives should be bright 
and beautiful, but if only beautiful we 
are complete and dismal failures. The 
world looks to us for light, to us who 
are the representatives of the kingdom; 
but, alas, too often our light is out, our 
voice is silent; we are beautiful, beauti- 
ful at the expense of being useful. — 
Baptist Commonwealth. 

775. There is a beautiful Eastern 
story of a child walking beside the sea, 
who saw a bright spangle lying in the 
sand. She stooped down and picked it 
up, and found it was attached to a fine 
thread of gold. As she drew this out 
of the sand, there were other bright 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 123 — 



Character Transformed. 



spangles on it. She drew up the gold 
thread, and wound it about her neck 
and around her head and her arms and 
her body, until from head to foot she 
was covered with the bright threads of 
gold, and sparkled with the brilliance 
of the silver spangles. So it is when we 
lift out of God's Word an ornament of 
beauty to put into our life. We find 
that other fragments of loveliness, all 
bound together on the golden chain of 
love, are attached to the one we have 
taken up. — J. R. Miller, D. D. 

776. I have seen 1300 boys, rated in 
Illinois as criminals, restrained in its 
reformatory. I could not detect more 
than one criminal face in five. The su- 
perintendent assures me that if it were 
not for the fact that those boys go from 
the State's reformatory into a social de- 
formatory, that three out of four would 
become useful citizens. 

777. Where is the lustre of the dia- 
mond, the beauty of the rose, the glory 
of tire landscape, when the dark curtain 
of night is drawn over all? But the 
light of Christ, like the sun uprising 
and breaking forth from amidst dark 
clouds, is that which gives true beauty. 

778. When corn is very young it is 
hard to tell the blades from a certain 
kind of grass that grows in the rows. 
The wise farmer will not set the boys 
to weeding the corn then, or they may 
pull up as much corn as grass. But a 
little later any boy can tell the differ- 
ence, for the corn blades grow broader 
and darker, while the grass remains the 
same. It is so with people in a com- 
munity. At first one may not be able 
to tell the bad from the good; they dress 
and act much alike. But watch them, 
and by and by the corn blades will grow 
broader and richer in color; those who 
are striving for the good will put on 
more and more the Image of Christ. 

770. The Fiji Tslander of to-day has 
lost, through years of Christian culture, 
the old savage look. The Christianized 
Indian has a much pleasanter and more 
attractive face than the old warriors 
had. None of us would recognize our- 
selves In pictures of our old Briton and 
Saxon ancestors. 

780. The Lord's hand is not shortened 
that it cannot save. Any man who will 
let God take him under hi- direction can 
be saved — saved for time, saved for 
eternity. As one gives himself up to a 
physician and lets the physician pre- 
scribe for him, so let a man give him- 
self up to God and let God prescribe for 
him, and all will be well. Never has an 
instance failed. A man never surren- 
dered to God's direction who was not 



made, and was not kept, a new creation. 
Jerry McAuley was a river thief in New 
York City and then a prison convict, 
one of the worst of the criminal classes 
of to-day, but he puts himself into 
God's keeping, and so long as he leaves 
himself there, he continues a good man. 
John B. Gough was a low down drunk- 
ard, fit only for the gutter, but when 
he really left himself to the guidance 
of God he became an ornament of so- 
ciety. Africaner was a heathen chief 
drinking out of the skulls of his dead 
enemies, the terror of his time and of 
his surroundings, but he said to God 
that God should henceforth control his 
life, and God made a gentle, strong, he- 
roic man of him. — McClure. 

781. The tiger's cage may be swept 
of the litter of the carcasses he has de- 
voured; he may even be adorned with 
ribbons and lap his bloody paws clean; 
but he will leap upon any luckless 
creature that is thrust within the bars. 
He is not changed in nature. Xor is 
the case different with the soul already 
prone to sin. Repentance, such as court 
rooms and prison walls have often to 
behold, may be only a temporary regret 
and purpose. There needs to be more 
than that — even the creation of a new 
spirit, which shall turn to the good, as 
the flowers do to the light. — Monday 
Club Sermons. 

782. Goethe tells of a wonderful lamp 
which, when placed in a fisherman's 
hut. changed all within it to beauty and 
convenience. So the Gospel of Christ, 
when it enters a home, glorifies all its 
relationships and duties. It makes 
strength gentle, intellect careful, will 
righteous, and affection love. It sancti- 
fies all trials and blessings. 

783. The testimony of two modern 
historians Says Lecky in his "History 
of England in the Eighteenth Century": 
"Methodism planted a fervid and en- 
during religious sentiment in the midst 
of the most brutal and neglected por- 
tion- of the population." Justin Mc- 
Carthy, in his "History or the Four 
Georges," speaking of Wesley and 
Whitefield, says: "They pressed through 
the dull, vulgar, contaminated hideous- 
ness of low and vicious life, and set 
Streaming in upon it the Light of a high- 
er world and a brighter law." 

781. Do you remember the story of 
the portrait of Dante which i- painted 
on the uiills of the liargello, at Flo- 
rence? For many years it was supposed 
that the picture had utterly perished. 
Men had heard of it but no one living 
had ever seen It. But presently came 
an artist who was determined to find 
it again. He went into the place where 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 124 — 



Character Transformed. 



tradition said that it had been painted. 
The room was used as a storeroom, for 
lumber and straw. The walls were cov- 
ered with dirty whitewash. He had the 
heaps of rubbish carried away, and pa- 
tiently and carefully removed the white- 
wash from the wall. Lines and colors 
long hidden began to appear, and at last 
the grave, lofty, noble face of the great 
poet looked out again upon the world 
of light. "That was wonderful!" you 
say; "that was beautiful!" Not hall' so 
wonderful as the work which Christ 
came to do in the heart of man — to re- 
store the forgotten image of God and 
bring the divine image to the light. — 
Henry Van Dyke, D. D. 

785. "Come and go to prayer-meeting 
with me to-night." The speaker was a 
Methodist preacher of the Northwest 
Indiana Conference. The young man he 
addressed was John Evans, a young 
physician of Indiana. The invitation 
was accepted, and John Evans went to 
prayer-meeting. God convicted him of 
sin. He was converted, and a great ca- 
reer as a Christian philanthropist was 
hefore him. If the future could have 
been unrolled before the eyes of that 
preacher that night, sleep would have 
been impossible. The Northwestern Uni- 
versity at Evanston, on the edge of Chi- 
cago, with its thousand students, with its 
great endowment, with its brilliant fu- 
ture, is not ashamed to call John Evans 
father. The University of Denver has 
started into existence and made its won- 
derfully prosperous beginning under his 
fostering care. 

786. I do not believe that a man's 
past can be erased. If you have done 
evil-deeds or thought evil thoughts, that 
thing can never be erased from the me- 
mory. It is there to stay. But there 
is one thing that God can do for us, 
and that is the changing of our lives 
and from that point starting us anew on 
life's pathway. It is just like the turn- 
ing over of a page. One page tells of 
the dark story of life, with all its sins 
and wrongdoings, but when God comes 
into a man's life and he accepts Christ, 
that page is turned over and a new 
page begun. It is this great love in the 
heart of God which gives us, as men, 
an opportunity to live anew for him. 

787. A wicked woman working in one 
of the great paper mills of Glasgow was 
converted through the efforts of a city 
missionary, and became a person of 
great devoutness of character. She de- 
scribed the process of her salvation in 
these terms: "I was like the rags that 
go into the paper mill. They are torn 
and filthy, but they come out clear, 
white paper. Tl:at is like what Jesus- 



is doing for me." That is, indeed, the 
work which the great Redeemer is do- 
ing for millions of our race. That is 
the method by which the kingdom of 
God is being made triumphant in the 
earth. 

788. The following lines floated into 
our office we know not from whom, 
but they seem to express the joy of 
some soul which has escaped as a "bird 
from the snare of the fowler."; "I was 
a worse infidel than Paine, Voltaire, or 
Ingersol. I was a woman-infidel, and 
I would never own I was one; and since 
I have opened the door of my heart and 
let Jesus in, and the infidel devil out, 
I am ashamed of myself even to think 
I was ever such a fool as to be one. 
'The fool hath said in his heart, there 
is no God'. Infidelity rendered my life 
an intolerable burden to me; yes, I was 
led to the verge of desperation through 
it. But, blessed be God, I am now 
saved, through faith in Jesus' blood, and 
I am happy." — Presbyterian. 

789. We do not get the image of our 
Father all at once, but grow into it a 
little at a time, like a boy who imitates 
the copy at the top of the page in his 
writingrbook, each line he writes be- 
coming more like it. 

790. Daniel Webster had a brother- 
in-law, by the name of John Colby, 
noted for his wickedness. One day 
God's will laid hold of him. He real- 
ized as he never had before what God 
wished of him, and what a miserable 
failure he had made of himself up to 
that hour. He was glad to believe 
that God would forgive him if he would 
repent of his wickedness, and that God 
would help him in the effort to be a 
good man. Then and there he re- 
nounced his wickedness. The change 
that appeared in John Colby surprised 
every one. But it lasted, it grew great- 
er in its power and extent over him, it 
made a strong, worthy man of him. So 
it was that Daniel Webster used to say 
that "if any one wished to know what 
the gospel could do for a man let him 
look at John Colby." 

791. A gentleman in New York had 
a fine copy of Hoffman's "Jesus Talking 
to the Doctors". One day a judge of 
the Supreme Court came in on business. 
He was instantly attracted by the pic- 
ture on the easel. His eyes would go 
back to it, as he talked, again and 
again. Later in the morning he came 
back and said, "I want to see that Boy 
again." I said, "Take it into my pri- 
vate office and look at it as long as you 
want to." An hour passed, and then he 
came out and laid the picture down, 
with tears running down his face, and 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 125 — 



Character Transformed. 



said, "The Boy has conquered me," and 
he went out to become an earnest Chris- 
tian devoted to the Master. — Speer. 

792. There are many who could not 
have written above them that sweet old 
spitaph found written on a woman's 
tombstone in a New England graveyard 
— an epitaph I have always coveted, 
but never dared to hope for: "She was 
so pleasant to live with." So pleasant 
to live with! She was one who had 
heard this commission of Christ: "Go 
to your home, and show there what 
great things Christ has done for you." — 
Mrs. Montgomery. 

793. "All the constituents of a 150- 
pound man are contained in 1,200 eggs," 
said the chemist. 

"There is enough .«as in a man," he 
went on, "to fill a gasometer of 3,649 cu- 
bic feet. There is enough iron to make 
many nails. There is enough fat to make 
seventy-five candles and a large cake of 
soap. There is enough phosphorus to 
make 8,064 boxes of matches. 

"There is enough hydrogen in him to 
fill a balloon and carry him up to the 
clouds. The remaining constituents of 
a man would yield, if utilized, six cruets 
of salt, a bowl of sugar, and ten gal- 
lons of water." The body's potentialities 
but faintly suggest the soul's. 

794. A Roman Catholic priest in a 
New York inland town announced from 
his pulpit that he wished all his men 
and boys to raise their hats to a certain 
local minister when they met him on 
the street. This unusual request was 
the result, not of articles upon church 
unity, but of a personal exemplification 
of brotherly love. The minister in the 
case is settled in a little town in New 
Ycrk, in which there is also a large tan- 
nery. He went one day to the owners 
of the tannery and said: "You have two 
hundred men in your employ. Few of 
them ever enter a church. Some are 
notoriously drunken. When wine is in. 
wit is out. I want to help them by 
preaching a series of sermons on every- 
day life. I think I can do something to 
make them better men for you; and 
better men means better work." The 
members of the firm consulted among 
themselves, and at length offered to give 
an hour's time each noon for two weeks. 
The experiment began on Monday, anil 
each day's meeting marked some step 
of progress. 

The last day of the services the old, 
old story of the cross was told as If for 
the first time, and eighty men rose to cx- 
press a desire to lead a new life. As 
the last hymn was announced, a mem- 
ber of the firm rose to testify to the 
value of the services. He had already 



raised the wages of a score of men who 
were doing better work. Employees 
who had been given to intemperance, 
who were blasphemous, foul-mouthed, 
saucy, and hard to get on with, were 
now more sober, more industrious, more 
painstaking. — The Youth's Companion. 

795. Bishop Thoburn in his "Light in 
the East" shows how, as the Christmas 
message was sent to humble shepherds, 
so to-day the message concerning 
Christ appeals to the lowliest and in 
consequence exalts them : 

When the Rev. F. M. Wheeler was a 
missionary in Moradabad, about the 
year 1870, his attention was drawn Jo 
a scavenger boy, who was driving a 
miserable old buffalo, attached to a 
cart. This boy was at the very bottom 
of the social ladder. Mr. Wheeler be- 
came interested in him, and offered to 
help in his education. The offer was 
accepted, and for a time the boy disap- 
peared from among the hundreds of 
other school children in the mission. 
When he again came into notice he had 
become a preacher, and in the course 
of time he was entrusted with the care 
of a work among the low-caste people 
in a town of 8,000 or 10,000 people. 
When he took up his work in this place 
| he was subjected to every possible in- 
dignity; when he went into the market 
to buy, no one would either receive 
money from his hand or hand him the 
articles purchased. He was obliged to 
spread a cloth on the ground on which 
the various articles were placed, and 
also to lay the money on the ground, 
which was afterward taken up by the 
seller. ->No one would receive anything 
from his polluted hand. He paid no at- 
tention whatever to these indignities 
but quietly went on his way. When the 
business called him to the office of the 
head of the police in the town, he was 
obliged to stand at a distance, make his 
request, and receive his answer; but 
against this indignity he offered no pro- 
test. As time passed, however, the 
shopkeepers began to take the money 
from his hand, and to tell him that he 
need not spread a cloth on the ground 
for the articles purchased. The head 
man of the police also would allow him 
to approach in the usual way, and pre- 
sent his requests without any reserve; 
and later he was not only asked to take 
a chair, but to have the chair placed on 
the right of the highest official in town. 
Beyond this there was no social recog- 
nition which could have given him a 
more unchallenged place In the eyes of 
all the people. Another year passed, and 
when the imperial census was taken this 
man, who bad formerly been employed 
a~ a scavenger, was placed in charge 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 126 — 



Character Transformed. 



of the census operation and was thus 
entitled to enroll every high-caste man 
in the town, including all the members, 
male and female of each family. 

796. Sir Joshua Reynolds used to say 
"I only look at the best pictures. A bad 
one spoils my eye." The more we look 
at Christ the more shall we become like 
Christ. 

797. In a prison in New Bedford, 

Mass., there once was a man whom we 
shall call Jim, and who was a prisoner 
on a life sentence. Up to one spring he 
was regarded as a desperate, dangerous 
man, ready for rebellion at any hour. 
He planned a general outbreak, and 
was "given away" by one of the con- 
spirators. He plotted a general mutiny 
or rebellion, and was again betrayed. 
He then kept his own counsel, and 
while never refusing to obey orders, he 
obeyed them like a man who only need- 
ed backing to make him refuse to. One 
day in June a party of strangers came 
to the institution. One was an old 
gentleman, the other ladies, and two 
of the ladies had small children. The 
guide took one of the children on his 
arm, and the other walked until the 
party began climbing stairs. Jim was 
working near by, sulky and morose as 
ever, when the guide said to him: 

"Jim, won't you help this little girl 
upstairs?" 

The convict hesitated, a scowl on his 
face, and the little girl held out her 
hands and said: 

"If you will, I guess I'll kiss you." 

His scowl was banished in an instant, 
and he lifted the child as tenderly as a 
father. Half way up the stairs she 
kissed him. At the head of the stairs 
she said: 

"Now you've got to kiss me, too." 

He blushed like a woman, looked into 
her innocent face, and then kissed her 
cheek, and before he reached the foot 
of the stairs again the man had tears 
in his eyes. Ever since that day he has 
been a changed man, and no one in the 
place gives less trouble. 

798. A little while ago I stood in a 
wonderful diamond mine in Kimberley. 
I was taken down 2,52 feet, and they 
gave me a pick, and I brought down 
some of that blue mold carrying the 
diamonds to my feet. Some of it crum- 
bled, and I searched with the electric 
light, but I could see no diamond. Yet 
in that ground there are diamonds of 
countless value, and God put them 
there. — Gipsy Smith. 

799. Once when Ingersoll lectured in 
Pittsburg, there lived there a lawyer 
iwho had been his schoolmate. The lat- 



ter although starting in life with bril- 
liant prospects, a fine practice, a happy 
home, fell into temptation and became 
a sot. His business was ruined and his 
home broken up. In New York a slum 
worker found him in the gutter, led him 
to Christ, and he had regained his for- 
mer place, with a reunited family and 
a thriving business. When he read in 
the newspapers that Mr. Ingersoll was to 
speak, he wrote him a little note some- 
thing like this: 

"My Dear Old Friend: I see that to- 
night you are going to deliver a lec- 
ture against Christianity and the Bible. 
Perhaps you know some of my history 
since we parted, perhaps you know that 
I disgraced my home and family, per- 
haps you know I lost my character, and 
all that a man can hold dear in this 
world almost. You may know that I 
went down and down until I was a 
poor, despised outcast, and when I 
thought there was none to help and 
none to save, there came one in the 
name of Jesus, who told me of his power 
to help, and his lovingkindness and his 
tender sympathy, and through the story 
of the Cross of Christ I turned to him. 
I brought my wife back to my home 
and gathered my children together 
again, and we are happy now and I am 
doing what good I can. 

"And now, old friend, would you 
stand to-night before the people of 
Pittsburg, and tell them what you have 
to say against the religion that will 
come down to the lowest depths of hell 
and find me and help me up and make 
my wife happy, and clothe my children, 
and give me back my home and friends 
— will you tell them what you have to 
say against a religion like that?" 

Mr. Ingersoll read the letter before 
his audience, and he said: "Ladies and 
gentlemen, I have nothing to say against 
a religion that will do this for a man. 
I am here to talk about a religion which 
is being preached by the preachers." — 
The Ram's Horn. 

800. A woman once asked for an in- 
terview with Wesley, ^.t her house he 
found five or six of her friends, one of 
whom had long been under deep con- 
viction. They spent an hour together 
and transformed lives resulted. John 
Taylor stood in the churchyard and 
gave notice, "Mr. Wesley, not being per- 
mitted to preach in the church, designs 
to preach here at six o'clock." When 
the hour came such a congregation as- 
sembled as Epworth had never seen 
before. Wesley stood near the east end 
of the church, upon his father's tomb- 
stone, and cried: "The kingdom of God 
is not meat and drink; but righteous- 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 127 — 



ness, and peace, and joy in the Holy 
Ghost." He visited the neighboring vil- 
lages, and preached every evening on 
his father's tomb. ... A wagon-load of 
heretics had been carried before him (a 
justice of the peace) by their angry 
neighbors. One of the accusers at last 
found a voice. He informed the magis- 
trate that they pretended to be better 
than other people, and prayed from 
morning to night. "But have they done 
nothing beside?" he inquired. "Yes, sir, 
and please your worship they have con- 
verted my wife. Till she went among 
them she had such a tongue; now she is 
as quiet as a lamb." "Carry them back: 
carry them back, and let them convert 
all the scolds in the town." — Life of 
John Wesley. 

801. Jesus saw much further into hu- 
man hearts and lives than any of us, 
and yet he never became a cynic. He 
clearly discerned their latent possi- 
bilities. 

802. A missionary in Alaska saw a 
Bible tied at the top of a stick three 
feet long, and placed near the sick-bed 
of an old man. When asked the rea- 
son for this arrangement, the man said, 
"I cannot read, but I know that the 
word of my Lord is there, and I look 
to heaven and say, "Father, that is your 
book. There is nobody to teach me to 
read. Very good; you help me.' Then 
my heart grows stronger, and the bad 
goes away." 

803. A janitress, whose duty it was 
to keep an Episcopal chapel clean, be- 
came converted. The evidence that she 
gave of her change of heart was this: 
she said, "I take up the big mat at the 
entrance now, and sweep under it, 
while before I just swept around it." 

801. It is one of the wonders of di- 
vine love that even our blemishes and 
sins God will take, when we truly re- 
pent of them and give them into his 
hands, and make them blessings to us in 
some way. A friend once showed Rus- 
kin a costly handkerchief on which a 
blot of ink had been made. "Nothing 
can be done with that," the friend said, 
thinking the handkerchief worthless and 
ruined now. Ruskin carried it away 
with him, and after a time sent it back 
to his friend. In a most skillful and ar- 
tistic way, he had made a design in India 
ink, using the blot as its basis. Instead 
of being ruined, the handkerchief was 
made far more beautiful and valuable. 
So (.oil take- the Mol- and stains upon 
our lives, the disfiguring blemishes, 
when we commit them to him. and by 
his marvelous grace changes them into 
marks of beauty. David's grievous sin 
was not only forgiven, but was made a 



transforming power in his life. Peter's 
I pitiful fall became a step upward 
I through his Lord's forgiveness and gen- 
tle dealing. 

805. Looking from the top of the 
great pyramid, you can see the line of 
overflow of the Nile. Up to that line 
all is green; beyond is desert. "With- 
ersoever the river cometh." — H. M. 
Field, D. D. 

806. The humblest things are en- 
nobled when Christ uses them for him- 
self. The stones and timber of yonder 
church might have built a warehouse 
or a factory. They were fashioned in- 

I to a sacred sanctuary, within whose 
walls many hundreds of Christ's fol- 
lowers assembled last Sabbath to com- 
memorate his redeeming love. 

807. The iron which is in the blood 

' of forty-two men is sufficient to make 
a twenty-four pound plowshare, but it 
is unavailable. Christ can call forth 
the dormant spiritual possibilities of 
the heart when all else would fail. 

808. Many strange and pathetic 
scenes have been witnessed in the Old 
McAuley Mission, but perhaps none like 
the following which took place one eve- 
ning there. On stools in fiont of the 
platform rested a coffin, a very respect- 
able one, with three massive handles on 
each side. A floral anchor lay in the 
center and at the foot a sheaf of wheat. 
Inside the coffin law the body of Old 
Pop Lloyd. 

Five years before. Old Pop Lloyd 
came into the Mission one night and 
took a seat in the back bench. He was 
seventy-five years old and was covered 
with rags and dirt and vermin, anil bent 
nearly double. He had not slept in a 

I bed for weeks. When the invitation 

I was given to those who wished to seek 
the Saviour for the pardon of their 
sins, Mrs. Sarah Sherwood, our mission- 
ary, spoke to him and invited him to 

I come forward. He asked her if she 
thought there was any hope for the 
worst man In New York. She said: 

I "Yes, whosoever will may come." He 
came, and was converted to God, and 
from that night he never tasted whis- 
key or tobacco, which for years had 
been his chief articles of diet. 

Old Pop had been a great character 
in his day. He was born on the high 
seas, and continued to rove there almost 

I all of his early life, and once had the 
reputation of being a pretty successful 
buccaneer. He was once transported 
to Van Diemen's land for ten years, and 
while in Australia would have been 
handed for murder, but escaped from 

I prison. He had been quite well-to-do 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 128 — 



Character Transformed. 



forty years prior to this, and had sailed 
his own vessel out of this port. For 
the last three years he could do noth- 
ing, and was a charge on the Mission, 
and kind friends contributed to his sup- 
port. He had drunk so much bad rum 
that his vocal chords were burnt out, 
and he could scarcely make himself 
understood, often giving his testimony 
in pantomine, stooping down low to 
show how the devil had bent him over 
when he came to the Mission, then rais- 
ing himself up erect to show how Christ 
took the load off his mind and soul. 

At seven o'clock in the morning he 
would come to the Mission and remain 
all day. We would take him down 
three square meals each day, as his 
limbs were too weak to carry him up- 
stairs. Many a time was he seen giving 
his food to some poor tramp, who had 
slipped in the door much as a stray cat 
would do, looking for something to eat. 
No matter who it was, Old Pop would 
share his meal with him if he were hun- 
gry. One day I was sent for to go to 
his room, and when I got there I found 
Old Pop sinking fast. I knelt at his 
bedside and put my arms about his 
neck. The sick man pulled my ear 
down close to his mouth and whispered: 
"Brother Hadley, I am going fast; but 
don't be uneasy; Jesus is with me," and 
with that he breathed out his life and 
went home. — Missionary Comments. 

809. I pluck an acorn from the 
greensward, and hold it to my ear; and 
this is what it says to me: "By and by 
the birds will come and nest in me. By 
and by I shall furnish shade for the 
cattle. By and by I shall provide 
warmth for the home in the pleasant 
fire. By and by I shall be shelter from 
storm to those who have gone under 
the roof. By and by I shall be the 
strong ribs of the great vessel, and the 
tempest will beat against me in vain, 
while I carry men across the Atlantic." 
"O foolish little acorn, wilt thou be all 
this?" I ask, and the acorn answers, 
"Yes, God and I." — Lyman Abbott. 

810. One day a New York religious 
writer found a fallen woman in a low 
dive, but could make little impression 
on her. Some days afterwards she 
found her sitting in the entry of the 
"Door of Hope" looking even more 
wretched than when her eyes first be- 
held her. Her first thought was to send 
her way, thinking that she was too low 
to be saved. Her second thought was, 
what would the Master do if he were in 
my stead; and then with a great rush 
of love, because she beheld a soul for 
whom Christ died, she stooped and 
took the sin-stained face in her hands 



and kissed it twice. The touch of love 
broke the girl's heart. She fell upon her 
knees in the entry, and then and there 
gave herself to God. She became trans- 
formed, almost transfigured. She went 
up and down the- streets of New York 
city into the lowest haunts of sin, her- 
self a missionary and evangelist to her 
fallen sisters. Wherever she went she 
carried the light of heaven. Whenever 
she spoke it was with the power of God. 
A few months later she lay in her cof- 
fin at the "Door of Hope." Hundreds 
flocked to look at the face, which was 
like an angel's and went away to thank 
God that she had not lived in vain. 
With a record of only a short Christian 
experience, my friend writes me, that 
more than a hundred souls have been 
converted to Jesus Christ through her 
ministry. This change was all wrought 
because, first of all she received the Son 
of God as her personal Saviour, and 
then that she threw open every door of 
her nature for the indwelling of the 
Holy Ghost. 

811. "My first impression of the na- 
tives of the New Hebrides drove me to 
the verge of utter dismay. On behold- 
ing these natives in their paint and na- 
kedness and misery my heart was as 
full of horror as of pity. One day two 
hostile tribes met near our station; high 
words arose, and old feuds were re- 
vived. The discharge of muskets in the 
adjoining bush, and the horrid yells of 
the savages, soon informed us that they 
were engaged in deadly fights. Excite- 
ment and terror were on every counte- 
nance. Some of the women ran with 
their children to places of safety. We 

; were afterward informed that five or 

i six men had been shot dead; that their 
bodies had been cooked and eaten that 

i very night. 

Next evening, as we sat talking about 

j the people and the dark scenes around 
us, the quiet of the night was broken by 
a wild, wailing cry from the villages 
around, long-continued and unearthly. 
We were informed that one of the 
wounded men, carred home from battle 
had just died; and that they had stran- 
gled the widow to death, that her spirit 
might accompany him to the other 
world, and be his servant there, as she 

• had been here. Now their dead bodies 
were laid side by side, ready to be bur- 
ied in the sea. Our hearts sank, to think 
of all this happening within ear-shot, 
and that we knew it not! Every new 
scene, every fresh incident, set more 
clearly before us the benighted condi- 
tions and shocking cruelties of these 
heathen people, and we longed to be 
able to speak to them of Jesus and the 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 129 — 



Character Transformed. 



love of God. We eagerly tried to pick 
up every word of their language, that 
we might in their own tongue, unfold 
to them the knowledge of the true God 
and the salvation from all these sins 
through Jesus Christ." — In 1892 the 
whole population of Aniwa had become 
more reverently Christian than any 
other community I had visited. — rPaton. 

812. Millet bought a yard of common 
canvas for one franc; he paid two 
francs for a hair brush and some colors. 
Upon this canvas he set his genius to 
work and produced ••The Angelas." His 
train worked and you see the result. 
His brain took sixty cents' worth of 
raw material and raised it in value to 
the sum of 8 105, 000. That is what his 
picture, "The Angelus," sold for. 

813. Many people think that they 
are so much under the power of some 
evil habit that they can never be eman- 
cipated. But neither liquor, nor opium, 
nor swearing, nor any other evil, is so 
strong but it will yield when the victim 
sincerely and honestly seeks deliverance 
of Christ. La Fontaine once preached 
before a regiment on the duty of con- 
trolling the temper. The major was a 
man of ungovernable temper, and when 
he met the preacher the next day, he 
frankly spoke of the fact, and said that 
it could never be cured. La Fontaine 
argued with him, but to no purpose. 
The major was in despair. He said he 
had tried so many times and failed, 
that he would not try again. "It will 
yield," said La Fontaine, "to a stronger 
power. Do you go into a passion if 
you are provoked when the king is 
present?" The major admitted that he 
did not. "Then," said the preacher, 
"a passion that will yield to your loy- 
alty and reverence for your king, will 
yield to the power of the King of kings. 
It is a demon that knows its master." — 
Christian Herald. 

811. Christ is a liberator. This liber- 
ty is not a mere fiction, printed on pa- 
per or proclaimed from the pulpit. Does 
the slave who once toiled in the cotton 
field for his master under an overseer 
know that he is free when he goes forth 
to raise and harvest cotton for himself 
in his own field? Does the prisoner 
who endured years of imprisonment in 
a dark and foul dungeon know that he 
is free when he is led forth through his 
prison doors into the pure air of liberty 
under the open sky, and permitted to go 
where he will? Inner bondage is as 
real as outer bondage. It Is more pain- 
ful. Inner liberty Is as real and as 
sweet as outer liberty. Spiritual free- 
dom is better than physical freedom. 
Free from the condemnation of sin; 
» Proc. in 



j free from the dominion of sin; free 
! from the tyranny of sinful habits; free 
from sinful desires and affections. "The 
blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all 
sin." 

"He breaks the power of canceled sin. 
He sets the prisoner free; 

His blood can make the foulest clean; 
His blood availed for me." 

— The Christian Advocate. 

815. A girl's voice came, wafted 
through the quiet air. Again and again 
it said, "It breaks every chain," and, as 
I listened, it came again, "It breaks 
ever> chain," and then again, "There is 
power in the blood." I am not quite 
sure that I knew what she meant then; 
thank God, I know it now, and it is be- 

1 cause I want you to know it that I 
I preach this sermon. And the clue for 
the solution of that wonderful phrase 
is found in that Jesus Christ has ac- 
■ quired for us all eternal redemption. 

816. The strongest evidence of Chris- 
tianity is seen in its effects upon de- 
formed moral character. No man ever 
honestly fulfilled its conditions without 
receiving marked benefit. No character, 
however naturally good, ever attained 
perfect harmony without its aid. No 
one can justly criticise it who has not 
tested it in life and conduct, and no one 
that thus complies with its conditions 
ever yet discovered a flaw in it as a law 
of life. The evidence in its favor 
amounts to a demonstration when it is 
remembered that millions of human 
beings in all lands, from all classes 
of society, for more than eighteen hun- 
dred years have applied its principles 
to all conditions of life, and in every 

| case not only has the individual re- 
ceived help, but all in the range of his 
influence have been touched by it^ be- 
neficent power. Regenerated, Christlike 
men are incontrovertible proofs of 
Christ's present and increasing power. 
— Rev. Magee Pratt. 

81". Mr. Moody once said: "A man 
in one of our meetings in Scotland 
said he would like to come, but lie was 
chained and couldn't come. 

A Scotchman said to him: 'Ay. mon, 
why don't you come, chain and all?' 

He said: -I never thought of that.'" 

Up until about twenty years ago Mr. 
Mills, now a successful business man. 
and devoted Christian, of Fort Wayne, 
End., was u slave to drink. Since then 
he has never touched a drop. I asked 
him if any of the reputed "drink cures" 
were of value. He said, "The only way 
to COnqnei the habit is to go down oil 
your knees mid secure Christ's help, 
and then fight (he bottle with all the 

conquering grace God win give yon. 



Salvation Accepted. 



— ISO — 



Character Transformed. 



Christ alone can set the captive free." 
— B. 

818. Dr. Ford C. Ottman tells of a 
reporter who had fallen into sin, and 
whom he led to Christ at one of his 

evangelistic meetings. He adds: Some 
time afterward, I received from him a 
letter of which the following is an ex- 
tract: 

"As to myself, perhaps you would 
like to know what has occurred. Well, 
Satan has stood out in the cold for a long 
time. Although he has knocked many 
a time, he has found the way barred. 
I thank God that when the stone was 
rolled away it was too heavy to roll 
back. I have sent for my dear ones, 
and to-night, as I write this, they are 
about me in a cosy home of our own, 
our castle and God's. 

I wish I were an artist that I could 
draw you a picture of a home just re- 
built from the ashes of an unholy past, 
and held together by the bond of God's 
merciful love. O my friend, it is glo- 
rious! I would that you were here to 
see us as we are. To-morrow is Christ- 
mas, and even my tots will be denied 
the pleasure of a single present, for 
I have not a cent, except for the bare 
necessities of the table. However, they 
love me so fondly that they say if I 
will stay at home on my half-holiday 
they will be satisfied. Thus we are hap- 
py, for my dear wife says she is satis- 
fied with just my old-time love." 

I want to make one other brief quo- 
tation from this letter, which lies open 
before me, but before doing it I will 
mention another fact. 

One day, during those meetings, my 
friend and I were in the hotel elevator. 
My friend said a kind word to the boy, 
and asked him to give his heart to God. 
Now for the quotation: "I am going to 
lead the Y. M. C. A. meeting to-mor- 
row. J ■ O , the elevator boy at 

the hotel where you stopped, is going 
with me." What wonders Christ can 
work. 

819. On one occasion I was holding 
a series of meetings in a certain city, 
and up in the gallery at my right, night 
after night, sat a gray-haired old man. 
He was evidently under deep conviction, 
but he would never rise when the invi- 
tation was given. 

One night I pointed him out to one of 
the lady assistant ushers, and said to 
her, "To-morrow night I want you to 
sit near him, and when the invitation 
is given, ask him to rise.'" She pro- 
tested, and declared that she could never 
do it, but I insisted, and the next night 
she took a seat just behind him. 

When the invitation was given, he 



sat as before, unmoved. Presently I 
saw the lady lean forward and say 
something to him; in a moment more 
the old man rose to his feet for prayer, 
gave himself to Christ, and became a 
devoted follower of the Lord. — Dr. Ott- 
man. 

820. You can not draw any lines 
whatever when you are dealing with 
the religious life. There are no pro- 
vinces outside of it. It covers the 
equator and the poles, and thrusts its 
roots into the core of the world of per- 
sonality. If it does not go through and 
through a man, it does not go into him 
at all. That is the nature of religion; 
it is as thorough-going, as permeating, 
as life itself. It pulses into and suffus- 
es the least things — as the life-blood 
warms the very finger-tips — and says: 
"These are mine; these are sacred 
things. Make them so." Nothing is too 
small or remote to have a vital reli- 
gious significance. If we really and 
truly believe that, we will make an end 
of drawing those futile lines between 
what we call secular and religious, com- 
monplace and sacred. There are no 
such distinctions in the new life which 
the Lord Jesus Christ brought into the 
world. Like his own garment, that 
robe of life is all one piece, seamless, 
inseparable, and every thread that en- 
ters it runs straight through warp or 
woof, and intertwines with every other 
thread to form the entire fabric of char- 
acter. — James Buckham. 

821. A plant which, when wild, has 
thorns or spines, often, when cultivated, 
loses these, or rather they become 
branches, bear fruit and are no longer 
stunted. 

822. A Southern pastor and an evan- 
gelist calling one day — strangers to the 
home — the question was asked about 
church attendance. The head of the 
family informed them he had not been 
to church for seventeen years. 

"You do not dissipate by church at- 
tendance," was the reply. All smiled. 

"Have you anybody to play the cor- 
net for you?" he asked. 

"No, do you play?" 

"Yes, by note." 

"How difficult pieces?" 

"Anything that has notes." 

"Come around and play." 

He came and continued to come, 
playing beautifully. A visiting minister 
called the evangelist aside and said, 
"That man playing the cornet has been 
in the penitentiary for seventeen years, 
and just got home." He was excused 
for not having been at church for sev- 
enteen years although under conviction. 
The next night he called the evangelist 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 131 — 



Character Transformed. 



aside, with the inquiry. "Can a man like 
me join the Church?" An affirmative 
answer was given with an explanation 
of what was required — faith, repent- 
ance, confession. He and his wife were 
received next night. Years passed. A 
meeting was being held at a distant 
point. A gentleman came in with a 
cornet and sat in the choir. He was a 
deacon in the church, his wife presi- 
dent of the missionary society, most use- 
ful members of the church. They were 
the same people. — Christian Observer. 

823. In the gallery at Bergamo there 
is a fast mating picture of the Virgin 
Mother and the Holy Child, by Raphael. 

That picture has a history. When Na- 
poleon the Great was conquering Italy, 
Milan fell before him, and with it Ber- 
gamo. Napoleon was taking all the 
rare and precious pictures and sending 
them to adorn Paris. Lest this picture 
should be seized and lost to Italy, some 
one painted on its face a coarse and 
ugly picture, which, of course, Napo- 
leon, not knowing of the treasure un- 
derneath, did not desire. When he was 
dethroned the rifled pictures were sent 
back to Bergamo. Among them hung 
this treasure of Raphael; but in the 
painter's hurry there had been no mark 
left upon it, and so it could not be 
identified, and where it hung among the 
other great and beautiful pictures no 
one could tell. At last, in the year 1868, 
the daidi began to scale away, and then 
reverent hands set about to clean the 
picture, and at last the long-lost treas- 
ure shone forth again. Yes, and glad 
and happy fact it is, that a lost vision 
can be restored again. If over your 
lair life ideal crude disfigurements have 
come, set about to restore the original. 
— Hallock. 

82 1. An opium-eater of the most des- 
perate stamp came into Mr. Moody's 
evangelistic meetings in Boston in the 
spring of 1877. His case was one of 
long standing, in which the coils of 
habit had closed about him tighter and 
tighter each year, every medical help, 
every human remedy having utterly 
failed. None present will forget his 
pitiful cry as he rose up in the meet- 
ing, and begged to know if there was 
any hope lor him in Christ. Prayer 
was offered in his behalf, and he was 
led to accept Jesus as his Saviour and 
Healer. He came the next day with the 
glad tidings that his appetite was gone. 
Mr. Moody, knowing how much more 
powerful is experience than assertion 
for proving that Christ Is "miRhty to 
save," put this man upon the platform 
night after night, to tell the story of 
his healing. It was "a palpable con- 



firmation of the Word," not to be gain- 
said, and the effect was irresistible up- 
on the great audiences who listened. — 
Dr. A. J. Gordon. 

825. Ghulam Akbar was formerly 
mullah of a mosque in Haripur, India. 
No Christian influence had reached 
him. He had only casually heard of 
the zenana teacher in the bazaars; but 

i it was enough, the Father's secret work 
within made him more ready to seek at 
her Hps the jewel of priceless instruc- 
tion. "Here", said he, "is the Koran, 
here is so-and-so and so-and-so," men- 
tioning various Mohammedan contro- 
versial and theological works; "but 
these do not tell me what I want to 
know. I am such a sinner; how can I 
be saved?" The sequel does not sur- 
prise us that one so manifestly drawn 
of the Father should, at the close of the 
second interview, have electrified his 
instructress by standing upright with 
his hand upon his heart and making the 
solemn confession, "I believe that Jesus 
Christ is the Son of God and that he is 
my Saviour." — India's Women. 

826. "To tell the truth, I have no re- 
ligion", said a wealthy coffee planter in 
Brazil, to a missionary. "That in which 
I was brought up never satisfied my 
reason. This of which you speak I 
know nothing of, for I have never had 
a Bible. But if you want to be satis- 
fied go up on the mountains sixteen 
miles from here and you will find an 
old man after your heart. I am chief 
magistrate in this district. The quarter 
where that old man lives used to be one 
of the worst for broils. Scarce a week 
passed that I was not called to adju- 
dicate some quarrel or judge of some 
crime which had taken place on the 
previous Sabbath when they met to 
drink and fight. For two years I have 
not had a case, and I never understood 

I it until I went up to spend the night at 
the old man's house and saw the Book 
out of which he reads to his family 
every day and to his neighbors Sun- 
days. Now, although I never read it, 
I wish you would propagate more and 
more, for if there was a man like that 
in every quarter my office would be a 
sinecure. I would be relieved of much 
bother". 

S27. Augustine had lived a profligate 

life, but after his conversion he kept 
away from his former associates. One 
day on the street he was seen by a wo- 
man with whom he had associated in 
his life of sin. and as he saw her he 
started to run. She run after him and 
cried, "Augustine, why do you run'.* It 
Is I!" And Augustine said, "I run be- 
cause I am not I!" There may be such 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 132- 



Character Transformed. 



a transformation where a man may say, 
not only "I am not my own, but I am 
bought with a price," but where he 
may say, "I am not myself, but I am 
Jesus Christ," — God's World. 

828. A distinguished musician or- 
dered a manufacturer of violins to make 
for him the best instrument possible. 
He told him to use the best material, 
take all the time he wished, and use all 
his skill in its construction. 

At last the manufacturer sent for the 
musician to come and try the violin. 
As the musician drew the bow across 
the instrument his face became clouded. 
Lifting the instrument, he smashed it 
to pieces on the counter, handed the 
price to the manufacturer and left the 
shop. 

The manufacturer was not satisfied 
with mere pay, his reputation was at 
stake. He gathered the fragments of 
the violin and put them together. Af- 
ter he had remade the violin out of the 
pieces, he again sent for the musician. 
This time the frown was hot seen; as 
he drew the bow across the strings he 
told the manufacturer that he had suc- 
ceeded at last in making just the kind 
of an instrument that he desired. 
"What is the price?" inquired the mu- 
sician. "Nothing at all," replied the 
manufacturer; "it is the same instru- 
ment that you smashed to pieces some 
time ago; I put it together, and out of 
the fragments this perfect music has 
been made." 

Let us believe the parable. God can 
take the fragments of a shattered life, 
and by his grace put them together so 
that under the touch of liis Holy Spirit 
there will go forth music good enough 
for earth and Heaven. — A. C. Dixon, 
D. D. 

829. It is related that a minister saw 
a spray of ivy upon a piece of wood 

which he had just put into the open 
fire. He took it from the fire and plant- 
ed it in front of his house. It took root 
and grew so rapidly that before long 
it covered the entire front of his dwell- 
ing with a most luxurious growth, form- 
ing a beautiful ornament for the house. 
When I read that, I thought of what 
the Lord said as reported in Zechariah 
3:2: "Is not this a brand plucked out 
of the lire?" Every sinner saved is 
such a brand. • 

830. I stood one evening in summer, 
watching the pure white flowers on a 
vine encircling the veranda. I had been 
told that the buds that hung with 
closed petals all day, every evening 
near sunset unfolded and sent out a 
peculiar fragrance. The miracle was 
more than I had anticipated. A feeling 



of silent awe possessed me as I saw bud 
after bud, as if under the touch of in- 
visible hands, slowly fold back its leaves 
until the vine was filled with perfect 
blossoms, most beautiful and sweet. And 
I said: "If the finger of God laid upon 
these, his flowers, can do this in a way 
beyond the power of human study to 
explain, cannot the same divine touch, 
in ways we know not of, do as much 
for human hearts? Shall the flowers 
teach us a lesson of patient waiting and 
holy trust for the coming blessing? 
There are hearts for whom we have 
prayed seeming closed as yet to every 
influence of the blessed Spirit. But let 
us be patient. We have sown the good 
seed; God's rain and sunshine through 
his own providence are nourishing the 
vine; the breath of prayer always sur- 
rounds it; surely by and by the divine 
touch will, in a way we can least under- 
stand, bring forth the perfected flowers 
of his grace. — John Hall. 

831. A lady once called Henry Drum- 
mond to speak to her coachman, who 

had given way to drink, and he said he 
did not like to be called in like this, to 
be asked to argue with people of a sud- 
den and try to cure their souls, but he 
felt it was a case demanding Christian 
intervention, so he plucked up his cour- 
age and went out to talk to the man. 
And he put the problem to him, Sup- 
pose you were on the box and your 
horses ran away downhill, and you lost 
all control over them, what would you 
do?" "Oh," said the man, "I could do 
nothing." "Yes," said Drummond, "but 
suppose there was some one sitting by 
your side stronger than you, who could 
control them, what would you do?" 
"Oh," he said, "I would hand him the 
reins, sir." "Ah," said Drummond, 
"your life has run away with you, your 
appetites and passions and lusts are 
carrying you downhill, and you in your 
own strength can not control your life. 
But," he said, "believe me there is One 
at your side stronger than you, who 
offers to take control of your life and 
make it what it should be. What will 
you do?" And the man, seeing the 
point, said, "Sir, I will give him the 
reins." 

832. By long processes of attrition, 
decomposition and pulverization, lava 
has become soil which, under wise cul- 
tivation, produces abundant harvests of 
sugar-cane for the sweetening of the 
world, while islands, themselves of a 
volcanic origin, are now the Paradise 
of the Pacific. Sugar out of lava! By 
the grace of God this is what we are 
getting out of multitudes on fire with 
evil — sugar from lava! 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 133 — 



Procrastination. 



833. It is the custom in the city of 
Munich to arrest every mendicant child 
that is caught begging in the streets, 
and put him immediately at school un- 
der some proper supervision until he is 
able to obtain a moderate support. As 
he enters the institution his picture is 
taken, precisely as he appears in his 
uncleanliness and rags. This picture is 
carefully preserved, so that when he is 
educated and matured enough to appre- 
ciate his position it may be shown to 
him. Then he will know how much 
has been done for his good. Further- 
more, he is made to promise that he 
will keep the likeness ever afterwards, 
not alone to remind him of his former 
position and keep him humble, but also 
to make him think of others in misfor- 
tune and prove helpful to them. And 
it is said in the reports that some of 
these castaways thus saved make the 
strongest and most helpful friends for 
the recovery of others, even the most 
unpromising. 

83 1. Many years ago I knelt by the 
bedside of a dying man. He had passed 
a little beyond the meridian of life, 
enduring for a long time a severe strug- 
gle with strong drink, but had over- 
come in the end. Death was only a few 
fleeting moments away. I asked: "Doc- 
tor, can you trust Christ now?" He 
answered calmly with his dying breath, 
""Yes, yes! O, yes!" and passed out of 
the darkness of that cold winter night 
into the radiant presence of his Lord, 
a trophy of Christ's saving grace. — R. 
H. Brown, D. D. 

835. When in February 1909 the 
Florida struck the Republic, J. R. 
Binns, the Marconi operator of the Re- 
public, was engaged in sending a com- 
mercial message. He instantly broke 
into it with the symbol: "C. Q." Every 
win less operator w ho heard the letters 
Immediately stilled his instrument and 
was all attention, for these letters 
meant that a message of world import- 
ance was to follow. Another instant 
and there was added the awful symbol, 
"D" (Danger). Then came the loca- 
tion of the endangered ship. The cry 
was speedily sent (lying from the more 
powerful land Instruments over land 
and sea. The result was that of which 
dreamers had dreamed. Turning with- 
out thought of the almost accomplished 
goal of her long journey, the Baltic 
puts back to sea at top speed. The 
Lorraine swings out of her course on 
the same mission of mercy, and the far- 
distant Lucania signals that she is on 
the way to the relief of the imperiled. 
The prayer lias been answered. Man 

bas had a new experience. Mysterious 



spirit has again asserted itself master 
of matter. So Christ stands ready to 
deliver souls in distress. — Wilson. 

Procrastination. Indecision. 

(836-870) 

836. A farmer, who was far along in 
life, was one evening leisurely driving 
his cows home from pasture, when his 
thoughts ran like this: "Here I am 
getting old, and yet I am not a Chris- 
tian; when is this matter to be settled? 
I fear never, if I don't commence soon 
to think on the subject." And then the 

j thought came up, "Why not settle it at 
once? Why not be a Christian without 

I further delay?" 

This came so forcibly home to his 
conscience that he exclaimed, "I will be 
a Christian now! This night shall de- 
cide it;" and, strange as it may appear, 
he was at once enabled to give his 
heart to God and go on his way rejoic- 
ing. 

Sometimes it appears, as in this case, 
that all that is needed is decision. And, 
in any case, when the point of decision 
is reached, the blessing comes, for with 
decision comes the willingness to give 
up all for Christ. — American Messenger. 

837. I had preached a sermon in an 
eastern city when a man came to me to 
say, "Would you like to shake hands 
with a redeemed drunkard?" and I as- 
sured him that I would. He put his 
hand in mine and said, "Listen to my 
story. I once had one of the best po- 
sitions in this city, but strong drink was 
my destruction. I was one day help- 
lessly lying in the gutter when some one 
taking me by the hand said, 'If you 
want (o see your boy alive hurry home.' 
Quickly I went up to the room where 
my sin had forced my wife and boy to 
live, and found that a great truck in 
the city had passed over the child and 
he was dying. He took me by the hand 
and pulled me down by his side and 
said. 'I will not let you go until you 
promise to me£t me in Heaven,' and 
holding the hand he died. They had to 
break away his hand clasp from this 

' hand of mine." said he, holding it up. 
ami from thai day till this I have felt 
him pulling me heavenward." But this 
Is true of every one who has a loved 
one yonder. "Come for all things are 
now ready." It would be an awful 
thing to miss Heaven at last. — Chap- 
man. 

838. Hindering others. At midnight 
there was a cry of "lire", and a large 
hotel was found wrapped in llames. 
Heroic men rushed to the spot, battled 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 134 — 



Procrastination. 



with the flames and rescued many of the 
inmates of the burning house. But in 
an upper room were a man, his wife, 
and a child. The man locked, and 
barred his door and would neither leave 
the room himself nor suffer his wife or 
child to leave it. He also effectually re- 
sisted the efforts of those who would 
have entered to save them. You will 
say this man was either a madman or 
a fiend. What then will you say of him 
who by conscious influence, or uncon- 
scious example, prevents those around 
him from escaping from the destruction 
which will overtake those who remain 
in sin? 

839. An Easterner, riding on a mail 
stage in northern Colorado, was enter- 
tained by a dialogue which was sus- 
tained upon the one side by the driver, 
and upon the other by an elderly pas- 
senger, evidently a native of the region. 

"I understand that you are temper- 
ance," began the driver. 

"Yes, I am pretty strong against 
liquor," returned the other. "I've been 
set against it now thirty-five years." 

"Scared that it will ruin your 
health?" 

"Yes, but that is not the main thing." 

"Perhaps it does not agree with you," 
ventured the driver. 

"Well, it really does not agree with 
anybody. But that isn't it either. The 
thing that sets me against it is a hor- 
rible idea." 

"A horrible idea! What is it?" 

"Well, thirty-five years ago I was 
sitting in a hotel in Denver with a 
friend of mine, and I says, 'Let's order 
a bottle of something', and he says, 
'No, sir. I am saving my money to buy 
government land at one dollar and a 
quarter an acre. I am going to buy to- 
morrow, and you had better let me take 
the money that you would have spent 
for the liquor, and buy a couple of 
acres along with mine.' I says, 'All 
right.' So we didn't drink, and he 
bought me two acres. Well, sir, to-day 
those two acres are right in the middle 
of a flourishing town, ahd if I had tak- 
en that drink I would have swallowed 
a city block, a grocery store, an apoth- 
ecary's, four lawyers' offices, and it is 
hard to say what else. That is the idea. 
Don't you think it is horrible?" Many 
a man has lost infinitely more than 
that by delaying to accept Christ's offer 
of salvation. 

810. A young girl visiting the coun- 
try was following the farmer's wife 
along a winding, half overgrown path 
amid a winding tangle of wild flowers. 
The young visitor exclaimed at their 
variety and beauty. "I mean to gather all 



I can carry when we come back and have 
a little more time", she said. "Better 
pick them now, if you want them," 
said the elder woman. "It isn't likely 
we'll come back this way." It was one 
of those simple, homely incidents that 
sometimes seem to epitomize life. We 
must pick now if we want them at all, 
the flowers of grace and salvation that 
God scatters along our way. 

841. The present time is the only 
time we can call our own. Our yester- 
days are gone, our to-morrows may 
never come. The work of repentance 
is a great work, and it requires a great 
room to work it in. Would that man 
be wise who, having a mighty task to 
perform during the day, should put off 
the beginning of it until the evening? 
Ought not a man who has a long jour- 
ney to travel, to start early in the morn- 
ing? Must not a child who has a desire 
to excel in useful learning begin be- 
times if he hopes ever to accomplish his 
aim? And can a person subdue his old 
passions, eradicate his old lusts, and 
correct his old habits and ungodly in- 
clinations in a day or a year? Even if 
his life be prolonged, which is always 
uncertain, can he better do this when 
he is distracted with the increasing 
cares and snares of business, and has 
become less tender in his conscience, 
and more hardened and confirmed in 
his habits? Is it certain that God will 
be pleased to accept only the refuse 
and the impotent of his sacrifices and 
his affections as his offerings? It is 
true that God is long-suffering, but 
will he wait for you, and continue wait- 
ing, until you choose your own time, 
and then forgive you? Have you any 
guarantee as to how long you shall live? 

842. A captain of a ship, with his 
wife, was on a vessel, wrecked not far 
from shore, but too far to reach it un- 
aided. They found footing on a nar- 
row ledge of rock. The people upon 
the shore sent out rockets into the sea 
with cords attached to them, until at 
last the line fell where the captain 
could reach it. He drew upon it until 
he had a stouter cord, and a stouter 
line, until at last he had in his posses- 
sion a good strong rope. He took that 
rope and tied it about his wife under 
her arms; and then he called to her 
above the fury of the sea and reminded 
her of the mighty force of the under- 
tow. And he told her that she must 
spring into the water at the time of the 
incoming wave, and that he would give 
her the signal. He waited until he saw 
a larger billow than the others come 
toward them, a great mountain of wa- 
ter, foaming and tossing its crest, and 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 135 — 



Procrastination. 



seemingly about to break upon them; 
and then, just as it was breaking-, he 
called to her above the fury of the sea, 
and said, "Now! Now!" The poor wo- 
man hesitated, she shrank back, she 
tried to cling to her husband, she tried 
to hold to the rock; but she found that 
she was to be swept over, and so she 
let go and cast herself down into the 
sea, only in time to be caught by the 
fury of the receding wave, and the life 
was dashed out of her on the rook 
where her husband was standing. There 
was another rocket and another line, 
and the captain took this and bound it 
about himself. He could not tell his 
wife's fate as yet. And again he cast 
his eyes seaward, until he saw another 
great towering billow, and as it came 
upon him he cast himself with it toward 
the shore, and helping hands pulled up- 
on the rope and brought him there in 
safety, where he found the dead body 
of his poor wife, who had been just 
one moment too late. — Mills. 

843. Over the mantel in his Brattle- 
boro home Rudyard Kipling had these" 
words inscribed, "The night cometh 
when no man can work." 

814. There is a point above Niagara 
FaIN called "Past Redemption Point." 
Rescue is practically out of the Ques- 
tion for boats passing that point. Some 
years ago a boat containing pleasure- 
seekers had been permitted to drift al- 
most to that point before the peril was 
realized. Just as those on board were 
about to commend themselves to such 
mercy as they might find in their dying 
hour, the one who had charge of the 
little craft started, and a look of eager 
expectation came upon his face; and 
then he gave some orders, and imme- 
diately the sails were raised upon the 
little craft: He had thought that he 
felt upon his cheek a faint breath of air 
blowing up the river. As the breeze 
grew fresher the sails began to fill out; 
and then occurred a terrible battle, the 
wind against the current, until at last 
— the might of the current remaining 
the same in power, and the breeze in- 
creasing in force — the little vessel was 
held still for a moment; and then, as 
the breeze quickened and grew mightier 
and mishtier against the sails, the wind 
triumphed and the little boat moved, al- 
most Inch by Inch at first, lighting her 
way, uiiiii ;>i last they were able i<> 
guide ii i" safety into the calm water 
Out toward the groat lake. — Aikin. 

8I.">. There is always one last time 
when you or I turn Our si reel corner, 
climb the BtOOp, turn the key. and enter 
the familiar room — to go OUt no more. 
— Donald Sage Mackay, D. D. 



846. History and biography a*-e dark 
with the tragedies of those who have 
fallen by the choice of the lower. There 
is Daniel Webster, with a call to the 
ministry and one to the bar. There was 
a sharp, decisive struggle between 
these two worthy calls; and although 
the lower crowned him with feverish 
honors, still his last years were ex- 
tremely sad and pitiful. He died a dis- 
appointed and a heartbroken man. A 
matchless speaker, the lower offered a 
more dazzling field for his oratorical 
powers and his strength slew him. And 
there is the gifted grandson of Jona- 
than Edwards. For generations before 
and after Burr a brilliant line of cler- 
gymen and college presidents was his. 
Nature had given rare beauty to his 
person, and culture and indefinable 
grace and charm to his manner. Schol- 
arship, too, was ripe in him. Now, at 
the threshold of manhood, the strategic 
hour arrived. A great revival was on 
at Princeton. The waters were troub- 
led. Young Burr's heart was aflame; 
his soul quivered and glowed; his ner- 
vous hand touched the door of grace, 
when, alas! he retreated without enter- 
ing. — Rev. R. E. Smith. 

847. A story in The Youth's Com- 
panion tells of a young girl who had 
been ill for a fortnight, and was told 
by the physician that she could not get 
well — more than- that, her days on earth 
could be counted on the fingers. 

"How long?" she asked, softly. 

"Probably about ten days." 

She drew a quick breath. "Do the 
rest know?" 

The physician nodded. 

"Poor mother!" she murmured. Then 
she looked up with a smile. "I thank 
you for telling me." 

Her father sat with her at the noon 
hour. Her slender fingers nestled In 
his big, warm hand. 

"Will you ask Uncle Norman to come 
up to see me?" she said. "This evening 
will be a good time." 

The man's face darkened. He and 
his brother had not spoken for five 
years. 

"You'd better send a note." 
"I'd rather you'd take the message — 
please." 

"All right. I'll tell him," and the girl 
felt a tear on her cheek as he stooped 
to kiss her. 

"If only I could see them friends be- 
fore I go!" she whispered to herself. 

Her longing was granted. At her 
bedside the harrier of years was broken 
down and the two were brothers ana in. 

So it went on for till the ten days. 
A cousin in college who was not making 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 136 — 



Procrastination. 



the most of himself was seen and talked 
with so tenderly and seriously that he 
gave her his sacred promise to lead an 
entirely different life. Other sweet 
deeds filled up the days. Her life did 
end as the doctor had predicted, but 
how she had redeemed the time! The 
little true story is full of earnest sug- 
gestion for those of us who do not cer- 
tainly know that we have to die "in 
ten days." The night cometh. What 
would we do if we had but one day 
left? What would we — ought we— 
might we do in it, before the dark 
comes? 

848. To test the attention paid to 
signals by their engineers, some of the 
officials of one of our great railways re- 
cently set the signal meaning "Stop and 
investigate". Twenty-four trains went 
past it, their engineers paying no at- 
tention to it whatever. The twenty- 
fifth heeded it. How forcibly this may 
be applied to men's heedlessness of 
moral signals. Only the exceptional 
man heeds them. 

S49. When the Sepoy mutiny broke 
out in India, many English families 
were living in bungalows, in villages. 
Orders were given for all to flee 
to the nearest fortified towns. One 
family with three little girls, hastily 
prepared to obey. The youngest, ' lin- 
gered to play, and then refused to let 
her aged nurse take her after the rest 
of the family. The old nurse was al- 
most frantic as the Sepoys were expect- 
ed at any moment, and their arrival 
would mean death for all. The mother 
reached the barracks in safety, but was 
horror-stricken to find that her young- 
est child had not come with the rest. 
She appealed so frantically for help 
that a brave English trooper's heart 
was touched. 

"Don't go, Bailey!" shouted a dozen 
voices for his comrades knew he was 
risking his life. But trooper Bailey had 
a blue-eyed girl of his own in the dear 
old England, and he could not bear to 
see that mother's agony. 

He sprang on his horse, galloped to 
the bungalow lying a mile away right 
in the pathway of the oncoming rebels, 
snatched the screaming, angry child 
from her seat in the garden, , and, 
swinging her into the saddle before him 
heedless of her struggles and tears, he 
dashed back, putting spurs to his horse. 

The foremost of the enemy's ranks 
caught sight of him, and a rain of 
bullets followed him; but as by a 
miracle, he escaped, and reached the 
fortress to deliver the child to her de- 
lighted and grateful mother. Her dan- 
gerous delay almost proved fatal. Be- 



cause God will not save a man by force 
it often does prove fatal in the sinner's 
case. 

850. The wife of a prominent lawyer, 
who had been under deep conviction 

for several days, gave the following ac- 
count at our prayer-meeting of her 
conversion: 

Last evening my little girl came to 
me and said: "Mamma, are you a Chris- 
tian?" 

"No, Fannie, I am not." 

She turned and went away, and as 
she walked off I heard her say, "Well, 
if mamma isn't a Christian, I don't 
want to be one." 

And I tell you, my dear friends, it 
went right to my heart, and then I 
gave myself up to Christ. Will you 
delay decision for Christ when you know 
that your course is imperilling other 
souls? 

851. The rabbis have a legend that 
on that Passover night, when the Isra- 
elites were awaiting a signal for their 
departure, there was in one of the Jew- 
ish homes a sick girl, who asked her 
father repeatedly if the blood had been 
sprinkled on the lintel of the- door. Not 
satisfied with his repeated assurances 
that the servant had properly attended 
to it, she begged him for her sake to go 
and see. He went outside the door and 
looked and no blood was there. He 
made haste to bring the basin with the 
hyssop branch and had just sprinkled 
the lintel when a shadow fell over him; 
he looked upward, and lo! the destroy- 
ing angel was passing by! 

852. A Christian king of Hungary, 
talking one day with his brother, who 
was a gay, thoughtless courtier, upon 
the subject of a future judgment, was 
laughed at by his brother for indulging 
in "melancholy thoughts." • The king 
made no reply. There was a cus- 
tom in that country that if the 
executioner sounded a trumpet before 
any man's door, that man was led 
instantly to death. The ' king or- 
dered the trumpet to be sounded that 
night before the door of his brother, 
who, on hearing the dismal sound, and 
seeing the messenger of death, was 
greatly alarmed. He sprang into the 
presence of the king, beseeching to 
know how he had offended. 

"Alas, my brother!" replied the king, 
"you have never offended me; but if 
the sight of my executioner is so dread- 
ful shall not we, who have so greatly 
offended God, fear to be brought before 
the judgment seat of Christ?" 

853. Evangelist Sayford told how, 
when Lee invaded Pennsylvania, during 
the war, the citizens of Harrisburg were. 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 137 — 



Procrastination. 



called upon to go over the Susquehan- | 
na, and throw up breastworks for de- ! 
fence. He and a friend crossed the 
bridge with the others. On the way the 
friend said: "Do you know that I have 
decided to turn over a new leaf, and 
become a Christian. Our mothers 
have something we don't have. I ex- 
pect to begin alter next Wednesday." 
Mr. Sayford said: "Why do you wait?" 
"Oh," was the answer, "I have made i 
plans for one more big frolic first." On 
their way back home that night, by a I 
misstep, he fell over the precipitous j 
bluff and was killed. They found him 
unconscious on the rocks below, and 
consciousness was never regained in I 
this world. That "Wednesday" never 
came. As Browning said: "Life's busi- 
ness is just that terrible choice." 

854. "I'd give a thousand dollars to 
feel as I did in 1820," said a man thirty ! 
years old; as' he listened to an account 
of revival scenes occurring in his na- 
Uve village. "Only a small matter kept 
me from becoming a Christian then." 

"What stood in your way?" inquired 
his sister. 

"I was just starting in business and 
I fatally thought I would attend to 
business first, and put off salvation to 
a future time. 

"What hinders you now?" said his 
sister kindly. "Your business is es- 
tablished and prosperous". 

"I know it; I know it; but the trouble 
is now that I don't feel as if I cared 
so much for it." 

Twenty years passed rapidly away; 
the sister had just died. He stood tear- 
fully beside her new-made grave. A 
neighbor was telling him of her happy 
death, of the sweet peace and holy joy 
which made her last hours radiant 
with the glories of heaven. 

"I would give a thousand dollars for 
such a hope as she had," was the agi- 
tated answer. 

"When will you ever have a better 
time?" 

"I don"t know; I don't know", re- 
joined the rich worldling, "I never was j 
so busy in my life. I seem to have no 
time for anything." 

Twenty years more, and an old man 
la] upon bis deathbed unsaved, 

Seventy years had made him rich in 
gold, but he was without hope and 
without God. A minister tried to lead 
his despairing soul to Christ. But no 
emotion of love and trust arose in his 
heart, his only and last exclamation 
being, "Oh, If I could; if I could! I'd 
gi\e a hundred thousand dollars to die 
a Christian." 

8.">.">. The satisfactory solution of all 



strictly spiritual problems can be 
reached only by actual experiment, cr 
knowledge of the Gospel's work or 
power, in one's own heart and life. He, 
indeed, that is willing, heartily, uncon- 
ditionally, to submit to — unreservedly 
to obey — the truth shall personally, con- 
clusively, know of the doctrine, whether 
it be of God. Try this Gospel, there- 
fore, try it now. Tomorrow habit, re- 
ligious insensibility, or death may have 
sealed your eternal doom. "And the 
doer was shut." — New York Observer. 

856. Some men say: "By and by we 
mean to separate the evil from the 
good, and to become religious; but first 
we want a little liberty for enjoyment." 
At the mouth cf the Mississippi, where 
it pours its immense flood into the Gulf 
of Mexico, how impossible would it be 
to stay the flow of its waters, and to 
separate from each other the drops of 
the various streams that have poured 
into it on either side, of the Red River, 
the Arkansas, the Ohio, and the Mis- 
souri; or to sift grain by grain from 
the detritus, the particles of sand that 
have wasted from the Ozark, or the Al- 
legheny, or the Rocky Mountains; yet 
much more impossible would it be, 
when character is the river, and habits 
formed one after another, are the side 
streams, to throw a little dam of con- 
science across, and separate the bad 
from the good! Let the stream run 
pure from its source. — Evangelist. 

857. Antonio Guevaza used to say 
"that heaven would be filled with such 
as had done good works, and hell with 
such as intended to do them." A very 
suitable hint to those who put off their 
convictions to what they think will be a 
more convenient season. 

858. So inveterate has the habit of 
procrastination become among men that 
the phrase "by and by", which, in the 
time of the early English translators of 
the Bible, meant "immediately", now 
means the very opposite. — Trench. 

859. A spot is pointed out at Niagara 
Falls from which a lather threw his 
little girl headlong into (lie seething 
torrent, without having the slightest 
thought of doing so. He took her in 
his arms and gave her a playful 
swing out over the abyss merely to see 
if It would frighten her. The child in 
a paroxysm of fear, gave a sudden jerk 
and fell with a shriek into the great 
abyss. You say he had no business to 
trifle with her in that way. No more 
have yon a right to trifle with yonr soul 
bj swinging it out in foolish Indifference 
over the great cIiumii of eternity. 

800. It Is a great mistake to suppose 



Salvation Accepted. 



— 138 — 



Procrastination. 



that all persons, or even the majority, 
have a death bed. They live in the full 
bloom of their sins and vanities till in 
due time, one by one — 
Some with lives that come to nothing, 

some with deeds as well undone, 
Death comes suddenly, and takes them 

where men never see the sun. 
Thousands die by what we call acci- 
dent. They are cut off as in a moment; 
as by a lightning flash. Thousands more 
pass into the unseen world, not down 
the lingering declivities of disease, but 
by some swift and sudden departure. — 
Farrar. 

861. A young man stood in the aisle 
of the crowded church while inquirers 
were passing out into the inquiry room 
and the congregation sang "Almost per- 
suaded." He had not been moved by 
the sermon, but was a good singer and 
enjoyed the music greatly, and his voice 
rang out above the rest all through the 
hymn, till he came to the last verse, 
"Almost cannot avail, almost is but to 
fail," when his voice faltered, he low- 
ered his book, ceased singing, and after 
another moment's hesitation, walked 
into the adjoining room and surren- 
dered to Christ. — Words and Weapons. 

862. As I look back upon life's mem- 
ories, I recall many an instance in 
which men and women have seemed to 
be in their usual health up to the very 
week, or even the very day on which 
they died. They have had no misgiv- 
ing, no intimation, no foregleam of the 
awful event which was so close to them. 
The shadow with the keys has awaited 
them on the broad roadside, and they 
have been unconscious of his presence 
until his icy touch has stifled their 
hearts. Their life ends as though a 
trivial every day sentence should stop 
short without so much as a comma. 
They are snatched away from the midst 
of their most ordinary avocations, fever- 
ishly busy about all things save the one 
tiling needful. — Farrar. 

863. Dr. Mathieson once said, that it 
is a solemn thing to say "tomorrow" 
when God says "today", because man's 
tomorrow and God's today never meet. 

864. I had just found Christ. One 

of my best friends came to visit me. 
We two young men sat under a great 
beech tree, and talked earnestly and 
candidly of the privilege of receiving 
Christ into our lives. Clothed in his 
handsome new uniform, his complexion 
as clear and as beautiful as any girl's, 
his eye sparkling with the eager hope of 
youth — my friend brought to .mind* the 
picture of the evangelist: "And Jesus 
looking upon him loved him." What he 



said was, in substance, this: "Yes, I fully 
intend to be a Christian. That is set- 
tled. But I cannot take up the new life 
just now. I am very busy indeed. My 
studies are pressing, my examinations 
will soon be on, and then I shall have 
my commission. After that I shall mar- 
ry and settle down, and then — then, I 
shall be a Christian." 

It is hardly necessary to say that this 
plausible and voluble excuse was only 
a polite and indirect method of reject- 
ing the Master. Our paths diverged, 
so that we have never met again. But 
twenty years later I came near him and 
learned his immediate history. It was 
a shocking tragedy, and it showed 
forcibly how the act of rejecting the 
Master hardens one's own soul. The 
young man carried out the first part of 
his program. He passed his examina- 
tions with honor, received his commis- 
sion, married a beautiful woman and 
became the father of lovely children, 
and he acquired a handsome fortune. 
That was the first part, and it was high 
time to remember his promise to be a 
Christian. The second part of the pro- 
gram was different. His oldest child 
was dead, his wife divorced, himself a 
drunkard, his fortune scattered; with- 
out friends, without prospects — that was 
the cost of rejecting Christ. And the 
end is not yet. — Rev. Henry B. Ketch- 
am. 

865. "Oh, God, they have deceived 
me, then; and this is death;" was the 
startling exclamation of a sinful Eng- 
lish king, and with those words he sank 
back and died. And very commonly 
for hours, and even for days, before 
death men and women lie quite un- 
conscious; the pulse still beats, the 
breath still labors, possibly the tongue 
still murmurs, as the imagination floats 
amid the confused reminiscences of the 
past, and babbles of green fields far 
away. But no voice of exhortation 
can reach them there; they can gather 
no thought into consecutive meaning; 
they can breathe no prayer to him into 
whose awful presence they are about 
to enter. — Farrar's Sermons. 

866. An old man once said to his pas- 
tor: "When I was seventeen, I began to 
feel deeply at times, and this continued 
for two or three years, but I determined 
to put it off till I was settled in life. 
After I married, I reflected that the 
time had come when I had promised to 
attend to religion, but I had bought this 
farm, and I thought it would not suit 
to become religious till it was paid for. 
I then resolved to put it off ten years, 
but when the ten years came round, I 
thought no more about it. I often try 



Salvation Accepted. 



Procrastination. 



to think, but I cannot keep it before my 
mind one moment." The pastor urged 
him to become a Christian before it 
would be too late, but he replied: "It is 
too late. I believe my doom is sealed. 
And it is just that it should be so, for 
the Spirit strove long with me, but I 
refused." The minister then urged his 
family and children to become Chris- 
tians, and the old man said: "Mind him. 
If I had attended to it then, it would be 
well w r ith me, but now it is too late." 

867. I was called to a home where I 
found the only son dangerously ill. By 
direction of the family physician, I in- 
formed him of his danger and endeav- 
ored to present to him the necessity of 
accepting Christ. But he put me off, 
saying, "There's plenty of time, there's 
plenty of time." Early the next morn- 
ing I was summoned to his home by the 
grief-stricken father, saying his boy was 
dying. We hastened to the bedside of 
the dying boy. Leaning over him.N I 
called him by name, but there was no 
response. I called the word "Father" 
into his ear, then the word "Mother", 
and then the word "Sister," and then 
the name of Christ. But there was no 
response. Turning to his broken-heart- 
ed father, I said, "You call." And oh, 
how earnestly and persistently he called, 
"My son; oh. my son!" There was no 
response. Then I turned to his mo- 
ther, and out of her broken heart she 
called, "My boy!" Still no response. 
Here was father love and mother love — 
to the very last calling — but without re- 
sponse. The willingness to call was 
just as strong as ever, hut the power to 
respond had failed. The willingness of 
God to call can never be questioned, 
but our power to hear and heed that 
call Is lessened every time we fail to 
obey it. — John M'Dowell in "Westmin- 
ster." 

868. An aged nobleman who had 
lived his life as a man or the world, 

was visited by God's grace when he was 
past fourscore and became a truly 
changed man. and spent the remainder 
of his life in humble faith and hope. 
When Christian friends congratulated 
him on the wonderful mercy and for- 
bearance that had been extended to him 
by God who had spared him, a look of 
sadness would come over the old man's 
face as he replied, "Yes, my dear 
friends, thank God my soul is saved, 
hut my life is lost, my lire Is lost." — 
M'Dowel. 

86». T know of a man in the army 
who was said to be the wickedest mail 
in the regiment. One night he came 
into the regimental prayer-meeting, and 
stood up and said very calmly, 'Com- 



rades, I am going to lead a godly life." 

The soldiers were surprised, because 
they thought such a wicked man would 
have to manifest deeper concern about 
his sin in order to get rid of it. He 
tried it for one day and came into the 
prayer-meeting the next night. This 
time he had concern enough: he could 
hardly speak. He said, "Comrade's, I 
did not do right when I told you last 
night that I was going to lead a godly 
life. I don't know that God can forgive 
me. I have received two letters that tell 
me of the death of two persons. One 
of them was a young man who has just 
died of delirium tremens at my home 
in New England, and the other is a 
young woman that has died in a place 
of shame in Washington. I led them 
both astray. O my God! can there be 
mercy for a wretch like me?" God did 
save that man. but he was never heard 
to pray until the day of his death that 
he did not say, "O God, help me to do 
good enough to counterbalance the evil 
of my past life." The past may be par- 
doned but not obliterated. — Mills. 

870. On one of the streets of Phila- 
delphia, a number of years ago, stood 
the house of a rich but godless man. By 
day it was as still as a prison, but at 
night it was the haunt of loose com- 
pany, and the scene of revelries and dis- 
sipation. Occasionally, in the daytime, 
the face of a beautiful young woman 
would appear at one of the windows. 
That window, in fact, seemed to be her 
loitering place, for she spent most of 
her idle time there, sitting behind the 
partly-closed blind. There was no sign 
that she enjoyed the luxury around 
her. Her face had the hard, drawn ex- 
pression suggestive of "painted misery." 
Her position in the rich man's house 
was a' guilty one, for she had abandoned 
a pure home to live on the wages of 
disgrace. 

One morning, while she sat in her 
usual place, the occupants of a house 
across the street observed a carriage 
stop at the rich man's dwelling. A 
gray-haired man alighted from it and 
knocked at the door. The young woman 
saw him with a start of surprise, bul 
she did not stir from the window. 

Rigid and pale, she looked down 
through the blind lattice, watching every 
movement, but making no sign. The 
old* man plied the knocker long and 
loudly — till the. neighbors noticed him 
and wondered. But he knocked in vain. 
No servant would open the door with- 
out the mistress's order. She kept her 
concealment and silently looked on. till 
the visitor went away. An hour later, 
the same carriage stopped again. Tho 



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Confessing Christ. 



same gray-haired man knocked the 
second time at the door. The same un- 
happy face looked down upon him 
through the lattice — but there was no 
answer to his call, and in grief he went 
awaj. A thifd time that day the old 
man renewed his visit. The pale young 
woman at the window watched him as 
before, without relenting, without re- 
sponding. He turned slowly away, and 
in tears was heard to exclaim: "O 
Emily! Emily! My daughter, my poor, 
dear daughter!" 

That father had traveled a long jour- 
ney on his sad and eager errand. He 
had traced his erring child to this 
house, and, waiting till her destroyer 
was away, he had hoped that she would 
see him. She knew his errand. Her 
heart had beaten more quickly as she 
looked down upon his gray hairs. Her 
pale cheeks and rigid mouth told of a 
conflict within. Perhaps the old love of 
her pretty, wayward childhood, that 
had seemed dead for many days, came 
to life again, and pleaded for him, and 
for God, as he stood there at the door 
and knocked. But enslaved and help- 
less, — with eyes from whose troubled 
depths looked forth a ruined soul — 
she let him go without a word or sign. 

SPECIFIC DUTIES, PRIVILEGES AND 
GRACES OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 

(871^2839) 

Confessing Christ. 

(871-906) 

871. When Nelson was asked by his 
friend, Hardy, to put on a cloak to hide 
his stars which made him a mark for 
the French sharpshooters, who . were 
huddled in the rigging of the man-of- 
war, he answered, "No; in honor I got 
them, in honor will I wear them, in 
lienor I will die with them, if need be." 
And the sun glittered on those stars, 
and Nelson became a mark for the foe. 
Duty to Christ is the way to glory. Do 
not fling on the cloak of compromise, 
and in a sneaking way hide the uniform 
that you wear as a child of God. Let 
it be seen by men, by angels, by devils. 
"Put on Christ," says Paul. Let him 
be your uniform, your livery, your lode- 
star that will lead you home. 

872. One of the reasons for public 
confession is the usefulness of the act. 

How much more one's zeal is drawn 
out when he has declared himself for 
any cause, and he partakes of the spirit 
of the party! That which is kept < on- 
tealed within is apt to lose much of 



its hold upon us; it is by speaking of it 
and acting upon it that we feel most 
of its impression and influence. There 
is no feeling more strengthening to any- 
one than the feeling that he is not 
standing alone. So it is a joy to feel 
that one is part of a system working 
for one end, to feel that he is a fellow- 
laborer with apostles, martyrs, proph- 
ets, saints, even with Christ himself. 

873. A young lady in a fashionable 
home had been brought to Christ, and 
had been enabled for some years, amid 
much opposition, to faithfully witness 
for him. She was invited to visit friends 
whom she had never seen, and who 
knew but little of her; and she resolved 
that while there she would not openly 
speak of her Saviour. Her visit passed 
away; and, not happily to herself, she 
was enabled to keep her resolution. 
Upon the day -of her leaving for home, 
a most attractive and accomplished 
lady, a fashionable woman of society, 
while walking alone with her, suddenly 
asked her: "Where is your sister, and 
why did she not come here? I mean 
your religious sister, the one who is 
known as the 'religious Miss J.' It was 
because I heard that she was to be here 
that I too accepted an invitation to 
come and spend the holiday. I am tired 
of the empty, unsatisfying, life I am 
leading, and have longed to talk with 
a real Christian." 

With shame and confusion the faith- 
less witness was obliged to confess that 
she had no sister; that she was the one 
who had been sometimes called the "re- 
ligious Miss J.", and that shame had 
led her to hide her light. — Whittle. 

874. In times of persecution many a 
martyr might have escaped death by 
avoiding the assemblies of Christians, 

but hostility from without only forced to- 
gether more closely the ranks that love 
had drawn together from within. Loy- 
alty to the Master, too, was at stake, 
for union with the church has always 
afforded one of the most natural and 
appropriate means of confessing the 
Lord before men. The very name for 
church indicates something belonging 
to the Lord, and profession of member- 
ship in the church is acknowledgment 
of Christ as King. Even to the heaven- 
ly powers is God's wisdom shown 
through the church. 

875. An eminent jurist of New Jer- 
sey, who was an unbeliever, stepped 
into a prayer-meeting room to see a 
man on business. It was a testimony 
service, and as he waited a number of 
his neighbors testified concerning the 
reality of Christian experience; He 
reasoned: "If these i eople were my wit- 



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Confessing Christ. 



nesses in the courtroom I should win 
the case. If their testimony is reliable 
in other matters, why not concerning 
spiritual things?" He rose and con- 
fessed his doubts and asked for help. 
He is now a class leader in that very 
church. 

876. It is both a daring and a dan- 
gerous thing to try to live secretly for 
Christ. It breaks off the sprouting 
tendrils of the new life, and so there can 
be neither bud, blossom, nor fruit. A 
light shut up tight in a lantern only 
soots and burns that which contains it. 
So it is with the soul. It is its nature 
to shine forth, but turned back upon 
itself it dims and dies. There are some in 
every congregation who are trying in a 
half-hearted sort of way "to be good." 
That is too indefinite. There are no 
sharp outlines to it. It does not mean 
anything that is humble or heroic. The 
result in almost every such case is dis- 
astrous. — E. P. Ingersoll. 

87". In the picture of the creation of 
man on the Sistinc Chapel ceiling, says 
Dr Burrill, the man is represented as 
lying upon a mossy mound reaching up 
his hand towards another stretched 
down from heaven, and from the hand 
of the Creator an electric spark is pass- 
ing to him. The beginning of life is to 
be thrilled through by the life of God, 
and id proclaim the fact to the world by 
lip and life 

878. At West Point, three flags are 
used on the high flagpole at the north 
end of the parade ground. One is the 
storm Hag, about eight by four feet; the 
secend is the post Hag, twenty by ten 
feet; and the third is the holiday flag, 
thirty-six by twenty feet. In bad wea- 
ther the storm flag flies. Once a cadet's 
mother, interested in the Christian char- 
acter and influence of her son, asked 
him if he kept his flag flying. "Yes, 
mother," he replied, "I keep my storm 
Hag Hying." She was satisfied with this 
reply, not knowing that it signified 
really that he was no more pronounced 
a Christian than be had to be. He flew 
his smallest flag. That Is the way with 
some Christians. They don't want to 
abandon it altogether, but they don't 
fly any more colors than they can help. 
With some people, going to church once 
on Sunday is the extent of their open 
confession of Christianity. With oth- 
ers. It is that, and now and then a 
Christian utterance. Hut the kind of 
Christians Christ wants are the men 
and women, boys and girls, who will 
gel cut the biggest flag, and fly it before 

the world. 

An humble laborer who was 



' never quite ready to make his confes- 
sion of faith came forward with reso- 
lute earnestness immediately after the 
death of one who had been a pillar in 
the house of God, and whose home-go- 
ing left a great vacancy. 

880. A timid woman, with no activi- 
ties outside her home, and as unlikely 
to serve in public capacity as could be 
imagined, was so stirred to works of 
beneficence by the death of an only 
daughter that she became a member of 
a board of Overseers of the Poor, and 
was remarkably efficient during long 
years. At her own death the whole 
community were mourners, the town 
offices were closed, and every respect 
paid in recognition of her great servi- 
ces. 

881. John Bright was enlisted in his 

long and glorious struggle for the ame- 
lioration of the burdens of his country- 
men by the persuasion of Richard Cob- 
den. The latter called upon him at the 
time that the wife of his youth lay un- 
buried in his home. There in the cham- 
ber of sorrow Bright's spirit leaped to 
the task which Cobden set before him, 
and his heart was comforted. — F. Har- 
lan Page. 

882. In one village, writes the Rev. 
j Mr. Simpson, of the Wesleyan Mission 

in India, we had to baptize some fortj 
people. Two nights before the baptism 
the head men of the village came down, 
angry, furious, because this work had 
been going on, with all the bitter an- 
tagonism of Demetrius and his fellow 
craftsmen because their craft was in 
danger. They came down at ten o'clock 
at night, called the men out of their 
houses, and said to them: "Now, then, 
those men that are going to become 
Christians, stand on one side: those w ho 
are going to be with us, stand on the 
other side. From the men who become 
Christians we take away work and land: 
we deny them the village washerwo- 
man; we deny them the village barber; 
we deny all we can. Now those who are 
going to be Christians go on that side." 
Everj one that was under instruction 
for baptism went and took his place as 

a Christian. 

88:5. "I'll tell yon why you remain out 
of church," said Dr. Chapman, pointing 
an accusing finger at his audience. 
"The answer is contained in a single 
word: s-i-n. When you pronounce it, 
you can hear the hiss of the serpent. 
That i-> your reason for ignoring the 
church. There is no other. I will not 
attempt to name your sin. Tt may be 
dishonesty, it may be gambling, it may 
be drunkenness, It may be impurity; 
i but listen, men: whatsoever a man sows. 



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Confessing Christ. 



that shall he reap. Every man in this 
building will need Christ when death 
comes; he will need him badly. Why 
not accept him now?" 

884. It is a mistake to imagine that 
you can be as good a Christian out of 
the church as you can in it, or that you 
can be a secret Christian. The instinct 
of a new heart is to acknowledge God. 
The change effected in a true Christian 
experience compels confession before 
men. If one should propose to keep his 
experience of God's grace secret, he 
would falsify the very nature of Chris- 
tian piety. Therefore Christ said, 
"Confess me before men." "With the 
heart man believeth unto righteousness; 
and with the mouth confession is made 
unto salvation." There is no encourage- 
ment given to the notion of salvation by 
secret piety in any scripture teaching or 
example. David pathetically exclaimed: 
"I have not hid my righteousness within 
my heart; I have declared thy faithful- 
ness and thy salvation. I have not con- 
cealed thy loving kindness and thy 
truth from the great congregation." 
The Master said: "Let your light shine 
before men." — Presbyterian Standard. 

885. Too many persons are repre- 
sented by a lieutenant who had gone 
through many battles, during three 
years of war, without a scar, to be mor- 
tally wounded by the accidental dis- 
charge of a musket, whereupon he was 
brought to deplore the relinquishment 
of his profession. He had been an 
avowed Christian before he had joined 
the army, but did not display his col- 
ors there. When dying, he sent for his 
fellow officers, told them his mistake, 
and asked their forgiveness. While 
dying he said, "Those three last years 
keep coming back upon me. I would 
like to forget them." 

886. At the beginning of the Refor- 
mation, Martin of Basle came to a 
knowledge of the truth, but, afraid to 
make a public confession, he wrote on 
a leaf of parchment, "O most merciful 
Christ, I know that I can be saved only 
by the merit of thy blood. Holy Jesus 
I acknowledge thy sufferings for me. I 
love thee! I love thee!" Then he re- 
moved a stone from the wall of his 
chamber and hid it there. It was not 
discovered for more than a hundred 
years. About the same time Martin 
Liuther found the truth as it is in 
Christ. He said: "My Lord has con- 
fessed me before men; I will not shrink 
from confessing him before kings." The 
world knows what followed, and today 
it reveres the memory of Luther; but 
as for Martin of Basle, who cares for 
him? — Burrill. 



887. Just as physical forces were so 
combined that New York harbor could 
be cleared of its obstructing rocks by 
the pressure of a child's finger upon an 
electric button, so the spiritual forces 
of the universe are all arranged with 
reference to making the testimony of an 
obscure individual Christian produce re- 
sults of a magnitude out of all propor- 
tion to the immediate cause. 

888. I was converted when a young 
fellow of twenty. I had gone to a 
meeting to see the mourners, as we 
called them, go up to the front bench, 
and to generally make fun of the whole 
affair. But it pleased God to send the 
word home to my heart by the power 
of the Holy Spirit, and I had to give 
myself up to Christ. In that same little 
Baptist church there was a member, a 
peculiar old man, a Scotch weaver, 
who kept a number of handlooms 
in his house, and spun, carded, 
and wove wool, making an honest living 
by his industry. He was a man of so 
many peculiarities that every one made 
fun of the queer little Scotchman with 
the cross eyes, but they never made fun 
of him in his presence, for he was one 
of those men who command respect. He 
was a real Christian. I had never spo- 
ken to him before, but the morning 
after my conversion I went up to him 
and reaching out my hand, said, "Good 
morning, sir." He looked surprised, 
and I hastened to explain: "I thought 
you would like to know, sir, that I have 
given my heart to God, and for Christ's 
sake he has forgiven me." A bright 
look came over his face. Thus while 
"one touch of nature makes the whole 
world kin", one touch of grace makes 
all Christians kin and feel that they 
are brothers. — Dr. Geo. F. Pentecost. 

889. A faithful pastor in Los Angeles 

came to know a man who had for some 
time been in the city. He was invited 
to call. He did so. The pastor asked 
if he was a professing Christian. "Oh, 
yes," said he, "I was a member of a 
church in Ohio, and when I asked for 
my church letter on coming west I sat 
down and wrote out my Christian ex- 
perience, and it was a good one. I 
took the church letter and the Chris- 
tian experience and put them in a lit- 
tle box, and I have had them ever 
since. Would you like to see them?" 
On examination he found that a mouse 
had eaten up his Christian experience, 
and to his great confusion he had to 
say to the pastor, "I have lost my Chris- 
tian experience, and also my church 
letter." How like many others who put 
off the question of finding a new church 



— 143 — 



Confessing Christ. 



home when they find a new home for 
their family. — The Ram's Horn. 

890. The Governor of a great State 
found himself rather unexpectedly, one 
day, in the midst of a Sabbath-school 
convention. As soon as it was known 
that he was in the house there was a 
desire to have him address the meeting, 
and he was called upon. But he felt 
himself utterly unprepared; he had no 
speech ready, and he simply responded: 
"Friends, I really have nothing to say, 
but I am heartily in sympathy with 
your work, and I can at least stand up 
and be counted." Standing up to be 
counted does not require any great ge- 
nius or brilliancy, but there are many 
times when it does require courage — 
a courage in which many gifted ones 
may be found sadly lacking. 

891. There are secret disciples scat- 
tered up and down throughout the 
whole of India. We stumble upon them 
sometimes without knowing it, and we 
see what astonishes us. I remember I 
had a large meeting one night in a vil- 
lage to the north of Jeypore. For a 
couple of hours, seven or eight hundred 
had been sitting, looking at the magic 
lantern, and drinking in the precious 
truth I had to tell them. After the 
general company were gone, some came 
into my tent to hear a little more. My 
servant came in and said, "An old man 
wishes to see you alone." I said, "Gen- 
tlemen, retire, please, that I may see 
this old priest — this philosopher." He 
came in. and taking from under his 
coat a little parcel, lie unrolled it. and 
out of the sacred cloth, came — what? 
.lust the Gospel Of John. Laying his 
hand reverently on it, he said, "This 
is the food of my soul, and it has been 
so for years, and I am teaching it to 
those around, and more know of it than 
you have any idea of; but I must go. 
I do not want to be seen with you, in 
case the people should think that at 
your instance I am promulgating some 
British manufactured religion. I want 
them to know it is the religion from 
heaven." Out he went into that dark- 
ness, but it revealed to me what sur- 
prised me at the time, and what I desire 
to bear testimony to before this meeting. 
— Rev. John Traill. 

892. One of the most distinguished 
men In this country, who was formerly 
Postmaster-General of the United 
States, the Hon. Amos Kendall, when 
he was seventy years of age, after hav- 
ing lived a life of probity for many 
years, came Into a church in Washing- 
ton, and, standing with tears in his 
eyes, said he wanted to make a confes- 
sion. He said that for those seventy 



years he had been trying to live a good 
moral life; that he had said to himself 
that he could be a good man and a 
Christian and yet not be a member of 
the church. He had heard recently of 
some one that, by his example, had been 
led to turn his back upon the church, 
and so, being weak, had been led down 
until he had died a wretched death. 
And that set him to thinking, and he 
could think of twelve persons who had 
died without hope who might have been 
saved if he had been a consistent Chris- 
tian. He made a very humble confes- 
sion, and asked the members of the 
church to forgive him; and he united 
with the church. — Mills. 

893. At a grand encampment pf the 
Grand Army of the Republic two thou- 
sand children of the public schools were 
dressed in red, white and blue caps, 
toques and other garments in such a 
way that, when massed together and 
deployed, they formed a living repre- 
sentation of the stars and stripes. Mar- 
shalled upon a slope, the veterans of 
the Grand Army, as they passed on pa- 
rade, saw and saluted with the singing 
of the "Star-Spangled Banner" this 
copy of the flag for which they had 
fought, made up of the very flesh and 
blood of a rising generation. This was 
to them not only an impressive spec- 
tacle, but a significant emblem. The 
men and women who accept and con- 
fess Christ form a living banner — the 
true banner of the cross. 

891. By simply neglecting to confess 
Christ you are counted with those who 
deny him. The more upright and re- 
spectable you are, the more effective 
your denial. No example is more used 
in excusing unbelief than that of Chris- 
tians who do not confess Christ. And 
on the other hand, the open confession 
of Christ is often effective in leading 
others to think upon their ways. This 
power is in your hands, and you neg- 
lect to use it. — Rev. Calvin Cutler. 

89,">. If you rob yourself of Christ you 
rob life of its highest usefulness, if 

you decide to wait until you ha\c noth- 
ing left for Christ, but the decrepit 
frame and exhausted heart you insult 
him! A dying soldier once said to his 
Chaplain in the hospital: "Chaplain, I 
have done many wicked things in my 
past days; but I am too much of a man 
to fling the fag-end of my lite into the 
face of the Almighty," 

89<i. In the wonderful old Church of 
St. .Mark's, at Venice, Is placed an ala- 
baster pillar said to have been saved 
from the ruins of Solomon's temple. 

and now used as part of the support of 
| the high altar. It is cut in a beautiful 



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Confessing Christ. 



spiral shaft of graceful proportions, 
and blossoms out at the top into an ex- 
quisitely carved capital. It stands 
bravely in its place, and bears its share 
of the weight. But your first thought 
is, "How beautiful!" Does not Jesus 
mean that we shall be beautiful as well 
as strong in his service? And do we 
take enough pains to make goodness at- 
tractive, and so adorn his doctrine "in 
all things" ? Christ says, "And I, if I 
be lifted up, will draw all men unto 
me." Ought not we Christians to have 
more of this drawing power, not that we 
may draw others to ourselves person- 
ally, but through us to him whose image 
we daily pray to bear? — Marian Deming. 

897. On one occasion I was called to 
help a friend who was conducting a 
series of meetings in a large city. Short- 
ly after my arrival a bell-boy brought 
up to my room the card of a reporter 
from one of the daily papers. I told 
him to show the gentleman up. He 
came in, was kindly received, and had 
all his questions answered. "When he 
rose to go, I said to him, "Since you 
have interviewed me, would you have 
any objections to my interviewing you?" 
"O, not in the least," he replied. "Well," 
said I, "take a seat." He sat down, and 
I asked him, "Are you a Christian?" 
"No," said he. "It would be quite im- 
possible for me to be a Christian". 
"Why impossible?" "Well," said he, 
for the simple reason that the man who 
is compelled to do the work I do can't 
be a Christian." 

We continued the conversation for a 
while, when I finally said to him: "You 
know that we are here to preach the 
gospel ; you are the first man I have 
met, and you are unsaved. I should 
very much iike to see you saved, and 
God has a much deeper interest in it 
than I have. As a reporter you could 
do much good; it may be that sometime 
during the meetings God will have a 
message for you. I trust that you will 
think seriously about it." He promised 
me that he would. 

For some days I saw nothing of him. 
One night he came to my room; it was 
nearly eleven o'clock; he appeared to 
be in deep distress. He said, "I have 
come to tell you something about my- 
self." 

It was a sad story. He had deserted 
his wife and children; they were liv- 
ing in a distant city. For years he had 
been living in sin, but now, under the 
discipline of the Spirit of God, he was 
utterly wretched. 

It was long after midnight when we 
knelt together and he gave his heart to 
God, and later, confessed Christ before 



men by uniting with the church. When 
I left the city, on a midnight train, he 
was the last to shake my hand and say 
good-by. — Ford C. Ottman, D. D. 

898. Spurgeon said: "At first Oliver 
Cromwell's Ironsides were dressed any- 
how and everyhow, but in the melee 
with the Cavaliers it sometimes hap- 
pened that an Ironside was struck down 
by mistake by the sword of one of his 
own brethren, and so the general said, 
'You wear red coats, all of you. We 
must know our own men from the en- 
emy.' Now, you that are Christ's, do 
not go about as if you were ashamed 
of his Majesty's service. Put on your 
red coats: I mean, come out as ac- 
knowledged Christians. Unite with a 
body of Christian people, and be dis- 
tinctly known to be Christ's." 

899. An inventor was talking about 
electric conduits. "Do you know that 
great power house of the traction com- 
pany on the avenue? Well, the man- 
ager will tell you that forty per cent, of 
the electricity generated there is lost 
becawse of imperfect conduits. Think of 
that for prodigious waste! Almost half 
of the product of that great plant counts 
for nothing." 

Well might the inventor wax em- 
phatic over this excessive waste of en- 
ergy. But while he was talking our 
mind turned to a similar waste of great- 
er power, and for the same reason. 
God designs to transmit his power 
through men. Only as they yield them- 
selves to him in conversion, confession, 
and full surrender can they become effi- 
cient mediums for transmitting his pow- 
er to others. 

900. A young man, who was a Chris- 
tian, brought an unconverted friend to 
one of our meetings. The service was 
a very solemn one, and the young man 
was very much impressed, but came to 
no decision. At the close of the meeting 
the two young fellows went out togeth- 
er. The young Christian was greatly 
concerned for his friend, and concluded 
that the best thing to do was to inter- 
cept me on my way home and introduce 
his friend. His intention remaining un- 
suspected, he induced his friend to walk 
around the block; at the street corner 
we met, and I was introduced. The un- 
converted young man turned to his 
companion and said indignantly, "I be- 
lieve you brought me around here on 
purpose to meet this man." 

"Well," said I, "suppose he did; I'm 
not a bear." 

"That may be," he replied, "but I 
didn't want to meet you." 

I said, "Neither do you want to meet 
God, but some day you will have to do 



The Christian Life. 



— 145 — 



Confessing Christ. 



it." We conversed for some time lon- 
ger, and when we parted he had sur- 
rendered to God. At the next commun- 
ion he united with the church. 

901. There is said to he a very odd 
tree in an orchard near Milwaukee. It 
is an old apple tree that was planted 
twenty-eight years ago, with its limbs 
in the ground and its roots in the air. 
It still lives to bear an occasional apple 
and to sprout and bear branches where 
roots should be, and roots where twigs 
and leaves should be; but it is really of 
no use. except as a curiosity to behold- 
ers. The farmer was induced to make 
the trial through an old German leg- 
end, in which such an inverted tree 
played an important part. So we say 
the people who try to live Christian 
lives without being planted in the Chris- 
tian Church, and letting their roots run 
clown into the responsibilities of church 
life, are very much like that inverted 
tree. The Christians who really bear 
fruit are those who are rooted deep and 
solid in the garden of the Lord. — Hal- 
lock. 

902. A young Christian, who had 
lately accepted Christ as his Saviour, 
was talking with J. Hudson Taylor, the 
missionary. The young man seemed 
reluctant to make a public profession 
before he had learned more about his 
new Master. 

"Well," said Mr. Taylor, "I have a 
question to ask you. When you light a 
candle, do you light it to make the can- 
dle more comfortable?" 

"Certainly not," said the other, "but 
in order that it may give more light." 

"When does it first become useful — 
when it is half burned down?" 

"No; as soon as I light it." 

"Very well," said the missionary 
promptly; "go thou and do likewise: 
begin at once." 

90:{. A minister conversed with a man 
who professed conversion. "Have you 
milted with the church?" he asked him. 
"No, the dying thief never united with 
the church and he went to heaven", was 
the answer. "Have you talked to your 
neighbors about Christ?" "No, the dy- 
ing thief never did." "Have you given 
to missions?" "No, the dying thief did 
nn'." "Well, my friend," said the 
minister, "the difference between you 
two seems to be that he was a dying 
thief, and you arc a living one." 

90 1. When Lincoln reprieved William 
Scott, condemned to be shot for sleeping 
at his post, he said to him: "I am go- 
ing to trust you, and send you back to 
your regiment. My bill for this is a 
very large one. I have left my work, 
and have come up here from Washing- 
10 Priic. III. 



I ton on your account. There is only one 

, man in all the world who can pay the 
bill, and his name is William Scott. If 

' from this day William Scott does his 
duty so that if I were there when he 
comes to die, he could look me in the 
face as he does now, and say, "I have 
kept my promise, and have done my 

I duly as a soldier,' then the debt will be 
paid. Will you make that promise, and 
try to keep it?" 

The promise was made and kept. The 
soldier lived a life of courageous help- 
fulness, and died while rescuing wound- 

1 ed men. Every pardoned sinner is 
pledged to the Master for life. — Chris- 

! tian Endeavor World. 

905. A young lady was deeply con- 
cerned about her spiritual welfare, and 
after a severe struggle started to visit 
her pastor to ask him to show her the 
way of life. As she entered the horse- 
car, in carrying out her purpose, she 

: saw seated there several of her friends, 
who asked where she was going. The 

' tempter immediately said: "Don't tell 
them where you arc going, but answer 
them in some evasive way." At the 
same time the Spirit whispered to her: 
"Be brave and conscientious about this. 
Tell them of your purpose, and ask 
them to go with you." She obeyed the 
voice of God. Her friends declined to 
accompany her, and she went on alone. 
When she came to the minister's house 
he came to the door to meet her. She 
paused from embarrassment for an in- 
stant, and then said: "Doctor, I started 
to come to see you to ask you to lead 
me to Christ: but now that I am here 
I have come to tell you 1 have found 
Christ." It was with her as with some 
whom Jesus healed during his minis- 
try on earth — "As they went they were 
cleansed." — Mills. 

900. At a religious meeting in the 
south of London a timid little girl want- 
ed to be prayed for; she wanted to come 
to Jesus, and said to the Christian man 
who was conducting the meeting, "Will 
you pray for me in the meeting, please? 
lint do not mention my name." In the 
meeting which followed, when every 
head was bowed and there was perfect 
silence, the gentleman prayed for the 
little girl who wanted to come to Je- 
sus, and he said, "O Lord, there is a 
little girt who does not wan) her name 
known, but thou dost know her; save 
her precious soul!" There was stillness 

I for a moment, and then away back in 
that congregation a little girl rose, and 

I a pleading little voice said. "Please It's 
me, Jesus; it'-- me." She did not want 
to have a doubt. The more she had 

I thought about it the hungrier her heart 



The Christian Life. 



— 146 — 



was for forgivenes. She wanted to be 
saved, and she was not ashamed to 
say, "Jesus, it's me." — Pentecost. 

The Church, Its Place and Claims. 
Public Worship. 

(907-925) 

907. We can never be fully aware of 
the usefulness of the ordained means 

of grace. The public worship of God 
is of inestimable value to mankind. In 
the midst of the cares and toils of life 
God is known in his palaces for a 
refuge. There the tempted are suc- 
cored, the weak are strengthened, the 
wandering directed, and the oppressed 
relieved. According to his promise, 
Jesus is with his church to the end of 
days; there he is most often found 
of his people, and draws most gra- 
ciously near to them, supplying all 
their needs with the riches of his 
grace. It is a source of strength to 
feel, therefore, that we have a place 
there as well as safety. 

908. All believers are to sow the seed 
for the coming harvest; all believers 
are to build away at the spiritual edi- 
fice of Christ's church, whose top stone 
will be laid at last at the great day, 
with the shout of "Grace, grace!" unto 
it from an adoring universe. . . . To each 
is assigned some duty, which shall ex- 
press his love for the brethren, his zeal 
for Christ's cause. The duty will be 
according to his ability. It may be 
feeding the lambs; if he be one of 
stronger texture, like Peter, it may be 
the tending and feeding the sheep. But 
there is the flock, consisting of old and 
young, experienced and inexperienced, 
tough and tender, prejudiced and plas- 
tic. Somewhere, my Christian brother, 
my Christian sister, among them is your 
vocation. Influence, example, instruc- 
tion, — Christian feeding of some of them 
belongs to you. If you do not feed as a 
shepherd, you cannot eat as a sheep. If 
a man will not work, neither shall he 
eat. This is the law of Christ's church. 
If you do not help your brethren, you 
will get no help yourself. Every part 
of Christ's church must be alive for the 
good of the rest. — Howard Crosby. 

909. They tell us that when, a few 
years ago, the German Emperor visited 
the seven-hilled city, and stood at night 
on the crest of the Palatine Mount, — 
Tiber and Via Sacra, Capitol and Co- 
liseum, Arch of Titus and Arch of Sep- 
timius Severus, Forum and Temple of 
Peace, alike hidden in darkness, — the 
whole was suddenly made visible. 
Floods, coruscations of light, of apparent 
flame, turning arch and temple, palace 



and ruin, into one vast, resplendent 
glory! Then, when the colored gleams 
began to fade, there shone forth, from 
above the Capitol's summit, a majestic 
star, pure and white, emblem of Italy's 
hope, of Italy's' patriotic devotion; its 
beams reaching far out, over both land 
and sea, still steadfast, though all other 
lights had paled and disappeared. 

Let the church be your "City of God" ; 
let Christ himself be your Light, your 
Star; and for you the glory shall break 
forth, the desire of all nations shall re- 
appear. — L. T. Chamberlain, D. D. 

910. "The Lord be with you," "And 
with thy spirit." Be assured that where 
there is such mutual love, and such 
joint prayers are offered for each other, 
there the holy angels look down from 
heaven and are ready to carry such 
charitable desires to God Almighty, and 
he is ready to recover them; and that a 
Christian congregation calling thus up- 
on God with one heart and one voice, 
look as beautiful as Jerusalem that is 
at peace with itself. — George Herbert. 

911. Institutions, even of Christianity, 
will perish. Knowledge shall vanish. 
The blessed seals of the new covenant 
will pass away when the kingdom shall 
have fully come. But the church is no 
concession to the lower and weaker hu- 
man nature; it stands for that spiritual 
fellowship for which Christ himself 
yearned, and the blessedness to be en- 
joyed in it here is but a foretaste of the 
bliss to be completed when the Lamb 
and the Bride shall be forever united. 

912. The Christian church, — what is 
it. The perfection of human society; 
human society sunning and blessing it- 
self in the full radiance of Christ. — 
Phillips Brooks. 

913. The world's obligation to the 
church is great, Dr. Bushnell answered 
a rich worldling who questioned the val- 
ue of the church and refused to con- 
tribute to a new church in Hartford; 
"My friend, I want you to think of 
something, what was real estate worth 
in Sodom?" 

914. The most important task which 
awaits the Church, is an advance all 
along the line upon the solid ranks of 
evil. 

On the day of a great battle, upon 
the issues of which hung the liberties 
of Europe, the troops on one side were 
kept for long hours, chiefly on the de- 
fensive. Grand was the exhibition of 
unflinching courage, but grander still 
was the stern self-control which held 
the ranks in check till the decisive mo- 
ment came. On an eminence overlook- 
ing the field the commander-in-chief 



The Christian Life. 



- 147 — 



The Church. 



sat upon his horse, silent, immovable, 
as if man and horse alike were cast in 
bronze. Right well he knew that every 
gallant heart in his army was burning 
with scarce restrained eagerness to 
charge the foe; but he knew the hour 
was not yet, and to every appeal for re- 
inforcements, or for permission to ad- 
vance, he returned but one order, 
"Steady! stand firm;" But before the 
shades of night descended, there came 
a moment when that watchful eye 
caught a gleam of helmets and a flash 
of spears which told that reinforce- 
ments were at hand. Then the gaunt 
form rose in the stirrups, and from the 
compressed lips came the order, so im- 
patiently awaited through all that ter- 
rible conflict, "Let the whole line ad- 
vance!" 

There is a lesson here for the Chris- 
tians of to-day. Hitherto the Church 
has been employed chiefly in skirm- 
ishing. She has sent out reconnoiter- 
ing parties, surveyed the enemy's posi- 
tion, taken some prisoners, and cap- 
tured a few strongholds; but her forces 
are scattered, and the advance guard is 
too distant from the main army. The 
Church cannot — dare not— call hack 
the Hag. and the only alternative is to 
bring up the troops. There are signs 
that this will be done. The conviction 
grows that we have been acting too 
much on the defensive. — Dr. A. Sun- 
derland. 

915. T remember going over the Alps 
in a railway train when there was a 
great deal of snow. We came to a 
standstill, although the engine, a very 
powerful one, was in full work. I 
looked out of the window, and followed 
soon after with my body — for I did not 
like the looks of things — and I saw 
that, although the engine was making 
the wheels go around, the lines were so 
slippery it could get no grip upon them, 
and so the train stood still. That is 
what sonic of us have to complain of 
in our churches. There are good wheels 
going round, but they cannot get a 
grip. It is the Gospel, but there is no 
grip, and the train does not move. — 
Spurgeon. 

91«. When the Church of God makes 
more of the adjuncts of worship than 
of worship itself; when the non-essen- 
tial externals are magnified at the ex- 
pense of the real essentials of the re- 
ligious life; when the church Is stone, 
brick, lumber, stained-glass windows, 
sweetly chanting choir, or eloquent pul- 
pit oration, rather than a company of 
true believers bound together by a spir- 
itual affinity having Its source and In- 
spiration in Jesus Christ, and sincerely 



endeavoring to put into practice his 
principles, and to follow his commands 
of self-denial and self-sacrifice — when 
such a deplorable substitution is made, 
then a condition of stiffness, staleness, 
and spiritual stagnation is sure to result, 
and the Church is missing its aim. 

917. "When nations are to perish in 

their sins, 

'Tis in the Church the leprosy begins." 

918. I never feel like exalting my 
place nor my church, but I do not see 
anything in the great city that is so 
solving its great needs as are those who 
hear the name of Christ. At the battle 
of Gettysburg there was a terrible 
crush in the wheat field and an orderly 
rode at full speed across the field to 
General Hancock, and cried, "Help for 
the wheat field; they are being crushed 
there." Turning in his saddle the great 
commander ordered, without further 
comment, "First brigade, right face, 
double quick, march." So the church 
is the main reliance of every good 
cause. 

919. The blood of the martyrs is the 
seed of the church. One summer Mr. 
John M. Burgess left Deadwood, S. D„ 
to establish a bank at Edmonton in the 

province of Alberta, Canada. After some 
months he wrote to Deadwood that 
he was leaving on a long horseback ride, 
and he has never since been heard 
from; but on the trail which he took 
was found a skeleton, picked clean by 
wolves. Near by lay an empty rifle and 
the carcasses of five wolves, indicating 
a terrible but unsuccessful struggle for 
life. Just such things were risked in 
several of the New England States and 
in many of the Western States; and 
now and then in the mountains of 
Pennsylvania and the interior of Maine 
things of this nature occur. Christ's 
words, "Other men have labored, and 
ye arc entered into their labors" apply 
to the country at large and to the 
Church. — Christian Advocate. 

920. Church Buildings. The first re- 
quisite to the securing of a noble 
church building is that those who have 
charge of its planning and promotion 
should themselves be imbued with lofty 
ideals. Xo man can conceive that which 
excels the thought and purpose of his 
heart. The erection of the Lord's house 

should be undertaken in a devout 
spirit and with pure motives, having 
always in mind the purpose of the 
structure, the time it is to continue its 
mission, and the multitude of people 
who are to he taught and Influenced 
thereby. Ugliness stands for sin, death, 
anrl decay; but beauty inspires to life, 
health, and purity. 



The Christian Life. 



— 148 — 



The Church. 



The necessity for better churches 
increases with the betterment o£ our 
dwellings and other buildings. The 

house in which we worship God and in 
which our children are taught to know 
and love him should be as correct in 
design, attractive in appearance, and 
comfortable in equipment as the house 
in which we live or do business. With 
some churchgoing is the habit of their 
life; they attend and take part in the 
services because they have been trained 
to do so, and they are not so very exact- 
ing as to the accommodations or the 
building; but there are thousands of 
people, especially in our cities, who 
have no special inclination toward the 
Church and are critical in their judg- 
ment of men and things. To them it 
appears inconsistent that the Lord's 
house should be inferior to the houses 
of his children. 

A large and important class with 
which the city church especially must 
reckon is composed of young men and 
women who come in from rural dis- 
tricts and smaller towns. These find the 
city full of attractions to which they 
were heretofore strangers. The great 
majority of them have been carefully 
reared - in Christian homes and taught 
to attend and love their Church, which 
to them meant the best of their advan- 
tages in the way of culture, instruction, 
and inspiration. In order to attract 
and retain these very desirable young 
people, the Church must keep abreast 
of other attractions. — S. R. Badgley. 

921. The Church and the community. 
It is a large property-holder, and influ- 
ences the market for real estate. 

It is a corporation, and administers 
large trusts. 

It is a public institution, and is there- 
fore the subject of protective legisla- 
tion. 

It is a capitalist, and gathers and 
distributes large wealth. 

It is an employer, and furnishes 
means of support to ministers, organ- 
ists, singers, janitors, and others. 

It is a relief organization, feeding 
the hungry, clothing the naked, and 
assisting the destitute. 

It is a university, training children 
and instructing old and young, by pub- 
lic lectures on religion, morals, indus- 
try, thrift, and the duties of citizenship. 

It is a reformatory influence, recov- 
ering the vicious, immoral, and danger- 
ous elements of society, and making 
them exemplary citizens. 

It is a philanthropic association, 
sending missionaries to remotest coun- 
tries to Christianize savage and degrad- 
ed races. 



It is organized beneficence, founding 
hospitals for the sick, asylums for or- 
phans, refuges for the homeless, and 
schools, colleges, and universities for 
the ignorant. — Rev. Dr. H. K. Carroll. 

922. A man was refused admission 
to the membership of a church because 
he did not pay his debts. He asked the 
pastor if there were no members who 
did not always pay their debts. "Yes," 
was the reply, "and that is the reason 
we will not receive you." 

923. That house of God which be- 
comes noted in a neighborhood as a 
place in which many sinners have been 
"transformed by the renewing of their 
minds," will, by a certain instinct of our 
redeemed humanity, soon become a cen- 
tre of attraction, not only to those who, 
with _ scarcely any light, are groping 
after 'the truth, but even to men who 
are still hardily going on in sin. The 
greatest fame of Christianity is the 
fame of the cures she works, her great- 
est glory the glory of the saints she 
trains, her own unshared renown the 
renown of sinners renewed in the image 
of God; and wherever works of this 
kind are noised abroad in any commun- 
ity, there the preacher will not want 
hearers, there the sower will not be 
without a field. — Rev. William Arthur. 

921. One Monday morning in 1872 I 
boarded a train bound from London 
to Liverpool to take ship for home, and 
I found myself facing an old man, who 
proved to be a clergyman and an Amer- 
ican. "Were you in London yesterday?" 
said I. "Yes." "And where did you 
attend church?" "At Mr. Spurgeon's." 
"Did you hear that sermon of his in the 
morning from the text, 'He is a root out 
of a dry ground'?" "Yes." "And what 
did you think of it?" Thereupon he 
was so filled with emotion that he could 
not reply. But his wife took it up, and 
said, "We ciTed all the way through it." 
"And why did you cry?" said I. Then 
it came out, at last, that he had been a 
missionary in Turkey all his life, and 
to come up now, as he had within a few 
days, out of Turkish surroundings, and 
all the depressions thereof, where there 
is not one Christian to a hundred square 
miles, and get into that immense assem- 
bly with its immense unity in the Holy 
Ghost, and hear them singing in a 
great swing like the final hallelujahs of. 
the redeemed, was more than the old 
man's heart could endure. — Dr. Bur- 
ton's Yale Lectures. 

925. Church dedication fundamentals. 
1) A church is not completed until it is 
given to God's worship. A human life 
is not rightly rounded out, until it has 
been consecrated to its proper service. 



The Christian Life. 



— 149 



Church Loyalty. 



2 ) There is no greater work nor high- 
er honor than the erection of a temple 
to Jehovah. It had occupied the chief 
place in the life of a king and people. 
The temple, when completed, was to 
stand for him who dwelt within it. And 
it would be the material representation 
of the highest emotions and largest 
ideals of the people who erected it. It 
would embody the very best that there 
was in themselves. To what greater 
work could they devote their energies? 
It is right that in every age since 
then, Christian temples and churches 
should have called forth the best ener- 
gies of architects and builders. A con- 
gregation honors God when it builds 
magnificently a place for his worship. 

3) No building is truly a temple un- 
til God has manifested himself there in 
some manner. — Hickock. 

Loyalty to the Church. Attendance. 

(926-935) 

926. A politician, whom I knew, 
openly, in a precinct caucus, said to a 
friend, "Professor, you have just moved 
into our neighborhood, and I want to 
invite you to our church.'' I knew a 
young wholesale merchant, who "talks 
up" his church and pastor almost as 
much as he does his boots and shoes, 
and urges his customers to come and 
hear his minister. A young man who 
is at the store all day. spends nearly 
every evening for his church. The pas- 
tor could set him on the track of any 
young man he wanted to interest in the 
church, end be sure that all that could 
be done would be done. Likewise a 
young woman who somehow found out 
all the strangers of her sex present, and 
gave them such a warm greeting that 
they wanted to come again. 

927. A poor widow could neither sing 
nor lead in prayer, but she was always 
in her place, looking bravely into the 
pastor's eyes. She was not able to con- 
tribute much, but she sent flowers to 
the pa-tor's study. An Invalid) who, 
though detained at home, always want- 
ed to know the pastor's theme, always 
prayed for the services, and always kept 
him laden with messages of love for 
others in the church. — The Golden Rule. 

HiS. There arc lour classes in every 
church, the people who are ankle-deep, 
they come once a week to church; one 
meal a week is enough for them, but 
they go to the theater as often as they 
can get there. That Is another matter. 
They are ankle-deepers, they are half- 
timers. Then there are those who are 
up to their knees. They come twice on 
Sabbath and occasionally to a week- 



night prayer meeting. Such miracles 
do happen. Then there are some who 
are up to their loins. The strength of 
their moral manhood is Christ. Then 
those up to their necks; dear true people 
who live to come to church. They come 
whenever the doors are open. They 
keep the church machinery running. 
They are all in, and it is the people 
who are all in that God can depend 
upon. — "Gipsy" Smith. 

929. One Wednesday evening a stran- 
ger in a town asked a lad, "Where can 
I find Mr. Joslyn?" The boy turned, and 
pointing to the prayer-meeting room of 
the church said, "You'll find him in 
there," though he had not seen him enter 
the building. 

930. Gladstone's rule, even in his 
older years, was that of a "twicer", as 
he termed it, at public worship. Church- 
going, he said, was not a matter of fan- 
cy for a Christian; it is his duty for the 
work's sake. No public-spirited disci- 
ple had a moral right to be absent ex- 
cept for a good cause, he often asserted, 
from public worship. I am a regular 
church-goer. I should go for various 
reasons if I did not love it, but I am 
fortunate enough to find great pleasure 
in the midst of devout multitudes, 
whether I can accept all their creeds or 
not. For I find that there is in the 
corner of my heart a little plant called 
Reverence, which wants to be watered 
about once a week. — Oliver Wendell 
Holmes. 

931. Henry Ward Reecher was a 
great lover of a fine horse. He was 

sometimes disposed to compare the 
faithfulness of a man's dumb servant 
with his master, to the disadvantage of 
the latter. A good story is told that 
once when about to take a ride behind 
a horse hired at a livery stable Mr. 
Reecher regarded the horse admiringly, 
and remarked: "That is a fine looking an- 
imal. Is he as good as he looks?" The 
owner replied: ".Mr. Reecher. that horse 
will work in any place you put him. and 
do all that any horse can do." The 
preacher eyed the horse still more ad- 
miringly, and then humorously re- 
marked: "I wish to goodness that he 
was a member of our church." 

9:12. The clerk in a Broadway hotel 

Is seeking information in regard i" 
church services. "It is a new question 
our guests are putting to me that has 
made me turn inquirer myself," he said. 
"Many of them want to know in what 
church they can hear old-fashioned 

congregational singing and join in. if 
they feel like It, without attracting un- 
due attention to themselves. That is :i 



The Christian Life. 



— 150 — 



The Sacraments. 



poser. I know where crack quartets, 
sextets, octets and full choruses can be 
heard, but I don't believe there is a 
church in town that makes a specialty 
of congregational singing." (Norfolk 
Sun.) There is a deeper loyalty to the 
old and simple forms of worship, than 
we sometimes imagine. 

933. An invalid detects the first symp- 
tom of returning health in the new 
relish for. the once loathed bread or ba- 
con. He craves food. So does a healthy 
child of God. He enters church on a 
Sabbath morning positively hungry — 
not for an intellectual tickle or a spiced 
pastry, but for the simple bread of life, 
Christ Jesus, for truth to grow by, for 
the strong meat of the Word of God. 

93-1. Some churches are like wells — 
artesian wells — whose spiritual life 
springs up continually to bless the 
world. The first church at Jerusalem 
was an artesian church. Spontaneously 
its stream of influence went out to all 
the people. In what marked contrast 
are those modern churches whose life 
must be continually pumped in order 
to keep them from dying. What is more 
deplorable than the frantic effort at 
pumping up a revival? 

935. A janitor of one of our city 
churches was once showing some old- 
fashioned visitors through his new 
building and describing its many fea- 
tures with pride, when one of them 
criticised the extravagance of such elab- 
orate buildings; to which he replied 
that, being only the janitor, he did not 
know much about such things, but he 
had heard of a church built by a man 
named Solomon which was said to 
be quite as expensive and elaborate as 
any of modern date. It is well under- 
stood that the temple to which our 
janitor referred was in every detail de- 
signed to promote religious development 
in the Jewish heart and life. Love, 
sacrifice, reverence, and devotion were 
taught and fostered by this great object 
lesson, the architectural features of 
which were inspired and approved by 
God himself. — S. R. Badgeley. 

The Sacraments. (936-942) 

936. Baptism does not save people 
from sin and punishment. One is not 

a Christian because he is baptized, but 
is baptized because he has received 
Christ, and rests upon him for salvation. 

937. The Lord's Supper may be called 
the "Home Gathering" of God's chil- 
dren in commemoration of Sacrificial 
Love for the saving of the world. No 
act of the Christian is more solemn or 
more significant than this remembrance 



of the Crucified. Calvary is the one su- 
premely sacred spot in all the earth, 
and the death of Christ the one divinely 
sacrificial death of all the ages. He 
who approaches the table of the Lord 
with ordinary feelings may well ques- 
tion his personal relation to Christ and 
his personal interest in the wonderful 
provisions of redeeming grace. — Twit- 
chell. 

938. The blessing of the Lord's Sup- 
per depends very much on preparation 
within the inner chamber; on the hun- 
ger and thirst with which one longs for 
the living God. Do not imagine, how- 
ever, that the Supper is nothing but an 
emblematic token of what we already 
have by faith in the word. No; it is a 
spiritual, actual communion from the 
exalted Lord in heaven of the powers 
of his life, yet this only according to 
the measure of desire and faith. Pre- 
pare for the Lord's Supper, therefore, 
with very earnest separation and 
prayer. And then expect that the Lord 
will, with his heavenly power, in a way 
to you incomprehensible, yet sure, renew 
your life. "If there is therefore any 
comfort in Christ, if any consolation of 
love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if 
any tender mercies and compassions, 
fulfill ye my joy, that ye be of the same 
mind, having the same love, being of 
one accord, of one mind; doing nothing 
through faith or through vain-glory, but 
in lowliness of mind, each counting oth- 
ers better than himself; not looking each 
of you to his own things, but each of you 
also to the things of other." 

939. Christ has to be appropriated — ■ 

"Except ye eat .... ye have no life 
tn you", and assimilated, even as food 
is taken into our natural system and be- 
comes a part of ourselves. "He that 
eateth .... dwelleth in me and I in 
him." The feast then is an acknowl- 
edgment that Christ Jesus is necessary 
for our spiritual life, that all depends 
upon him; and that so appropriating 
him and assimilating his life with ours, 
he and we become one — the Head and 
the members, the Vine and the branch- 
es." 

940. "This do in remembrance of me. 
These words reveal at least three things, 
( 1 ) The intense reality of the Lord's 
love for his disciples. "Having loved 
them, says the Apostle — John, "he loved 
them to the end." Those disciples were 
very imperfect, even as we are; yet, 
Jesus loved them. He loved them not 
for the perfections of their character, 
but for the reality and simplicity of 
their faith in him, though their knowl- 
edge and conception of him were limit- 
ed and crude. (2) The reality of his 



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— lol — 



Music. 



humanity. His human heart yearned 
for the loving response of these disci- 
ples, imperfect as they were. (3) The 
breaking of bread and pouring of wine, 
so vividly reproduces the crucifixion of 
Christ, that in order to awaken suit- 
able feelings of love and gratitude and 
devotedness to him he has ordained 
throughout perpetual generations that 
his disciples should "do this in remem- 
brance" of their loving Redeemer. 

941. Christ's word is, "If ye love me, 
keep my commandments." It does not 
say, "Wait till your love is strong, sera- 
phic, unabated, a love as deep as that 
of the beloved disciple"; it says nothing 
about the measure of it, but, "If ye 
love me, then keep my commandments." 
And one of them is, "Be not ashamed of 
me and of my words." Another is, 
"Come to my table in remembrance of 
me." Even love that is weak cannot 
excuse itself from complying with these 
requests; if intelligent, it would not wish 
to. Here is a plain duty before the 
feet of those who have any love to 
Christ. They cannot advance a step 
yet they remain waiting to advance, 
without taking the first step. Obedience 
is the condition upon which blessing is 
bestowed. 

912. Some professedly Christian peo- 
ple urge that they cannot come to the 
table because there are certain persons 
there who, in their judgment, should 
not be allowed to come. Is the Lord's 
table to be a judgment-seat, whereat 
we are to revise the verdict of the 
church? "I cannot," said one to me, 
"join a church, because I cannot find 
one that is perfect." No, I said, and 
if you do not join a church till you do 
find a perfect one, you must wait till 
you get to heaven; and, besides, my dear 
friend, if you ever find a perfect church 
they will not take you in; for I am sure 
they would not be perfect any longer if 
they did. One sickly sheep would then 
have passed into the fold. So it la Idle 
toi- \ou to b<- looking out for perfec- 
tion. 

Music. Hymns. (943-964) 

9 13. Presideni Finney was walking 
about his grounds on the night just be- 
fore his death. In the church where 
he had been preaching for almost forty 
years, the evening service had begun, 
and he heard "Jesus. Lover of my soul", 
out In the air as it floated to him from 
the distance. He caught up the famil- 
iar strain and sang the verses with the 
choir clean on to the end. Before the 
nexl morning he was in heaven singing 
uiiii the saints. 



944. A touching little incident oc- 
curred not long ago in the woman's 
prison on Blaekwell's Island. It hap- 
pened at a Sabbath afternoon service in 
the chapel of the prison. The first part 
of the service was a sermon. It was 
short and simple and full of earnest 
feeling. But it seemed to fall like good 
seed upon the stoniest ground. 

The hundreds of poor, wretched crea- 
tures ranged before the preacher ap- 
parently lost none of the hard, desper- 
ate look that sin and despair had 
stamped upon their features. They sat 
bolt upright, seemingly hearing nothing 
that was going on before them. After 
the sermon, two lady visitors present 
asked the privilege of singing a few 
hymns. This request being granted, 
they began with that sweetest spiritual 
song, "Jesus, lover of my soul," which 
they sang with much expression. 

"Very soon" said one who was pres- 
ent, "I noticed the faces begin to soften. 
And in a moment's time the heads be- 
gan to go down, and before the verse 
was finished they were sobbing aloud in 
all parts of the room." — The Good Way. 

915. Christianity is the only religion 
that abounds in song. Atheism is song- 
less; Agnosticism has nothing to sing 
about; the various forms of idolatry are 
not tuneful; but Judaism said, "Oh, 
come, let us sing unto the Lord;" and 
when Christ came the angels greeted 
his birth with a song, and since then 
Christian song has gained in fullness 
and strength of voice with each century. 
— Advance. 

910. Beethoven lifted mortals up. 
Mozart brought angels down. 

917. A noted musician was Invited to. 
play at Baden-Baden, the great gam- 
bling resort. The hall in which he 
played was close by the gambling house. 
He played for one or two nights, and the 
gambling tables were altogether de- 
serted. The owners protested against 
having music that destroyed their busi- 
ness, and finally hired the hall out from 
under his patrons, and made him move 
further down the street. But that didn't 
do any good, for as long as he stayed 
there and played, the gambling was 
largely forsaken, that they might listen 
to the music, that their hearts and souls 
might be stirred to their depths, that 
they might be lifted above these mun- 
dane vices. 

9 18. A Xew York City missionary 
tells how a little street waif once r;i un- 
to him, bringing a torn, dirty piece of 
paper on which the hymn. ••.lu-.t a- I 
am," was printed. "Please, sir," said he, 
"father sen) me to get a clean paper 



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Music. 



like that." Upon inquiry, the mission- 
ary found that the child's sister had 
learned the hymn at a mission school, 
and had loved to sing it again and again 
as she lay sick and dying in her dreary 
home. After she did, her father found 
in her pocket the crumpled bit of paper 
on which the words could hardly be dis- 
tinguished. "Ask the missionary for 
clean verses just like these," he said, 
"and we will make a frame for them 
and learn to sing them, too." 

949. The son-in-law of the poet 
Wordsworth once wrote to Miss Elliott, 
thanking her for the hymn "Just as I 
am" and saying that it had afforded 
comfort to his wife on her dying bed. 
"When I first read it," he says, "I had 
no sooner finished than she said very 
earnestly, 'That is the very thing for 
me.' At least ten times that day she 
asked me to repeat it, and every morn- 
ing from that day until her decease, 
nearly two months later, the first thing 
she asked for was her hymn. 'Now, my 
hymn,' she would say; and she would 
often repeat it after me, line for line, in 
the day and night." 

950. The hymnology of all modern 
languages has been absolutely created 
by the Hebrew psalmody. The ancient 
classics have not, so far as I know, con- 
tributed a stanza to it. Not a line of 
it lives, through two generations, in 
which the genius of the Psalms of David 
does not overpower and appropriate all 
other resources of culture. The old 
English and Scottish ballads never ex- 
erted on the national mind a tithe of the 
influence of the Hebrew psalm. The 
commonwealth of England owed its ex- 
istence, in part, to the psalm-singing 
of Cromwell's armies. On the conti- 
nent of Europe, also, the whole bulk 
of the despotism of the middle ages 
went down before the rude imitations 
of the Hebrew psalmody by Clement, 
Marot and Hans Sachs. The battle-song 
of Gustavus Adolphus was originally 
published with this title, "A Heart- 
cheering Song of Comfort on the Watch- 
word of the Evangelical Army in the 
Battle of Leipsic, September 7th, 1631. 
God with Us." — Bible Record. 

951. A German soldier once said to 
me that his commander never feared the 
French army excepting when their bands 
were playing their national air. Then 
they were the very incarnation of cour- 
age. 

952. The citizens of Antioch revolted 
against the exactions of the Emperor 
Theodosius, and dashed to pieces his 
statue and that of the Empress, together 
with those of his two sons. Subsequent- 
ly they repented and sent Flavius, their 



bishop, to Constantinople to appease the 
wrath of the emperor. Theodosius re- 
pelled the bishop, declaring that nothing 
but the infliction of a severe punishment 
would satisfy him. The Emperor was 
fond of music, and while feasting had a 
choir of boys sing to him. The bishop 
took charge of these choristers and 
taught them to sing a choral composed 
by himself, which in mournful strains 
described the sorrow and despair of the 
Antiochians. The pathos of the music- 
interested the Emperor; the words fas- 
cinated him. At last, much affected, 
he called out, "Antioch is forgiven!" 

953. Some time ago a railroad disaster 

occurred — even more horrible than the 
usual tragedy of this kind — and the 
cars, piled on top of each other, took 
fire. The heat was so great that no one 
could approach the wreck. Then it was 
learned that several people, hopelessly 
pinned between broken timbers, were 
being slowly burned to death. This aw- 
ful fact was not announced by oaths or 
frantic cries for help, but by the chords 
of a hymn that reached the stricken 
crowd. Started by a masculine voice — 
some thought it the engineer's — the 
sacred song was taken up by another, 
and then another, until the chorus 
swelled above the horrors of the scene: 

E'en though it be a cross 

That raiseth me — 
Soon one voice dropped away, and then 
another, and then the third, so that the 
agonized bystanders knew the very mo- 
ment when the sufferers had passed into 
eternity. 

954. A little while ago there was one 
of those colliery accidents which , make 
a sensitive person almost shrink from 
the sight of burning coal. This time the 
shaft in the Dolcath mine in Cornwall 
collapsed, and eight men were entombed. 
After the rescuing party had been at 
work many hours clearing away the rub- 
bish, they stopped and listened. It is a 
well-known fact that sound penetrates 
long distances in the body of the earth. 
As they put their ears to the ground in 
breathless expectation, a faint sound of 
human voices was heard. Overjoyed to 
find their comrades still alive, the 
men were about to utter a shout of en- 
couragement, when the foreman put his 
finger to his lips with a warning ges- 
ture, for the sounds from the imprisoned 
miners increased in strength until they 
resolved themselves into song. 

From the depths of the earth, from 
the darkness and despair, there came 
the strains of "Nearer, my God, to 
Thee". Reverently the rescuers listened 
to this sublime death-song. The hymn 
was followed by another — stronger in 



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Music. 



tone: "Jesus. Lover of My Soul." The 
rescuing party looked at each other in 
the dim light of the lamps. Tears were 
trickling down each miner's grimy face. 

"Now, boys," cried the foreman, rais- 
ing his pick, "that's the music to work 
by:" 

955. A story is told of Mozart's un- 
known and mysterious •visitor who com- 
missioned him to write a funeral mass. 
As the great composer devoted his 
talents to the work, it became deeply 
impressed upon the artist that the score 
was ordered for and would be used first 
at his own burial. Into it therefore he 
poured all his penitence, his faith, his 
hope. The sorrows of death compassed 
him, but only to shut out the discords of 
sin and shut in the harmonies of heaven. 
And those who have listened to the re- 
quiem so composed, understand that the 
Christian musician like the Hebrew 
psalmist reached the vale where pleas- 
ant waters flow because he gave his 
hand to One who was his heavenly 
Shepherd and who led him through the 
valley of the shadow out into the land 
of peace. 

956. One of the most beautiful exam- 
ples of the power of Christian song oc- 
curred at the fall of the Peniberton 
Mills in Lawrence, Mass., many years 
ago. Suddenly, without warning, in the 
afternoon of a January day, the mill 
collapsed. It was filled with operatives. 
The ruins caught fire. Over eighty peo- 
ple were entrapped among the beams 
and girders, and were crushed, suffocat- 
ed or burned to death. After the first 
cries for help, and the first wails of 
agony, when the hopelessness of their 
position became manifest to them, the 
doomed girls began to sing. Hymn 
after hymn rose from their parched 
throats. Voice after voice broke and 
was silenced. "Shall we gather at the 
river?" "Rock of ages, cleft for me," 
rose distinctly above the roar of 
the flames. Thus the poor girls sang 
their way into death, by the sacred 
words that they had sung at church and 
Sunday-school, at home and among their 
looms. 

The Influence of soul songs has 

been one of the great beneficent forces 

in buman life. It is almost impossible for 
us to overestimate it. Literature and art 
and oratory influence the emotions and 
conduct of men. Xoble poetry haunts 
and inspires us. Rut in the trying cri- 
ses of life — In temptation, or misfor- 
tune, or ilckness. or sorrow, or even 
death — myriads of souls have been 
comforted and helped by the sustaining 
Influence Of Christian song. Many a boy, 
in his first battle with the evil of the 



world, has been morally arrested and 
saved from ruin by the providence of 
hearing in a critical moment the strains 
of some old hymn, often sung in Sun- 
day-school, or with mother and sisters 
on a Sunday night in the dear old home. 
"That is music to live by." 

958. A new story is now told of the 
first time "Home, Sweet Home" was 
sung in public. When the Government 
attempted to harmonize the contending 
factions in the dispute on the Georgia- 
Tennessee boundary line by establishing 
a trading-post there, John Howard 
Payne was accused of inciting the dis- 
satisfied Indians and half-breeds, and 
was arrested and carried to the council- 
house. 

An Indian, who committed suicide on 
the grave of his wife and child, was bur- 
ied in the presence of a number of men, 
among whom w-as Payne. As the body 
of the Indian was lowered into the 
grave, Payne hummed to himself the 
song that has become so famous. 

General Bishop called the young man 
to him and said sternly: 

"Where did you learn that song?" 

"I wrote it myself," answered Payne. 

"Where did you get the tune?" 

"I composed that also." 

"Will you give me a copy of it?" 

"Certainly." 

"Well," said the old Indian fighter, 
"appearances may be against you, but 
a man who can write a song like that is 
no incendiary, and I am going to set you 
free." 

Payne had been living in the house of 
a neighboring family, and on his return 
he related the circumstance, and showed 
the pass that General Bishop had given 
him. That was the first time that 
"Home, Sweet Home" was ever heard in 
public. — Saturday Evening Post. 

959. Duncan Matheson, a Bible reader 
to the soldiers in the Crimea, was re- 
turning one night to his lodgings in an 
old stable. Sickened by the sights he 
had seen, and depressed with the 
thought that the siege of Sebastopol was 
likely to last for months, he trudged 
along in the mud knee-deep. Happen- 
ing to look up, he saw the stars shining 
calmly in the clear sky. Weariness gave 
place to the thought that in heaven Is 
rest, and he began to sing aloud the 
old hymn: 

How bright these glorious spirits shine! 
Whence all their bright array? 
The next day was wet and stormy. 
While going his rounds Matheson came 
upon a soldier standing under the veran- 
I da of an old house. The man was In soiled 
' and ragged clothes, and his shoes were so 
i worn that they did not keep his feet 



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Music. 



from the mud. The Bible reader drew 
him into conversation, cheered him by 
encouraging words and gave him money 
to buy shoes. 

'•I am not what I was yesterday," 
answered the man, his heart opening to 
Matheson's sympathy. "Last night I 
was tired of life and of this blundering 
siege. I took my musket and went 
down yonder determined to blow out my 
brains. As I got round that hillock I 
heard some one singing, 'How bright 
these glorious spirits shine!' It recalled 
to me the Sabbath-school where I used 
to sing it and the religious truths I 
heard there. 

"I felt ashamed of being such a 
coward. I said to myself, 'Here is a 
comrade as badly off as I am, but he is 
not a coward — he's bearing it!' I felt 
that the man had something which I 
did not possess to make him accept with 
cheerfulness our hard lot. I went back 
to my tent, and today I am seeking that 
thing which made the singer so happy." 

"Do you know who the singer was?" 
asked Matheson. 

"No." 

"Well, I was the singer seeking com- 
fort and hope in that song you heard." 

The tears came into the soldier's eyes 
as he thrust the money into Matheson's 
hands, saying: 

"After what you've done for me, I 
can't take it from you." — Youth's Com- 
panion. 

960. The Minneapolis Tribune relates 
a pleasing anecdote of the great Swedish 
prima donna, Christine Nilsson. Miss 
Nilsson was accustomed, when in New 
York, to attend service at the humble 
little Swedish chapel on East Thirty- 
ninth street. She was very regular in 
her attendance, and usually occupied a 
pew near the center of the church. Never 
elsewhere did she seem to sing so sweet- 
ly. One Sunday afternoon she was present 
at the funeral of a generally beloved 
young lady who had been prominent in 
the church and Sunday-school work, 
and whose death occurred under peculi- 
arly harrowing circumstances. At a 
point in the ritual where a hymn is 
sung, just before the body is borne away 
to the cemetery, Miss Nilsson slowly 
walked from the pew down the aisle, 
paused on the platform at the side of 
the casket, and laid upon it a simple 
but beautiful wreath of flowers; then 
facing the congregation, with her arms 
crossed upon her breast, she sang in her 
native Swedish tongue, with almost un- 
earthly pathos and artless simplicity, a 
beautiful funeral hymn: 

"Oh! angels of immortal light, 

In robes of dazzling radiance bright, 



On wings of love, come! bear away 

Our sister's form of senseless clay; 

Waft, kindly wings, oh! waft away. 

Our sister, to eternal day." 

When she had concluded, and the 
notes of the organ accompaniment had 
died away, there was a silence so pro- 
found as to seem awful. It was some 
moments before the pastor could recov- 
er from the spell and utter the few 
closing words of the service. 

961. While Rev. W. J. Davis was liv- 
ing in Africa, his little son John, a boy 
of four years, went too near a chained 
lion in a neighbor's yard. It was called 
a pet lion, but was so wild and vicious 
that no living thing was safe within the 
radius of its teat. 

The unsuspecting child stumbled 
within its reach, and the lion instantly 
felled him to the ground and set its 
huge paw on his head. There was great 
consternation among the bystanders, 
but none were able to deliver the child. 
African News tells the story of his es- 
cape, which seems equally due to the 
lion's love for music and a young wo- 
man's presence of mind. 

Miss Moreland, seeing the peril of the 
child, ran upstairs, seized an accordeon 
and hastened to a window which looked 
out upon the lion. There, with a shout 
to arrest its attention, she began playing 
a tune. The lion at once released its 
prey, went the length of its chain to- 
ward its fair charmer, and stood in rapt 
attention. The boy, in the meantime, 
got up and ran to his mother. He 
never thought of crying till he entered 
the house and saw how excited every 
one was; then, quite out of danger, he 
had a good cry on his own account. 

962. Madame Pauline Lucca, the 
Prussian songstress, rented a villa near 
Berlin. One evening, as she sat writ- 
ing, she caught the reflection of a man's 
face, in a small mirror, glaring at her 
through the window. She was alone in 
the house, arM had valuable jewels. In- 
stinctively she thought of her great 
power of song. She began crooning a 
Russian lullaby; and then, singing loud- 
er as she gained courage, another, and 
another. The face had disappeared, 
and she was not disturbed. Three days 
later Madame Lucca received an un- 
signed letter which she read to her 
maid, and often to others as the years 
went by: 

"Madame Lucca: The night you sang 
the lullaby song you saved me from 
crime and maybe saved your own life. 
I knew that the jewels were there, and 
I came desperately determined to have 
them at any cost. Your singing drove 
me away; but flatter not yourself that it 



— 155 — 



Christ Our Friend. 



was your power of song. It was the 
trembling voice of my dear old mother 
that I heard, coming from your lips, 
singing the lullaby of my babyhood. It 
made me feel that my angel mother was 
there and I was powerless to commit 
.any crime, so I went away." — Lippin- 
cott's. 

963. How do you make "smoking 
flax" burn? You give it oil. you give it 
air, and you take away the charred por- 
tions. And Christ will give you, in 
your feebleness, the oil of his Spirit, that 
you may burn brightly as one of the 
candlesticks in his temple, and he will 
let air in, and take away the charred 
portions by the wise discipline of sor- 
row and trial sometimes, in order that 
the smoking flax may become the shin- 
ing light. But by whatsoever means it 
may be, be sure of this, that he will nei- 
ther despise nor neglect the feeblest in- 
clination of good after him, but will 
nourish it to perfection and to beauty. 

The reason why so many Christian 
men's Christian light is so fuliginous 
and dim is just that they keep away 
from Jesus Christ. "Abide in me and I in 
you. As the branch cannot bear fruit 
of itself, except it abide in the vine, no 
more can ye except ye abide in me." 

How can the temple lamps burn bright 
unless the priest of the temple tends 
them? Keep near him. (Maclaren). 
Lei the songs of a true and living faith 
ever sound rorth from your heart, ris- 
ing above earth's din and clamor. 

984. I remember hearing a stage 
driver's story of .Jenny Lind. A bird of 
brilliant plumage on a tree near as they 
drove by trilled out a compliment of 
sweet notes that astonished her. The 
coach stopped, and, reaching out, she 
gave one of her finest roulades. The I 
beautiful creature arched his head on 
one side and listened deferentially; then, 
as if to excel his famous rival, raised 
his graceful throat, and sang a song of 
rippling melody thai made •Jenny rapt- 
urously clap her Lands in ecstasy, ;in<l 
quickly, as though she were before a se- 
verely critical audience in Castle Gar- 
den, she gave some Tyrolean mountain 
strains that set the echoes flying, where- 
upon little birdie took it up, and sang 
and trilled till Jenny in happy delight, 
acknowledged the warbler decidedly 
outea rolled the Swedish nightingale. — 
Ham's Horn. 

Christ Our Friend. (965-1007) 

90T». It is said that the sweetest side 
of any fruit or vegetable is the side 
which grows toward the ran. There is | 



no doubt that the sun has a great deal 
to do with the beauty and flavor of the 
fruits which are the delight of man. In 
this casual observation, as in so many 
facts from nature, rests a beautiful 
spiritual lesson for us all. What the sun 
is to the natural world, that, and much 
more, is Christ to the world of spiritual 
things. As the sun influences the fruits 
and vegetables of the earth, giving them 
beauty and lusciousness, so Christ sheds 
an influence over the life of many and 
gives them beauty of character and pur- 
ity of heart. And as the sweetest side 
of a fruit or vegetable is the side toward 
the sun, so the best side of man is the 
side toward Christ. 

966. Christ is our good shepherd. An 
evangelist in Ireland went to visit a dy- 
ing boy. He found him in a wretched 
hovel. "My poor boy," he said, "you 
are very ill; I fear you suffer a great 
deal." The lad replied, "Yes, I have a 
bad cough; it takes my breath and hurts 
me." "How did you catch it?" "Ah! 
it was when one of the sheep strayed. 
Snow was on the ground, and the wind 
pierced me through and through. It 
was morning before I found the sheep 
and brought it home, and being kept out 
the whole night I took cold; but I don't 
mind so long as the sheep is saved." The 
Father sent the Son to seek you. Gladly 
he went, though it cost his life. Won't 
you accept him who made this great 
sacrifice?" 

967. Heinrlch Heine found himself in 
Paris during the scenes of the Revolu- 
tion of 1848. Weary, unbelieving, al- 
most helpless in his endeavors to escape, 
he entered a room of the Louvre, and 
fell down before that wonder of ancient 
art, the Venus of Milo. He looked up 
with almost worship of its divine beauty, 
and a vague desire for help. But, 
though an object of exquisite beauty, 
Its arms were broken off, and it could 
not reach down to his aid: the ears were 
marble, and could not hear; the heart 
was stone, and could not feel. So are 
those who turn to reason or science or 
the world for help. These have no 
arms to reach down to the soul in dis- 
tress; their ears are marble, and can 
not hear our cry; their hearts arc stone 
dead, and they can not sympathize or 
aid. Only Christ, the living One, the 
perfection of moral beauty, the wonder 
of the world, can help the SOUl In need, 
and with power say, "Come unto me, 
and ye shall find rest unto your souls." 

968. One of the most engaging of all 
the catacomb testimonies to this faith, 
in the kindness, grace, love and faith- 
fulness of the Good Shepherd. Is known 
as the Good Shepherd and the Seasons, 



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Christ Our Friend. 



In the center stands the strong, stalwart 
Shepherd with a lamb upon his shoul- 
der; one hand holds a crook, the other 
the legs of the lamb, as if to secure the 
recovered creature from fear of being 
lost again; on either side of the Shep- 
herd are the figures representing the 
seasons. Spring has roses in bloom, 
summer has fruits, autumn ripened 
ears, while "winter as an old man burns 
the leaves." The meaning is that the 
Good Shepherd cares for his sheep the 
year round, is with them "all the day." 

969. A friend of mine was staying 
near Mont Blanc. He had been there 
for a fortnight, but had not seen the 
"monarch of the Alps." Nearly out of 
heart with waiting, he was preparing to 
leave. Going up to dress for dinner, he 
passed a window and saw that the mon- 
arch was still veiled in mist. Having 
dressed, he came down stairs, passing 
the window again. Every vestige of 
mist had now parted, and Mont Blanc 
stood revealed from base to snow-clad 
peak. So there comes upon us a breath 
of the Holy Ghost, before which the 
misconceptions of life pass, and God re- 
veals his Son in us as the center of our 
life. — Dr. F. B. Meyer. 

970. Christ is with us always. It is 

not holiness, but it is Jesus the holy one. 
It is not meekness, it is Jesus the 
meek one. It is not purity, it is Jesus 
the pure one. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! not 
it, not an experience, not emotion, not 
faith, but Jesus. 

You have been worrying about your 
faith. Give it up! Do not think about 
your faith; think about Jesus, and you 
will have faith without knowing it. You 
have been worrying about your feeling. 
It does not matter, it goes up and down 
with the barometer. Have done with 
it, and live in the presence of Jesus. — 
Meyer. 

971. A busy woman entered her room 
hastily as twilight shades were falling, 
went directly to her desk, turned on the 
gas, and began to write. Page after 
page she wrote, five minutes she worked, 
ten, half an hour. The solitude became 
oppressive. She wheeled her chair 
around, and, with a shock of joyful sur- 
prise, looked squarely into the smiling 
face of her dearest friend, lying on the 
lounge by her side. 

"Why, I didn't know you were here!" 
she cried. "Why didn't you speak to 
me?" 

"Because you were so busy. You 
didn't speak to me." 

So with Jesus. He is here all the time. 

972. Some one asked Coleridge if he 
could prove the truth of Christianity, 



and he said, "Yes, try it." "Taste and 
see that the Lord is good." 

973. The ancients used to marvel at 
the mystery of the bubbling spring; 

some went so far in their awe as to wor- 
ship fountains and flowing streams: 
others peopled them with mysterious 
spirits. Much is made clear, however, 
when we know that behind these welling 
springs are great reservoirs of water, 
far back in the hills, whose power ex- 
plains the single fountain. God is the 
great reservoir of the ages. 

974. It is said that on one occasion 
Seneca, the great philosopher, said to 
Polybius, who was complaining about 
his condition, "Never complain of thy 
hard fortune so long as Caesar is thy 
friend." To those who complain about 
hard fortune, about hard times, about 
loss of health or loss of wealth, let us 
say, never complain of your condition 
in life, so long as Jesus is thy friend. 
It is well to remember that he is a 
friend that sticketh closer than a 
brother, "and that all things work for 
good to them that love God." The only 
thing that we need to do is to keep lov- 
ing God with all our might. 

975. A large number of runaway 
slaves have sought refuge at the Church 
Missionary Society's stations in East 
Equatorial Africa. In some cases we 
have been legally accorded permission 
to retain these fugitives, and in other 
instances the masters have been afraid 
to claim their lost property. There are 
hundreds of these men and women on 
our stations; but many of them have 
come to us as a warped material, mould- 
ed, and shaped, and twisted by the de- 
basing vices of slavery, and the influ- 
ence of their Mohammedan masters. 
Some of them have turned out well, and 
and have rewarded us for our care, and 
others have proved responsive to our 
teaching, and have settled down as de- 
cent and orderly members of society 
and law-abiding citizens. — Rev. Thomas 
Wakefield. 

976. One evening a student asked 
Phillips Brooks this question, in a per- 
plexed and serious tone: "Is conscious 
personal fellowship with Jesus Christ a 
part of Christianity?" Phillips Brooks 
was immediately as much in earnest as 
his questioner. He hesitated, reflected, 
and replied decisively: "Conscious per- 
sonal fellowship with Jesus Christ is 
Christianity. That is what differentiates 
the religion of the Bible from all others. 
A man is a Christian in so far as he 
knows Jesus Christ." 

The answer was an echo from Christ's 
own prayer at the communion table: 



The Christian Life, 



Christ Our Friend 



"This is the life eternal, that they know 
thee, the only true God, and him whom 
thou hast sent — Jesus Christ." 

977. One of the greatest writers of 
last century has told of a forsaken wife 
dying poor, heart-broken, lonely, and 
unloved. She had no one with her but 
her little son, whom she had taught to 
pray. When the end came very close, 
there fell a strange clearness into her 
soul, which calmed every fear, and 
hushed the voice of every passion, and 
she lay for a season as if entranced. 
Then she spoke to her child, and 
charged him all his life to say every 
morning and every night the prayer and 
hymn he had just been saying. "They 
are all I have to leave you: but if you 
only believe them, you will never be 
without comfort, no matter what hap- 
pens to you." The hymn was: 

"One there is above all others 

"Well deserves the name of Friend; 

His is love beyond a brother's, 
Costly, free, and knows no end." 

—British Weekly. 

978. After the battle of Gettysburg 
as we were following Lee's shattered, 
retreating army, I learned that Major 

, a friend of mine, lay mortally 

wounded in a certain farmhouse some 
little distance from the road on which 
we were marching, and I determined to 
call and bid him good-by. While walk- 
ing up through the yard the thought oc- 
curred to me. Now what can I say to 
this dying Christian soldier in the few 
minutes I can be with him that will be 
most comforting to him? 

Then I thought of my little Testa- 
ment which I carried in the inside pock- 
et of my coat, and I took it out. On 
entering the room where the dying 
soldier lay, he looked up, recognized 
me. smiled, and taking my extended 
hand, he pressed it gently, tears filled 
his eyes, and he said: "General, I'll soon 
be gone. Sorry I can't live to fight for 
my country." 

I said: "Yes, that is sad: but do not 
worry; others will fight, and with the 
help of God, the Union will be saved." 

"Thank you, thank you," he said, 
"that is my faith and hope." 

Then I said: "Major, I must be going, 
but I wish to leave with you a few of 
the comforting words of our divine 
Lord." He nodded his assent, and I 
rend slowly :nnl softly from the four- 
teenth Chapter of St. John's Gospel: 
"Let not your heart be troubled." When 
I stopped reading, he said with great 
fervency, "Oh. so comforting! so com- 
forting! Thank you, General, thank 
you," and I left, not to see him again, i 



until we meet around the great white 
throne. — Gen. O. O. Howard. 

979. The circulation of the ocean 
constitutes a plain and permanent pic- 
ture of the relations between a human 
soul and a redeeming God. The sea 

is always drawing what it needs down 
to itself, and also always sending up of 
its abundance into the heavens. It is 
always getting, and always giving. So, 
when in the covenant the true relation 
has been constituted, the redeemed one 
gets and gives, gives and gets: draws 
from God a stream of benefits, sends up 
to God the incense of praise. — Arnot. 

980. A faithful preacher was once 
lying dangerously ill, and the members 
of his church were praying earnestly 
at his bedside that the Lord would raise 
him up, and preserve him to them. In 
doing so they made mention, among 
other things, of his tender watchfulness 
in feeding the lambs of his flock, making 
use of the expression, "Lord, thou know- 
est how he loves thee." At this the sick 
man turned to them and said, "Ah, chil- 
dren, do not pray thus. When Mary and 
Martha sent to Jesus, their message was 
not, "Lord, ho who loveth thee." but, 
'Lord, he whom thou lovest is sick.' It 
is not my imperfect love to him which 
comforts me, but his perfect love to 
me." — Words and Weapons. 

981. Unless you obtain God's leading 
for all the little things of life, you are 

not likely to obtain it for the great 
trials when they come. It is the path 
that you tread often in the sunshine 
that you speed to in the storm. 

982. Sheridan comforted his defeat- 
ed army in the Shenandoah by adding 
the strength of his presence. The ex- 
tra locomotive comforts the stalled 
train by adding its strength. God is 
the God of all comfort, because he is 
the God of all strength: he comforts 
us by sharing his life with us. The 
Holy Spirit is Comforter because he 
ministers God to men. He is not a 
sleeping potion to lull to inactivity, but 
heavenly ozone to quicken spiritual cir- 
culation, to renew the blood of the soul, 
to arouse and stimulate. — Rev. O. P. 
Gifford, D. D. 

98:5. At the closing service in a series 
of evangelistic meetings in Newark. 
N. J., a man of 15 years said to me: "At 
the service for men last Sunday after- 
noon I became persuaded that the right 
thing for me to do was to accept the 
gospel of salvation. I concluded to 
think the matter over, which I did. I 
did not attend any of the services until 
last Wednesday evening, when I defin- 
itely accepted Christ as iu> Savior, i 



Christ Our Friend. 



made no declaration of this, but have 
come now to thank you and to say that 
I am going to enter into the member- 
ship of the church at once." We talked 
with the man about his life, which had 
been lived far from God. I said to 
him: "The devil is not going to let you 
go if he can help it. He will have a 
time with you, and you must be care- 
ful and spend much time in prayer and 
in communion with God and in the fel- 
lowship of God's people." The man re- 
plied: "I know that the devil will seek 
to hold me to the old way, but I have 
now a lead on the devil that I never 
had before." "What is that?" I asked, 
and he answered: "By accepting of 
Christ I am now in him, and if I con- 
tinue to walk with him the devil will 
never be able to overtake us.'' — John F. 
Carson, D. D. 

984. A German professor who had 
spent years in compiling the arguments 
of skepticism was suddenly converted. 
In reply to the question, "What led you 
to change your mind so quickly?" he 
stated that in all his thoughts on re- 
ligious subjects he had never before 
consulted the want of his own heart for 
the assurance of divine grace and com- 
munion, and that from the moment 
when he looked at the matter from that 
standpoint he could have no doubt that 
Jesus Christ was the Son of God. 

985. One of the heathen converts in 
Canton, China, going into the home of 
a missionary, found her in trouble. 
Her first question asked in real sympa- 
thy was, "Have you told Jesus about 
it?" With shame the missionary was 
obliged to acknowledge that she had 
not, and the look of painful surprise 
that came into the Chinese woman's 
face was a keener reproach than the 
most bitter words. The missionary 
then threw herself upon her knees and 
told her Father all the trouble, and 
begged his forgiveness for her ingrati- 
tude, and humbly thanked him for the 
unconscious rebuke the young convert 
had given her. "He will make it all 
right now," said the Chinese woman in 
a voice of real pleasure. And he did. — 
Arnold. 

986. He will gather the lambs in his 
arms, and carry them in his bosom. I 

saw a shepherd with the folds of his 
coat bent far outward, and I wondered 
what was contained in that amplitude 
of apparel, and said to the dragoman: 
"What has that shepherd got under his 
coat?" and the dragoman said: "It is a 
very young lamb he is carrying; it is 
too young and too weak and too cold to 
keep up with the flock". At that mo- 
ment I saw the lamb put its head out 



from the shepherd's bosom, and I said: 
"There it is now, Israel's description of 
the tenderness of God." — Dr. Talmage. 

987. Have you ever seen, or perhaps 
made one of a party going to explore 
some deep, dark cavern — Mammoth 
Cave of Kentucky or the Catacombs of 
Rome? They all stand out in the sun- 
light, and the attendants, who know 
the journey they are going to make, 
pass round among them and put into 
the hands of each a lighted candle. 
How useless it seems! How pale and 
colorless the little flame appears in the 
gorgeous flood of sunlight! But the 
procession moves along. One after an- 
other enters the dark cavern's mouth. 
One after another loses the splendor of 
daylight. In the hands of one after 
another the feeble candle-light comes 
out bright in the darkness, and by and 
by they are walking in the dark, hold- 
ing fast their candles as if they were 
their very life, totally dependent now on 
what seemed so useless half an hour 
ago. That seems to me to be a picture 
of the way in which God's promises of 
consolation, which we attach but very 
little meaning to at first, come out into 
beauty and value as we pass on into our 
lives. — Phillips Brooks. 

988. When Jesus sits in the ship, 
everything is in its right place. The 
cargo is in the hold, not in the cabin. 
Cares and gains, fears and losses, yes- 
terday's failure and to-day's success do 
not thrust themselves in between us and 
his presence. The heart cleaves to him. 
"Goodness and mercy shall follow me," 
said the psalmist. Alas, when the good- 
ness and mercy come before us, and 
our blessings shut Jesus from view! 
Here is the blessed order — the Lord ever 
first, I following him, his goodness and 
mercy following me. — Mark Guy Pearse. 

989. The way to realize the Divine 

Presence is to practice it, to believe it, 
and put it to the test. Suppose we be- 
gin to-morrow morning and try all day 
to live as if Christ were visible with us. 
It will keep us patient and sweet at 
breakfast time, even if the cereal has 
been scorched, or something has gone 
wrong in the Kitchen. It will keep us kind 
and gentle when people jostle against 
us and do not do just as we would have 
them do. It will make us strong to en- 
dure temptation when we are put to the 
test in any way. We will do our work 
better, more honestly, more conscienti- 
ously, more skillfully, because the eye 
of the Master is on us. It should be 
possible to practice the presence of 
Christ for one little day. If we do this 
we can do it for a second day, and then 
a third day. It will bring a new 



The Christian Life. 



— 159 — 



Christ Our Friend. 



power into our lives, new energy, new 
fidelity, new joy. — Wellspring. 

990. Cling fast to the hand that is 
leading you, though it be in darkness, 
though it be in deep waters; you know 
whom you have believed. Yield not for 
a single moment to misgivings about 
future storms. — J. A. Alexander. 

991. The Syrian shepherd has two 
implements of his calling, neither of 
which is wanting when he is on full 
duty. His dress consists of an un- 
bleached calico shirt, gathered in at the 
waist by a strong, red leather belt. 
Hung to the belt, the "leathern girdle" 
of Scripture, besides his rude clasp- 
knife and small leather pouch, or 
"scrip", is a formidable weapon of de- 
fence, a stout bludgeon now called in 
Arabic "naboot", used to protect himself 
and his charge from assailants. It is 
generally made of a species of oak, is 
about two feet long, and often has a 
large number of heavy iron nails driven 
into its rounded head, which render it 
a very deadly weapon. Sometimes it is 
fashioned from a species of willow 
which is peculiarly light, and at the 
same time exceedingly tough and strong. 
The club is easily attached to the belt, 
being furnished with a noose of cord 
passed through a hole in the end by 
which it is grasped. 

The staff is generally a straight, 
strong rod. Its use answers to the Eng- 
lish shepherd's crook, to guide the sheep, 
to recover them from danger, to rule 
the stragglers into order, and at times 
to chastise the willful. 

Thy club and thy slay, they comfort 
me. Jehovah's club — that is, his arm 
of power — will battle down every foe. 
He guides us by the way, helps our in- 
firmities, chastens us when we wander, 
rescues us from peril and leads us back 
into the "paths of righteousness." — 
James Neil, "Palestine Explored." 

992. Dostoieffsky, in his powerful ro- 
mance, The Idiot, describes two Itus- 
sians stopping before Holbein's picture 
<>r Jesus being lowered from the cro — . 
with mangled body, and traces of pain, 
wounds, and bruises on his limbs. "I 
like looking at that picture," says one. 
"That picture!" exclaims his friend. 
"That picture! Why, some people's 
faith is ruined by that picture!" He 
goes on to explain that it is a represen- 
tation of death as u blind, implacable 
force, working its will on this grand, 
priceless Being, himself worth more 
than all nature and all the earth. But 
as an evidence of Christ's great love 
his death utters a blessed message to his 
followers. 

993. In some parts of India there are 



provided along the road resting places 

for those who carry heavy loads on 
their heads. Such a resting place is 
called a Suniatanga. These rests have 
a shelf where the traveler can easily 
drop his burden. Beneath is a shady, 
recessed seat where he can quietly rest. 
Referring to one of these a native Chris- 
tian said, "Christ is my Sumatanga." 

994. A repulsive-looking old woman 

who, after a life of unbelief, had been 
converted, became the subject of perse- 
cution at the hands of her godless 
j neighbors. One venomously exclaimed, 
"I think you're the ugliest old woman 
that I ever saw." To which the old 
woman, her face beaming with a light 
that made her beautiful, replied in tears, 
"Wasn't it wonderful that Christ could 
have loved an ugly old woman like 
me?" — New York Observer. 

995. In 1863, in the crisis of our Civil 
War. there was an interesting phenom- 
enon that took place in Virginia City 
in Nevada. One day f the bright summer 
sky was suddenly overcast with dense 
masses of threatening cloud, and the 
lightning played vividly. Suddenly on 
Mount Davidson's eastern slope that 
confronted the city, a delicate golden 
tongue of flame was seen swaying in the 
wind. For an hour that flame contin- 
ued to sway to and fro on the moun- 
tain's brow. The explanation of it was 
simply this: there was an unseen rift in 
those dark, dense masses of cloud, and 
through that rift the evening sun flung 
his luminous beams and lit up Un- 
American flag that was raised on the 
summit of Mount Davidson. It was the 
national emblem that was glowing in the 
burning beams of the setting sun. The 
people stood there wrapped in admira- 
tion and entranced in astonishment. 
That flag was the unknown signal of 
two Victories that had taken place that 
day — Vicksburg had yielded, and Get- 
tysburg was won. Often there are dark, 
dense masses of cloud in our firmament; 
but, blessed be God, there is a rifl in 
the storm-cloud, and the Sun of right- 
eousness shines forth with healing in 
his beams, and they rest on the flag of 

the cross raised on the very mountain 
heights of the strongholds of Satan, 

Let us stand and look at that symbol 
with thankfulness that Christ is not 
dead and never can die, and by that 
sign shall we conquer. — Dr. A. J. I'ier- 
son. 

99(». I have heard of a story of a vis- 
Itor who was supposed to he a resident 
of heaven, who spent some time with a 
family on earth. People noticed that 
he seemed to find even In the lowliest 
and most repulsive men and women 



The Christian Life. 



— 160 — 



Christ Our Friend. 



something' that was exceedingly attract- 
ive and toward which his heart went 
out. Upon asking him what it was that 
caused him to love these seemingly un- 
lovely persons, he answered, "I have 
spent all my time with Jesus, and I 
love him with all my heart and soul. 
I have been with him so much that I 
have come to know the demeanor of 
his form and the look of his eye and 
almost every one of his gestures; and 
as I looked at these people that seemed 
to you so repulsive I could detect in 
every one of them some gesture or some 
expression of the face or voice that re- 
minded me of Jesus, and I could not 
help loving them." — Mills. 

997. There is a fresh-water fountain 
near the mouth of the Columbia River, 
where there is a large rise and fall of 
the tide. Twice a day the salt tide 
rises above that beautiful fountain and 
covers it over; but there it is, down deep 
under the salt tide, and when the tide 
has spent its force and gone back again 
to the ocean's depths, it sends out its 
pure waters fresh and clear as before. 
So if the human heart be really a foun- 
tain of love to Christ it will send out 
its streams of fresh, sweet waters even 
in the midst of the salt tides of politics 
or business. 

998. When the freed slave, Sojourner 
Truth, was telling the pathetic story of 
her child who had been stolen from her 
and sold, she said^ "I didn't rightly 
know which way to turn; but I went to 
the Lord and I said to him, 'O Lord, if 
I was as rich as you be, and you was 
as poor as I be, I'd help you, you know 
I would: and oh, do help me!' and I 
felt sure he would, and he did." She 
was doing just what the New Testament 
exhorts us to do. "We have not a high 
priest that cannot be touched with the 
feeling of our infirmities; but one that 
hath been in all points tempted like as 
we are, yet without sin. Let us there- 
fore draw near with boldness unto the 
throne of grace, that we may receive 
mercy, and may find grace to help us in 
time of need." — Monday Club Sermons. 

999. Christian men and women, do 
you go through the world with your lips 
closed about him whom you say is your 
one true love, with lips locked concern- 
ing him that you regard with your deep- 
est and strongest affection? — Alexander 
McLaren. 

1000. We remember hearing a speak- 
er tell how in his youth he and a young 
companion became lost in the maze at 
Hampton Court; they wandered about, 
tired, discouraged, but they felt sure 
they would find their way out presently, 
and they thought it would seem foolish | 



to ask directions, though they saw an 
J3ld man working not far off. All their 
efforts, however, proved unavailing, and 
at last they came with red faces to ask 
the old man if he could possibly tell 
them how to get out of the maze. 

"Why," he answered, "that's just what 
I am here for; why did you not say you 
wanted to get out before?" And he put 
them at once on the right track. 

There is One who stands ready to be 
our Counsellor, our Guide, our Light, 
in every labyrinth; instead of yielding 
to worry, let us simply ask him to take 
us by the hand and lead us through. — 
The Quiver. 

1001. A train was descending the 
eastern slope of the Allegheny moun- 
tains. Just as it was entering a deep 
cut, the brakes were suddenly set. 
Passengers looked from the windows to 
discover the cause. The engineer saw 
a little girl and her brother playing on 
the track. Close to the rail was a 
niche, out of which a piece of rock had 
been blasted. In an instant the baby 
was thrust into this niche, and as the 
cars came thundering by, the passen- 
gers, holding their breath, heard the 
clear voice of the little sister, on the 
other side of the cars, ring out: "Cling 
close to the rock, Johnny! cling close 
to the rock!" And he snuggled in and 
was saved. In a few hours the cars 
stopped at a station, where an old man 
and his son got out. The youth was 
going to an Eastern city to live, while 
the father was to turn back to his home. 
As the father stood holding the hand 
of his boy, tears filled his eyes, and all 
he could say was: "Cling close to the 
Rock, my son!" 

1002. When Omar Khayyam was a 

pupil of the Imam Howaffah at Naisha- 
pur, he struck up a friendship with two 
other pupils who were of his own age, 
Hasam and Nizam. One day they made 
a covenant and pledge with one an- 
other that whoever should gain a high 
position, should share his good fortune 
with his less favored companions. 
The vow, it seems, was kept. Nizam 
became vizier, and did not forget his 
friends, both of whom received from 
him or through him what thy de- 
sired. So Christ remembers his follow- 
ers, when on his throne. 

1003. In England I was told of a 
lady who had been bed-ridden for years. 
She was one of those saints whom God 
polishes up for the kingdom. She said 
that for a long time she used to watch 
a bird that came to make its nest near 
her window. One year it came to make 
its nest, and it began to build so low 
down she was afraid something would 



— 161 — 



Prayer. 



happen to the young: and every day that 
she saw the bird busy at work making 
its nest, she kept saying, "O bird, build 
higher!" One morning she awoke, 
looked out, and she saw nothing but 
feathers scattered all around, and she 
said: "Ah, the cat has got the old bird 
and all her young." It would have been 
a kindness to have torn that nest down. 
That is what God does for us very often 
— just snatches things away before it 
is too late. If you build for time you 
will be disappointed. Build up yonder. 
— Moody. 

1004. Communion cultivates spiritual 
powers. The most beautiful things 
open not to the eye, but to the soul 
fitted to understand them. "Well, I do not 
see that she is much superior to other 
women," said a man to Xewhall as he 
stood in rapt admiration before the Sis- 
tine Madonna in the Dresden gallery. 
Dr. Xewhall says: "I made no reply; 
much less did I think of arguing the 
matter with him; for why should I at- 
tempt to prove beauty to a man on 
whom the Sistine Madonna had failed?" 

1005. How truly Charles Kingsley's 
word-picture of "a friend" describes 
Christ. "One human soul whom we can 
trust utterly: who knows the best and 
worst of us. and who loves us in spite of 
all our faults; who will speak Che honest 
truth to us while the world flatters us 
to our face, and laughs at us behind 
our back; who will give us counsel and 
reproof in the day of prosperity and 
self-conceit; but who will comfort and 
encourage us in the day of difficulty 
and sorrow, when the world leaves us to 
fight our battle as we can." 

lOOfi. Christ's friendship costs quiet 
and case oftentimes. There is an apo- 
cryphal saying, attributed to Christ, 
"He that is near to mc is near to the 
fire." lie that Is nearest to God will 
find Satan nearest to him. 

1007. An old English fisherman, a de- 
vout Christian, anxious to hear Spur- 
geon preach, went to his church. They 
were seating pew-holders first. An 
usher asked him if he belonged there. 
He said, "No, but do you know the 
Lord Jesus Christ?" "Yes, I do," said 
the usher. "Well he's my brother." 
They took him forward to a good seat 
at once. — -Major Whittle. 

Prayer. (1008-1087) 

1008. In all of our praying, said Dr. 
George Matheson, we must remember 
that there are special seasons for the 
yiits of the heavenly Father. Many a 
man asks in April ;i gift of Divine fruit 
that will only be ripe In June. Take the 

li Prac. in. 



case of Paul. Immediately after his 
conversion he prayed for a mission, 
"Lord, what wouldst thou have me to 
do?" He was answered by being sent 
into the solitudes of Arabia. Was the 
gratification of his prayer denied, then? 
Xo, it was postponed. He had asked at 
an unacceptable time. He had desired 
for April the fruits of June. He was 
not ready for a mission. The light from 
heaven had overheated him. He needed 
to be cooled down ere he could deal 
with the practical wants of men. Ac- 
cordingly God prepared for him a place 
in the wilderness where he could rest 
and ponder. The mission was coming, 
! but it was coming with the developed 
years; it was hid in the bosom of the 
Father till the acceptable time. 

1009. Once a sturdy Scot, valiant in 
speech as in deed, British Ambassador 
to the Court of Prussia, sat at the table 
of Frederick the Great, then meditating 
a war whose sinews were to be mainly 

| formed of English subsidies. Around 

I the table sat French wits of the infidel 
sort. Suddenly the talk changed to 

i war and war's alarms. Said the long- 
silent Scot, "England would, by the help 
of God. stand by Prussia." "Ah!" said 
iniidel Frederick, "I did not know that 
you had an Ally of that name;" and the 
infidel wits smirked applause. "So 

I please Your Majesty," was the swift re- 
tort, "He is the only .illy to whom we 
do not send subsidies." England's best 
ally is God; the times of her heroism 
and magnanimity have been the times 
when she was most obedient to him. — 
A. M. Fairbairn. 

1010. James Hamilton tells of a gal- 
lant officer pursued by an overwhelming 
force, when he discovered that his sad- 
dle girth was loose. He coolly dis- 
mounted, repaired the girth by tighten- 
ing the buckle, and then dashed away. 

i The wise delay to repair damages sent 
him on in safety amid the huzzas of his 

: comrades. The Christian soldier who 
hurries away in the morning without 
stopping for prayer and Bible study will 
be apt to ride all day with a broken 
buckle, and should he be pursued by 
the enemy, will meet with defeat and 
disaster. 

1011. Delays are not denials. They 
have preserved in Bedford. England, the 
rlonr of the jail which was locked on 
John Bunyan. I looked at It- long and 
earnestly. I thought of the many 

I prayers which Bunyan must have plead- 
ed behind it that that door might swing 
open for him. Yet for twelve years the 
bolls of that door stood undrawn But 

I the delay was how affluently fruitful! 

| Dreams were going on behind that door, 



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and the world needed them. When 
"The Pilgrim's Progress" of which Bun- 
yan dreamed had taken shape and tan- 
gibility, Bunyan's Lord, who had never 
for an instant forgotten him while the 
slow years passed, swung that jail door 
wide. Let us give God time. Some- 
times quick answer would be worst an- 
swer. Let lis learn delays are not de- 
nials. — Wayland Hoyt. 

The Puritans said that "God answers 
prayer in kind or in kindness." 

1012. When Robert Morrison was on 
his way to China he was entertained in 
New York by a friend. As the notice of 
his arrival was short the friend gave up 
his own bedroom for the first night. His 
child was left in the crib by Morrison's 
bed. Awakening early, and expecting 
to see her mother, she was surprised to 
see a stranger. Fixing her eyes steadily 
on him she said, "Man, do you pray to 
God?" "O yes, my dear", he answered, 
"God is my best friend". At once re- 
assured, she turned and fell quietly 
asleep. — N. Y. Observer. 

1013. "The first sign that light is 
breaking in upon these dark hearts," 
writes Mrs. Winterbotham of Tientsin," 
"is that something of the meaning and 
value of prayer is understood. A wo- 
man told me that one bitter night, when 
the children could not sleep for cold and 
hunger, and she could no longer bear to 
hear them cry, she went to the door, 
and looking up to the stars, said, 'My 
Father in heaven, these are thy children 
as well as my children, and thou dost 
love them far better than I do.' After 
that', she said, 'I felt comforted, and 
they fell asleep.' " 

1014. Dr. McAfee says: "I wish it 
were wise to give the name of a much- 
loved and well-known pastor, whose 
long service in his present field began 
with failure and distrust. The wisest 
of his people came together after the 
first year, and faced" their mistake in 
calling him. Manifestly, he was not the 
man for the place, for their church was 
'peculiar,' as all churches are. Some 
one said, 'Are we sure he will fail? 
Have we done our part? Let us rally 
to him. Let us pray for him; let us 
see his good qualities, first and most, 
let us pray him up.'. To that they 
agreed, and twenty-live years of happy 
pastorate have followed. His friends 
say the ehange is greatest in himself. 
Prayer was the power that changed 
preacher and people. 

1015. "Does your general abuse you", 
said one to one of Stonewall Jackson's 
soldiers, "does he swear at you to 
make you march?" "Swear!" answered 
the soldier — "No: Ewell does the swear- 



ing: Stonewall does the praying. When 
Stonewall wants us to march he looks 
at us soberly, just as if he were sorry 
for us, and says, 'Men, we've got to 
make a long march.' We always know 
when there is going to be a long march 
and right smart "fighting, for old Jack is 
powerful on prayer just before a big 
fight." 

1016. "The great men of God in all 

ages have been men of great prayer. 

Few men enjoy the nearness to God en- 
joyed by Brainerd and Spurgeon, Ru- 
therford and Luther, for the simple rea- 
son that few men are willing to undergo 
the sweat of the soul in prayer. Read 
this leaf out of the diary of Brainerd: 
'Lord's Day, April 25th. This morning 
spent about two hours in sacred duties,, 
and was enabled more than ordinarily 
to agonize for immortal souls. Though 
it was early in the morning, and the sun 
scarcely shone at all, yet my body was 
quite wet with sweat!' Luther in prayer 
the night long, before he appeared be- 
fore the Diet at Worms, teaches how to 
gain strength to confess Christ. 

1017. A fishing boat was caught in a 
heavy storm. The captain put the 
speaking trumpet to his lips and shout- 
ed to his men: "All hope seems to be 
over; let us prepare for the end," but 
when' the boat righted itself and came 
again to the crest of the wave, he 
shouted: "Lads, there is some one pray- 
ing on the shore for us to-night, and 
we will weather the storm," and sure 
enough there was. The fisher folk had 
gathered with their minister to pray to 
him who holds the wind in his fists and 
the seas in his hands. 

1018. Constantino the Great was one 

day looking at some statues of noted 
persons who were represented standing. 
"I shall have mine taken kneeling," said 
he, "for that is how I have risen to emi- 
nence." Thus it is with the Christian. 

1019. It was while seated under an 
elm tree "on the lawn at Reigate Priory, 
one day in June, and pondering on her 
doubts and fears as to the future life, 
that Lady Henry Somerset heard, as she 
believed, a voice deep down in her soul 
say to her, "My child, act as though I 
were, and thou shalt know that I am." 
That moment consecrated and shaped 
her life. 

1020. When I was a boy away in the 
mountains of Pennsylvania, I knew an 
old infidel who was eager to argue 
against the existence of a God. A young 
preacher resolved to visit him. He was 
sitting in his sawmill, just over the lev- 
er that lifts as the saw leaves the log, 
and while denouncing the Deity, that 



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Prayer. 



lever sprang, catching him under the 
heels, and flinging him backward and 
downward, headlong into the stream! 
As he plunged, however, he shrieked 
out as loud as he could yell, "God have 
mercy!" The preacher ran around, 
waded into the water and drew the 
struggling man ashore. Said the pas- 
tor, "I thought that you did not believe 
in a God?" As soon as the infidel 
stopped strangling, he said in a subdued 
voice, "Well, if there is no God, there 
ought to be. to help a man when lie 
can't help himself." — Vanguard. 

1021. In the pictures of St. Gudule 
she is always represented as shielding a 
lantern with her hand. The story runs 
that being compelled to pass through a 
dense forest on her way to the chapel 
an evil spirit met her and blew out her 
light. She uttered a swift prayer; 
"Lord, help," when straightway a warm 
breath from above rekindled it. Once 
more it was blown out, and again 
prayer rekindled it. And so on until 
she reached the chapel. Prayer and 
vigilance are the conditions of spiritual 
safety. 

1022. 'Tis the fire that will burn what 
thou canst not pass over, 

'Tis the lightning that breaks away all 

bars to love, 
'Tis a sunbeam, the secret of God to 

discover, 

'Tis the wing David prayed for — the 
wing of the Dove. 

1023. A young man. a lieutenant in 
the army, said an evangelist, sprang to 
his feet in one of our meetings and said, 
"In the last letter I got from my mo- 
ther, she told me that every night as the 
sun went down she prayed for me. She 
begged of me, when I got her letter, to 
go away alone, and yield myself to God. 
I put the letter in my pocket, thinking 
there would be plenty of time." He 
went on to say that the next news that 
came from home was thai thai mother 
was gone. He went out into the woods 
alone, and cried to his mother's God to 
have mercy upon him. As he stood in 
the meeting with his face shining, that 
lieutenant said: "My mother's prayers 
are answered; and my only regret is 
that she did not live to know It; but I 
will meet her by-and-by". So, though 
we may not live to see it, the answer to 
our prayers will come. 

1024. Some years ago an infidel Kng- 
Ush gentleman visited America and 
spent some days with a pious friend. 
Four years afterward he returned to 
the same house — a Christian. He told 
them that when he was present at their 
family worship, on the llrst evening of 
his former visit, and when, after the 



chapter was read, they all knelt down 
to pray, the recollection of such scenes 
rushed on his memory so that he did 
not hear a single word. But the oc- 
currence made him think, and his 
thoughtfulness ended in finding a quiet 
rest in the salvation wrought out by 
Jesus Christ. — Christian Advocate. 

1025. In the autumn of 1882 the King 
Binoka of tiie Sandwich Islands, dis- 
patched an open boat containing nine 
men and three women to one of the 
neighboring islands on business. In re- 
turning the current drifted them to the 
west, and they found themselves on the 
wide ocean, without compass, with a 
few gallons of water and a small supply 
of food. Six weeks later seven had died 
of thirst and exposure. On December 
9th rain fell, and they caught the water 
in their mats. On December 10th, 1882, 
seven hundred miles away from Apema- 
ma, the "Northern Light" merchant 
ship from New York hove in sight, and 
rescued the live survivors. The captain 
says: "A more devout band of Chris- 
tians I never met. When first hauled 
out of their cheerless cockleshell, more 
dead than alive, and placed safely on 
board a comfortable ship, a man who 
appeared to be the leader gave thanks 
to God with becoming reverence. They 
then fell on the deck in a state of utter 
exhaustion. Brandy and other stimu- 
lants were administered, but their lea- 
der refused them, repeating his only 
words of English, 'Me Missionary.' " 
These waifs were taken first to Yoko- 
hama, thence to San Francisco, and then 
to Honolulu, so that in three nations 
they might be seen as illustrations of 
the power of the Gospel over the hearts 
of the heathen, and the value of the 
Gospel to the most benighted. — E. W. 
Oilman, D. D. 

1026. Nothing like this ealm drawing 
near to God, in heart, and resting under 
the sense of his presence, can arm us 
for holy living, and the way of approach 
to this communion with the Father of 
souls is given by the Psalmist, "I have 
set the Lord always before me". 

1027. In "Daniel Quorm and His Re- 
ligions Notions." Daniel ti lls of staying 
with a gentleman, a very religious kind 
of a man. and of his family prayer in 
the morning, that he might he kept 
from sin. and might have a Christlike 
spirit and the mind that was also In 
Christ Jesus. But all through the day, 
In the house and in the Held, he found 
him scolding and finding fault with 
everybody and everything. At length 
I ia niel said, on iimsi be \ cry much 
disappointed, sir." In answer to the 
puzzled Inquiry, he reminded the far- 



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Prayer. 



mer of his morning prayer and the 
specific things he asked for, the Christ- 
like spirit, the mind of Jesus, and the 
love of God shed abroad in the heart. 
"He didn't like it very much," said 
Daniel, "but I delivered my testimony, 
and learned a lesson for myself, too. 
We should stare very often if the Lord 
should answer our prayers." 

1028. To a distinguished minister in 
London a few years ago, came a sorrow- 
ing father, who said to him: "You meet 
many young men, and of all kinds. 
You may some time meet my son. He 
has been gone from home for a long 
time, and has caused me much pain. 
If you meet him, say to him that his 
mother and I will welcome him when 
he returns." The minister told the story 
in a sermon, and the sermon was print- 
ed and went abroad. The wayward lad 
has not yet come home, and a father 
and mother with whitening hair still 
wait and pray. But far away in America 
a young man read the sermon, and 
thought of another father and mother, 
his own, and remembered that he, too, 
was "the child of many prayers;" and 
he resolved that the upward-rising 
prayers on his behalf should waste 
themselves no longer. And the story 
has not spent itself with the first telling; 
for who knows but that when it is told 
again it will touch the heart of another 
child of many prayers, and perhaps even 
of him for whom they were offered, and 
are offered still, by the father and mo- 
ther in the far-away London home? 

1029. Benjamin Franklin's prayer. 
"From a cross neighbor, and a sullen 

wife, 

A pointless needle and a broken knife; 
From suretyship, and from an empty 
purse, 

A smoking chimney and a jolting horse; 
From a dull razor and an aching head; 
From a bad conscience and a buggy bed, 
A blow upon the elbow and the knee; 
From each of these, good Lord, deliver 
me." 

1030. The electro-magnet is a piece 
of soft iron, like a horseshoe, around 
which is coiled a fine wire, in many 
coils. Through that wire passes a cur- 
rent of electricity. As this current 
sweeps around the helices which hold 
the nerveless, pulseless iron, it imparts 
to the iron a strange power — a power to 
which it is an utter stranger until this 
current comes. Our cold, dead hearts 
lie weak and nerveless before the bur- 
dens and conflicts of life; we have no 
impulse and no energy; the slightest 
effort is too great to make. And then 
we place ourselves within the influence 
of prayer. We kneel before the mercy 



seat, and wrap ourselves around with the 
currents of spiritual force which prayer 
affords. And, as those heavenly forces 
pass and repass through our souls, 
stimulating and strengthening our ir- 
resolute wills, and rousing our affections 
with divine energy, we find the blessed 
fulfillment of that long-cherished truth 
of God's word, He giveth power to the 
faint and to them that have no might 
he increaseth strength." — A. Nachbar. 

1031. One day, while toiling away at 
my house (Tanna Island), the war chief 
and his brother, and a large party of 
armed men, surrounded the plot where 
I was working. They all had muskets 
besides their own native weapons. They 
watched me for some time in silence, 
and then every man levelled a musket 
at my head. Escape was impossible. 
Speech would only have increased my 
danger. My eyesight came and went 
for a few minutes. I prayed to my Lord 
Jesus either himself to protect me, or to 
take me home to his glory. I tried to 
keep working on at my task as if no 
one was near me. Retiring a little from 
their first position, no word having been 
spoken, they took up the same attitude 
farther off, and seemed to be urging one 
another to fire the first shot. But my _ 
dear Lord restrained them once more, 
and they withdrew, leaving me with a 
new reason for trusting him with all 
that concerned me for time and eternity. 
— Paton. 

1032. It is sometimes urged that 
prayer is mysterious. So is everything, 
if we stop to think about it. Matter is 
a mystery. Nobody knows what mat- 
ter is. Force is a mystery. Nobody 
knows what force is. Gravitation is a 
mystery. Nobody knows what gravita- 
tion is. Nobody knows what takes place 
when we drop a lump of sugar into a 
cup of coffee. Whether the change is 
mechanical or chemical, the very wisest 
men are not able to say. We know just 
one thing, that by dropping sugar into 
the coffee the coffee is sweetened. For 
most of us that is enough. We know 
that by dropping a prayer into a day 
we sweeten the day. How this is 
brought about we do not know. Who 
has sight so keen and strong that it 
can follow the flight of song or the 
flight of prayer? Why should we not 
be as reasonable and practical in our 
religion as we are at the dinner table? 
— Charles E. Jefferson. 

1033. Mohammedans tell us that one 
prayer offered in Mecca is worth eighty 
thousand prayers offered anywhere else. 
The followers of some other religions 
entertain similar beliefs. Christ clear- 

I ly taught that there is a place for prayer 



t 



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Prayer. 



to which he attaches special importance. 
Where is that place ? It is the secret 
place. — Dr. D. J. Burrell. 

1034. Prayer is a necessity of our hu- 
manity rather than a duty. To force it 
as a duty is dangerous. Christ did not. 
— F. W. Robertson. 

1035. A youth in a school in Edinburg 
attended a prayer-meeting, and said to 
his teacher who conducted it, "Teacher, 
I wish my sister would read the Bible. 
I am sure it would do her good, and 
she would be converted and be saved." 
"Do you think so?" "Yes, I do, sir, and 
I wish you would ask the people to pray 
for my sister that she may read the Bi- 
ble." So the teacher asked that prayer 
should be offered for the sister. John 
was observed to get up and go out. The 
next day the teacher said to him, "John, 
it was very rude of you to get up in the 
prayer-meeting and go out." "Oh, sir," 
said the boy, "I did not mean to be rude; 
but I thought I should just like to go 
home and see my sister reading the Bi- 
ble the first time." Thus ought we to 
believe and watch with expectation for 
answers to our prayers. — Spurgeon. 

1036. Philip Henry upon a studying 
day wrote: "I forgot when I began, ex- 
plicitly and expressly to crave help from 
God; and the chariot-wheels drove ac- 
cordingly. Lord, forgive my omissions, 
and keep me in the way of duty." 

1037. The book of Psalms contains 
about fifty references to help, and two 
thoughts seem to be clearly brought out 
by them: vain is the help of man; suffi- 
cient is the help of God. An old divine 
is reported as saying, "If God drops not 
down his a — istance, wc write with a 
pen that hath no ink." 

1038. A child might say to a geogra- 
pher: "You talk about the earth being 
round! Look on this great crag; look 
on that deep dell; look on yonder great 
mountain, and the valley at its feet, and 
yet you talk about the earth being 
round." . . . The geographer's view is 
comprehensive: he does not look at the 
surface of the world in mere detail; he 
does not deal with inches and feet and 
yards; he sees a larger world than the 
child has had time to grasp. . . .And 
so it i- xx i 1 1 i God's wonderful dealings 
with us: there are gre.it rocks and bar- 
ren deserts, deep, dank, dark pits and 
defiles, and glens and dells, rugged pla- 
ces that we cannot smooth over at all; 
and yet when he comes to say to us at 
the end of the journey, "Now, look 
back; there is the way that I have 
broupht you," we shall be enabled to 
say, "Thou hast gone before us, and 



made our way straight." — Joseph Par- 
ker. 

1039. The poet who composes a son- 
net may not be able to tell you why the 
inspiration came to him at that partic- 

! ular moment: for it may have been the 
outcome of his soul throughout the 

| whole of his life. So may it be with our 

i prayers: they may be the juice of a 
life-vintage, the ripened harvest of 
youth and manhood. In any case, God 
prepares the heart to be blest when he 
is prepared to bless it. — Spurgeon. 

10 10. A young soldier was shooting 
for a prize. Taking his turn with oth- 
ers, he had waited until his chance had 

! come to fire for the heart of the target. 
His hand was steady as he drew up his 
rifle. His eye was clear. But he failed. 
The barrel swerved to one side strangely, 
and he missed gaining the prize. What 
was the cause of his failure? A bit of 
rust in bis gunbarrel! For several days 
he had failed to clean the inside of that 
barrel. So he missed gaining the trophy. 

It is not all of the Christian life to 
seem true. Polishing the outside will 
not keep off the rust within. The heart 
life must correspond with the outward 
profession. Keep the heart right by 
constaut vigilance. — Kind Words. 

1041. An evangelist said, "A young 
lady came forward one night to profess 
faith in Christ and unite with the 
church. I did not recognize her, and 

| yet I could see from her manner that 
she knew me well. She gave me her 
name, but I had forgotten even that. 
Then she said: "Do you not remember 

how, soon after you came to R , you 

came to see a widow and her little girl 
in the cabin back of the old hotel?" 
Yes, I remembered that. It was cold 
weather. They had but one room; a 
few lumps of coal and a few sticks of 
wood in the fire-place; and I had talked 
with them, cheered them a little, and 
she said that I prayed with them, 
though I had forgotten that fact. A 
few weeks later they left the town, and 
had entirely passed from my memory. 
"I was that girl." said the yoiins lady; 
"and though I have never seen you 
since. I have never forgotten that prayer 
that you offered for us that day, and the 
words of that prayer were what led me 
to give my heart to Christ, though this 
is the first time I had any opportunity 
to profess it." 

1012. Early in the history of the Fiji 
mission, according to Rev. James Col- 
vert, they used a printing press to issue 
the New Testament. In the midst of the 
work their printer left, and It seemed 
Impossible to secure another. Earnest 
prayer was made for help. Then it 



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Prayer. 



came to pass that a French count, an 
infidel, who was wrecked, was deeply 
awakened, and sought and found mercy 
and saving grace. I taught him print- 
ing and bookbinding, and just when we 
were in our deepest need he became a 
most efficient laborer with us. He would 
make our sails, splice a rope, floor a 
house, put in windows, make a door and 
put it in. He became a school teacher 
and a local preacher. The people felt 
he loved them, and the best of our con- 
verts from any part of Fiji were ready 
to settle down and work with him. A 
new edition of the New Testament, and 
of the books we required, were well 
done and quickly supplied, helping on 
the work amazingly. A whole-hearted 
and capable man like that was beyond 
price. 

1043. Ivan of Russia was accustomed 
to go disguised among his people, spend- 
ing hours in the humble cots of the 
peasants. If welcomed to their pover- 
ty he would return in his chariot, adopt 
the youngest child, pay for its educa- 
tion, fit it for the palace. So Christ 
enriches and ennobles the lives of those 
who welcome him to their hearts by 
prayer and loving meditation. 

10-14. Mr. Finney tells how a lifeless 
prayer-meeting, before his conversion, 
nearly made him an atheist. He says: 
"This inconsistency, the fact that these 
Christians prayed so much and were not 
answered, was a sad stumbling-block to 
me. I knew not what to make of it." 
"When he was asked if he did not desire 
their prayers, he said: "No; I am con- 
scious that I am a sinner, but I do not 
see that it will do any good for you to 
pray for me, for you are continually 
asking, but you do not receive." 

1045. Monica, the mother of Augiis- 
tine, prays for her son. For a time he 
goes deeper and deeper into sin, and it 
seems that the mother's supplications 
are unheard or unavailing. But she 
faints not; she will not give him up; 
she refuses to be disheartened. For 
many years her son wanders from God, 
farther and farther but she stays at her 
altar, undismayed, believing still and 
pleading with renewed earnestness. At 
last all her intercessions are answered 
in one hour when Augustine falls down 
at Jesus' feet in submission, and in- 
stantly turns all the wealth of his 
splendid life into the service of his new 
Master. 

1046. "Mother", said a young colle- 
gian one day to his mother as she was 
taking leave of him, "I cannot tell you 
how precious Jesus has been to me the 
last few weeks, since I left home and 
came to this college. It seems to me 



that I had never really known him be- 
fore. I am led to tell him every little 
thing that concerns me; all my secrets, 
and everything I used to tell you; and 
he seems so near and so real." 

When the mother of that lad told us 
this little story she said, with tears of 
joy standing in her eyes: "I am sure I 
may leave him in peace now. I dreaded 
to give him up, for he has never been 
away from home and its influences be- 
fore, but if he turns to Jesus Christ, and 
makes of him the confidant which he 
has ever made of me, then it is good 
for him that he has gone away from 
home." — Words and Weapons. 

1047. A poor woman left with her 
eight children and hardly a crust in the 
house or a coal in the grate may fall 
a-praying, and open the Bible at some 
grand psalm, and wet it with her tears, 
and pledge our God to it; and somehow, 
she could not tell how, but somehow the 
angel came and help arrived, and the 
darkness was mitigated, and the morn- 
ing dawned upon the far-off hills, and 
she took heart again; and boy after boy 
went out, and turned out to be good and 
useful. — Joseph Parker, D. D. 

1048. The Lewis and Clark Exposition 

at Portland, Oregon, was opened by the 
touching of a button in the White 
House by Mr. Roosevelt. He knew when 
to touch the button because a message 
flashed across the continent: "All things 
are now ready." God waits, — we say it 
reverently, — for our message to sweep 
up to him. — The Interior. 

1049. Prayer attaches us to Christ. 

The first duty is to attach oneself; de- 
tachment comes afterwards. The chrys- 
alis covering in which the butterfly was 
prisoned only breaks and falls away 
when the insect's wings have grown — 
it is by opening that these burst their 
melancholy integuments. We only be- 
gin to detach ourselves from the world 
when we have learned to know some- 
thing of a better. Till then we are but 
capable of disappointment and weari- 
ness, which are not detachment." — Alex- 
ander Vinet. 

1050. Men make rope out of many 
fine threads. One thread alone will not 
bear much stress; but a thousand 
threads twisted together make a mighty 
cable which will hold the ship against 
the storm. So home prayers may seem 
weak threads as they are breathed out 
from quivering, trembling lips; but 
thousands of them make a mighty cable 
which binds the child to the throne of 
Christ so firmly that no blast of evil 
can sweep him away. Every prayer 
makes the cable stronger. The parent 



Prayer. 



may die without seeing his supplications 
answered, or his child converted; but 
his prayers die not with him. — Presby- 
terian. 

1051. A friend of mine faced the ques- 
tion of the ministry. His inclinations 
were to secular pursuits. His mental 
gifts promised him wealth and position 
in business. He was a Christian, and he 
inquired of the Lord. There followed 
evidence, clear and distinct to him, of 
the Lord's will. As he prayed, there 
came a letter that called him to preach. 
As he saw it, it was either -'give thyself 
to the ministry, or disobey thy Lord and 
forfeit life with him." His ministry has j 
been a blessing to numbers and a joy to 
himself. — Augsburg Teacher. 

1052. We see the products of vegeta- 
tive-vital forces taken possession of by 
animal-vital, and grouped into still 
more strange and higher compounds, 
and the chemic compelled to play a part 
foreign to their first estate. We find 
that we can by sheer will-power com- 
pel even the higher forces or animal vi- 
tality, and through them the lower, to 
do our bidding. 

If the vegetative forces can thus dom- 
inate over the atomic, the animal over 
the vegetative, and the will of man over 
all, what valid objection can science 
ur"e to the Christian's creed, that 
God's will can. by direct impressment, 
effect combinations in the elements, 
which nature's forces, indirectly, and 
uncompelled, bring about by slower 
processes, according to the terms ot 
their divine commission. — W. H. Kings- 
ley. 

1053. Daniel was systematic in his 
religion. At nine and at twelve and at 
three o'clock he was accustomed to pray. 
It may seem absurd to talk about sys- 
tem in piety, and method in holiness, 
but we propose to stand by this absurdi- 
ty and push it. You may call it clock- 
work Christianity if you choose. The 
old dispensation was inlaid with method, 
exactness and precision. Daniel not only 
prayed regularly three times a day, but 
he was accustomed to go to a particular 
room, before a particular window, and 
kneel down with his face towards Je- 
rusalem. And Daniel was a safe man to 
trust in times of emergency. — Park- 
hurst. 

105 1. ' Some lime after the war with 
Spain I was at Wilmington, Del., on 

business, and I asked the clerk at the ho- 
tel what ship was there. He said it was 
the Texas. 'And Capt. Philips commands 
her,' said I. 'I wish I could see him.' 
'He sits there,' said the clerk, and point- 
ed across the hotel lobby to a man who 
fitted perfectly my Idea of the American 



sailor. I walked over and introduced 
myself. We breakfasted together, and 
afterwards he took me to the ship, where 
I spent the entire day. I asked him 
about that prayermeeting after the bat- 
tle of Santiago He said: "When I was 
a boy up in New England my mother 
taught me to pray, and I can repeat to 
you today whole chapters that I then 
learned from the Bible, ilen say sailors 
are wicked; perhaps they are; but there 
never was a man so wicked who forgot 
the teachings at his mother's knee when 
a child, or who failed to support himself 
with the recollection in crises. Well, 
sir, it is true. When tiie battle ended 
and the smoke lifted from the face of 
the water and revealed the power of 
Spain crushed for the sake of humanity, 
and we were overwhelmed with the 
knowledge that the rain of the shot and 
shell had passed to the right and the left 
and over and under the old Texas, we 
did lift our voices in prayer of thanks 
to the Almighty God whose victory it 
was; and I saw tears streaming down 
the faces of old salts in whose bosoms 
no man would suspect to find a heart. 
Why, Mr. Landis, if your hat blows off 
and a man returns it to you, you thank 
him; you fall on the street and some one 
aids you to regain you feet, you express 
gratitude. It was the arm of God which 
won our battle for us, and we lifted our 
voices in thanks.' I have been told by 
men prominent in the affairs of other 
nations that that incident evoked more 
interest and exerted a greater influence 
upon the nations of the world, even than 
did the invincibility of our arms in the 
Spanish W r ar." — Hon. C. B. Landis. 

1055. Judge James A. Bilbro, the cir- 
cuit judge now presiding at Seottsboro. 
was amongst the profoundest lawyers in 
North Alabama. As a circuit judge he 
had no superior in the State; his clear- 
cut legal discriminations delighted the 
legal profession. He adopted the prac- 
tice of opening his court every morning 
with a short lesson read from the Bible, 
and prayer. — Seottsboro Age. 

1056. Take a common result of prayer, 
transformation of character. Eou re- 
member in Tennyson's "Holy Grail" 
how Perclval tells of the maid who 
prayed that it might be given her to see 
the vision, and through prayer her eyes 
became 

"Beyond my knowing of them beautiful, 
Beyond all knowing of them wonderful, 
Beautiful In the light of holiness." — 
Henry Sloane Coffin. 

1057. Before musicians begin to play, 
they attend to their strings and see that 
their instruments are In order; you wish 
that the operation could be dispensed 



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Prayer. 



with, but it cannot be, and it is one of 
the most needful parts of the musician's 
work. Until he has learned to tune his 
instrument, what does he know? Until 
he has tuned it, what can he do? So 
must we be in the spirit of prayer if 
we would pray aright. 

1058. There is power in united prayer, 
in united purpose. Says Froude: "The 
minds of men are like a train of gun- 
powder, the isolated grains of which 
have no relation to each other, and no 
effect on each other while they remain 
unignited; but let a spark kindle but 
one of them, and they shoot into instant 
union in a common explosion." 

1059. Time prayer is sure to be 
marked by deep reverence. There will 
always be a feeling of awe of God. A 
short time before his death Dr. Dale 
said to Dr. Berry, who recently joined 
him in the better world, "Dr. Berry, 
no one is afraid of God now." I fear 
there is much truth in this utterance. 
Men can babble, but they cannot pray, 
when fear of God is gone. — M. Rhodes, 
D. D. 

1060. Dr. Broadus, when pastor near 
a great university, called on one of the 
students to pray. He says: "In the 
course of a simple, earnest prayer, such 
as a truly intelligent and loving soul 
might be expected to make, he used 
an expression which sank into the 
very soul of me, and which I 
have remembered, I think, dozens of 
times. He said: "O Dord, please take 
us as we are, for Jesus' sake, and make 
us, by the Holy Spirit, what we ought to 
be." 

1061. When we had diphtheria here 

(the Shelter for Destitute Children), 
there were twenty cases among the chil- 
dren, and no one would watch. Our 
president, Miss Jackson, and Mrs. Searle 
both knew our need, and both believed 
we would get assistance. Miss Jackson 
went home to pray over it. Mrs. Searle 
commended the praying and added, "A 
little foot-power will be needed to go 
with it; so while Miss Jackson prays, I 
will furnish the foot-power." Thus, 
through the prayer of faith and the feet 
of faith, the necessary nurses were se- 
cured. — H. L. Hastings. 

1062. A little girl once said to her 
father, "Papa, I want you to say some- 
thing to God for me, something I want 
to tell him very much. I have such a 
little voice that I don't think he could 
hear it away up in heaven; but you have 
a great big man's voice, and he will be 
sure to hear you." The father took the 
little girl in his arms and told her that 
even though God were surrounded by all 



his holy angels singing him one of the 
grandest and sweetest songs of praise 
ever heard in heaven, he would say to 
them, "Hush! stop the singing for a 
while. There's a little girl away down 
on the earth who wants to whisper 
something in my ear." — Drummond. 

1063. Humboldt describes his sensa- 
tions during an earthquake experienced 
in one of the cities on the west coast of 
South America. He says there was first 
that mysterious shiver of the earth ac- 
companied with a rumbling sound, 
which startled everyone and sent them 
flying out of their houses into the streets. 
Then came the long, swelling movement, 
as though the very earth were turned 
into the moving and rolling ocean. Then 
the people fled in wild confusion from 
the city to the hill country lying about. 
The ocean felt the earthquake, and 
rolled its waters up like a mighty tidal 
wave, tearing the shipping from their 
anchorages and casting them high upon 
the shore. The very mountains seemed 
to move on their bases. In fact, look 
where he would, out to sea or inward 
toward the mountains, everything was 
shaking and rocking under the mighty 
power of the earthquake. It was a mo- 
ment of awful and indescribable terror, 
until he chanced to look upward to the 
sky, where the serene and cloudless 
vault of Heaven overspanned the earth, 
unaffected by the agitation that was 
moving everything on, and the very earth 
itself. This look into the quiet and 
peaceful Heavens brought peace to his 
involuntary terror, and enabled him to 
recover his presence of mind. Some- 
times it is even so with the Christian. 
The very earth and everything that be- 
longs to earth and time are moved by 
some mighty spiritual convulsion. Noth- 
ing seems certain but death. Then we 
look up to Heaven in prayer and see the 
face of Jesus Christ. This brings quiet 
to our hearts. — Words and Weapons. 

1064. E. P. Allen relates the story of 
a veteran missionary who, on returning 
to China after a long absence from the 
field, received, on the very day of his re- 
turn, a visit from a former convert. The 
Chinese Christian brought with him six 
countrymen who had been led to Christ 
out of the horrible filth and degradation 
of the opium habit. "What remedy did 
you use?" asked the rejoicing mission- 
ary. The Chinaman's only answer was 
to point to his knees! Ah! he had 
prayed for them; he had induced them 
to pray for themselves. And as a result, 
here these six men were, clean and 
sound in body and mind, and songs of 
joy and praise to God were upon their 
lips. — "The Fisherman and His Friends." 



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Prayer. 



1065. Pastor Gossner single-handed 
sent into the field 144 missionaries; in- 
cluding the wives of those married, 2 00. 
Besides providing outfit and passage, 
he had never less than twenty mission- 
aries depending directly on him for sup- 
port. How did he raise the necessary 
funds? "He prayed up the walls of an 
hospital and the hearts of the nurses; 
he prayed mission stations into being, 
and missionaries into faith; he prayed 
open the hearts of the rich and gold 
from distant lands." — Dr. A. J. Gordon. 

1066. Luther draws a beautiful paral- 
lel between Paul's entreaty with Phile- 
mon for Onesimus and Christ's inter- 
cession with the Father for us, adding, 
"For we are all his Onesimi, to my 
thinking." The great Missionary "who 
went about doing good" is the great 
Intercessor; and from Pentecost down 
he has stamped that characteristic on 
his work. If a man believes himself 
Christ's Onesimus, he will have no 
doubts about prayer in his name. If 
one prayer is answered, every prayer 
must be. — Missionary Review. 

1067. Professor Austin Phelps quotes 
a letter of Sir Fowcll Buxton's on a 
parliamentary vote important to West 
India emancipation: "What led to that 
division? If ever there was a subject 
which occupied our prayers, it was this. 
Do you remember how we desired that 
God would give me his Spirit in that 
emergency; how we quoted the promise, 
'He that lacketh wisdom, let him ask it 
of the Lord, and it shall be given him'; 
and how I kept open that passage in the 
Old Testament, in which it is said, 'We 
have no might against this great com- 
pany that cometh against us, neither 
know we what to do; but our eyes are 
upon thee' — the Spirit of the Lord re- 
plying, 'Be not afraid nor dismayed by 
reason of this great multitude, for the 
battle Is not yours, bui God's'? I sin- 
cerely believe that prayer was the cause 
of that division." 

1068. Prayer lifts the soul above life's 
fog>. An Alpine traveler has told us 
how one day he set out from Geneva, 
in a dense fog. to climb the Alps. After 
ascending for some hours, he came out 
above the mist, and saw the cloudkss 
sky above him. and around him on 
every hand the snow-capped peaks 
shining in the sunlight. In the valley 
below lay the fog like a waveless ocean, 
and as he stood on the overhanging 
crag, he could hear the chime of bells, 
the lowing of cattle, and the sound of 
labor coming up from the villages be- 
low. And now and then out of the 
cloudy sea below a bird would shoot up, 
which, after rejoicing in the sunshine 



and singing a cweet song, would dive 
down again and disappear. — Taylor. 

1069. I like to imagine that there is 
an invisible telephone line stretching 
between my Father's house and me. As 
early as possible in the morning, I like 
to take down the receiver and after 
saying, "Dear Father, in heaven," wait 
until the assurance of his presence at 
the other end of the line fills my heart 
and soul with peace. Then, waiting in 
the hushed joy of the silent communion, 
I gather strength for the day. — Harriet 
Burch Wharton. 

1070. The story of the experiences of 
the Church Missionary Society of Eng- 
land is well known: "Its first Day of 
Intercession was appointed for Decem- 
ber, 1872. The day was spent in prayer 
offered distinctly and definitely for more 
men." It was followed by more offers 
for service than it had ever received. In 
the five years following "it sent out 112 
men, whereas in the five years preceding 
1873 it had sent out but 51." In 1810 
special prayer was offered for money, 
for which there was great need. In a 
few months $135,000 was raised "to 
wipe out the deficit; and this was fol- 
lowed by $150,000 specially contributed 
for extension, as well as by other spe- 
cial gifts and a substantial advance in 
the ordinary income." In the latter part 
of 1884 men were sorely needed, and a 
day was appointed to pray for them. 
The previous evening Mr. Wigram was 
summoned to Cambridge "to see a num- 
ber of graduates and undergraduates who 
desired to dedicate themselves to the 
Lord's work abroad." More than a hun- 
dred university men met him, and he 
returned to the prayer-meeting next day 
to prove to his colleagues the promise, 
"Before they call, I will answer." — Dr. 
A. T. Pierson. 

1071. Dr. G. F. Pentecost's retort to 
an educated Buddhist who was swinging 
his prayer-wheel and repeating mean- 
ingless words: "What are you praying 
for?" 

"O, nothing." 

"Whom are you praying to?" 
"O, nobody." 

"And that is Buddhism. Praying for 
nothing — to nobody." 

1072. I am reminded of the words of 
an old Methodist minister: "if you have 
so much business to attend to that you 
have no time to pray, depend upon it 
you have more business on hand than 
God ever intended you should have." — 
Moody. 

107:5. Two boys. belonging to the 
chaplains of two different men-of-war, 
entertaining each other with an account 
of their respective manners of living. 



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Prayer and Disease. 



"How often, Jack", says one of them, 
"do you go to prayers?" "We only 
pray," replied Jack, "when we are afraid 
of a storm, or are going to fight." "Ay", 
says the former, "there's some sense in 
that; but my master makes us go to 
prayers when there's no more occasion 
for it than for me to jump into the sea." 

1074. A successful pastor said: After 
I had preached my first sermon and the 
people had presented themselves to say 
kind words of cheer an old man came 
walking down the aisle, leaning upon 
his staff because of his age, and he said 
to me: "We have always had a man of 
large experience, and the church is 
large." Then he came nearer and said: 
"But I have made up my mind to help 
you." I wondered in my own mind what 
he could do. He added: "I have deter- 
mined to pray for you every day that 
you are pastor of this church, and I 
have covenanted with two other men to 
pray for you." The three men soon 
grew to ten, and the ten to fifty, and the 
fifty to two hundred, until in these days 
from 350 to 500 consecrated men bow 
their heads in prayer with me every 
Sunday morning at 9:45, praying God's 
blessing upon me as I preach, and upon 
the people as they listen. The most 
wonderful place in all the world to 
preach is in a church where the atmos- 
phere is permeated with the petitions of 
faithful Christians for God's blessing 
upon his ministers. 

1075. A great banquet was given at 
Leeds in 1881, at which Mr. Gladstone 

was to make an important address upon 
the Irish question. By arrangement he did 
not dine with the public company, but 
came in quietly when dinner was done, 
and took his seat by the side of the 
chairman. He had hardly done so when 
he covered his face with his hands and 
remained with his head bowed for sev- 
eral minutes. The next evening Mrs. 
Gladstone said to me: "Did you see him 
last night when he came to the dinner- 
table, and how he covered his face with 
his hands?" I said I had done so. 
"Well," she said, "he was praying. That 
was the most important speech of all, 
and he was so anxious that he might 
do good rather than harm by what he 
was about to say." — Religious Herald. 

1076. The prayer that has power with 
God must be a prepaid prayer. If we 
expect a letter to reach its destination 
we put a stamp on it; otherwise it goes 
to the Dead-letter Office. There is what 
may be called a Dead-prayer Office, and 
thousands of well-worded petitions get 
buried up there. AH of God's promises 
have their conditions; we must comply 
with those conditions or we cannot ex- 



pect the blessings coupled with the 
promises. In prayer, we must first be 
sure that we are doing our part if we 
expect God to do his part. — Indepen- 
dent. 

1077. A business man in a large city 
tells of his perplexity when a young man. 
His partner, who had been connected 
with the firm for many years, was taken 
ill and compelled to take a sea voyage. 
The entire responsibility of the business 
was suddenly thrown on the young man, 
whose experience was limited. He 
trembled when he thought of the dis- 
aster which might come to the business 
in the absence of his senior partner. 
When they separated the young man 
went to a vacant room in the building, 
locked the door and prayed fervently 
for divine guidance and help. This he 
did every morning, and when his partner 
returned it was found that the business 
had prospered more in his absence than 
in his presence. All this might have 
happened if no prayer had been offered, 
and it might not. The morning prayer, 
his confidence in the help of God all 
tended to encourage his heart, to 
strengthen him for the burden. And 
who shall say that his success was not 
a direct answer to prayer? 

Prayer and Disease. (1078-1087) 

1078. There is no more evidence that 
God means to heal us whenever we are 
sick, precisely as he healed Peter's wife's 
mother on that memorable Sabbath, in- 
stantaneously, miraculously and without 
use of means or medicine, than there is 
that he expects to feed us as he fed the 
five thousand, or to pay our ordinary 
taxes as he once paid Peter's, with mon- 
ey from - a fish's mouth. — Monday Club 
Sermons. 

1079. The value of a vital religious 
life for health and happiness: In a time 
when so much is being made of sugges- 
tion and auto-suggestion is it not oppor- 
tune for the church to declare that 
whatever else prayer may be it is auto- 
suggestion under the most favorable 
circumstances? The man in prayer is 
quiet, calm, absent-minded to all that 
can disturb because he is in communion 
with his God. In other words, he is in 
an attitude which every successful prac- 
titioner of psychotherapy regards as ab- 
solutely necessary before suggestion can 
become effective. When in this attitude 
every petition is an unconscious auto- 
suggestion and the more faith behind 
the petition the more powerful it is as 
auto-suggestion. Furthermore, prayer 
creates an attitude of mind and a con- 
dition of spirit in which alone certain 



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Prayer and Disease. 



diseases can be overcome and harmony 
of body and mind restored. — Rev. 
Chauncey F. Hawkins. 

1080. Two women were conversing on 
the front porch. 

"I am so nervous," said one, "and I 
have so many little things to worry 
about. These little worries seem to me 
to be important, too; and often cause 
me a great uneasiness and anxiety." 

"Too bad," murmured the second wo- 
man. . 

"You never worry, do you? Perhaps 
you have nothing to worry about. I 
don't see how you can keep so calm at 
all times. What do you do with your 
perplexities?" 

The other woman hesitated before re- 
plying, and then said: "I'll tell you just 
what I do. Whenever anything bothers 
me, I go straight to my bedroom, enter 
in and shut the door; then I kneel down 
before my bed, and talk to God. I tell 
him all about it. Oh, what a comfort it 
is! I tell him what bothers me, and 
how anxious I am; and I ask him, if it 
is his will, to deliver me, to comfort me, 
either by answering my prayer in a 
wonderful way, or by lifting my bur- 
den." 

"How wonderful!" exclaimed the ner- 
vous lady. 

"You would laugh, perhaps, if I 
would tell you of the little things about 
winch I pray, but which are so neces- 
sary to my happiness, or the happiness 
of others, perhaps. Jesus comes very 
near to me at such times, and treats me 
so much better than I deserve. Prayer, 
or talking to God, is a' sure cure for 
worry; try it. Although he may not al- 
ways answer my prayers in the way I 
ask, yet my mind is relieved of my bur- 
den. 

1081. Because occasionally an insane 
person, in his Incoherent essays, dwells 
chiefly on religious questions, the un- 
thinking jump to the conclusion that 
often religion Is responsible for mental 
unbalance. Some one wrote Dr. A. B. 
Richardson, the superintendent of an in- 
sane asylum in Ohio for information, 
perhaps expecting to get confirmation of 
the notion that religion and insanity are 
closely related. The doctor's answer is 
worth quoting: "You have asked me a 
very easy question. I have tested that 
matter thoroughly. There are only two 
patients in the hospital whose insanity 
has any relation to religion, and I think, 
from their predisposition to insanity, 
that they would probably have become 
insane on some other subject, if they 
had not on religion. Now, if you had 
asked me how many people in Ohio are 
kept by religion from insanity and out 



of these hospitals, you would have given 
me a question hard to answer, for they 
are a multitude. The good cheer, bright 
hopes, rich consolations, good tempers, 
regular habits, and glad songs of reli- 
gion are such an antidote for the causes 
of insanity that thousands of people in 
Ohio are preserved from insanity by 
them. But for the beneficial influence 
of religion, Ohio would have to double 
the capacity of her hospitals in order 
to accommodate her insane patients." 

1082. We believe that all help possible 
should be derived from medicinal reme- 
dies. But the instances are numerous 
enough in which medicine can go no 
further, and the doctors surrender the 
case with the confession that they can 
do no more. In such instances God no 
doubt often interposes in answer to be- 
lieving intercession and restores the suf- 

| ferer. Here is the peculiar sphere of 
the prayer of faith for the sick, in 
which, we boldly say, the healing min- 
istry of Jesus Christ should not be 
despised. For now it is possible, since 
the hand of man failed, that the hand 
: of the Lord should be recognized, and 
glory won for his name. Missionaries 
are naturally -shy of revealing their ex- 
periences in this field, if they have 
such, owing to the opprobrium attach- 
ing to so-called "faith-healing." But 
the writer, from the fact of his views on 
this subject being known, has had the 
, honor to be much confided in by mls- 
I sionaries, especially those of the China 
j Inland Society, who have made success- 
ful use of intercession for the sick. 
Their testimony as to the impression of 
supernatural cures upon the heathen is 
very strong. — Gordon. 

1083. The firmament of Bible story 
blazes with answers to prayer, from 
the days when Elijah unlocked the heav- 
ens on to the days when the petitions 
in the house of John Mark unlocked the 
dungeon and brought liberated Peter 
into their presence. The whole field of 
providential history is covered with 
answered prayers as thickly as bright- 
eyed daisies cover our Western prairies. 
Find thy happiness in pleasing God, 
and sooner or later he will surely grant 
thee the desires of thy heart. — Inde- 
pendent. 

1081. Dr. Mackenzie told how he and 
his colleague, Bryson, prayed day alter 
day for two months for a hospital in 
Tientsin; and then, by means of a re- 
markable cure wrought through prayer 
by skill for the wife of the Viceroy, LI 
Hung Chang, that statesman was led to 
offer a temple and an income for the 
now successful hospital. — Pierson. 

1085. On every hand, there is testi- 



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Love. 



mony that a close relation exists between 
the Christian faith and physical and 
mental soundness. Christian faith car- 
ries self-control in proportion as it 
becomes a dominant factor in the life. 
It prevents excesses, it produces quiet 
and normal habits, it tends to equanimi- 
ty of mind, and gives an inspiration in 
the direction of better things generally. 
Faith is confidence in God. It recog- 
nizes him as the ruler of all and as hav- 
ing beneficent purposes toward men. It, 
therefore, provides a solid basis for life, 
and produces that confidence in the 
general outcome which exhibits itself in 
a. well-balanced mind. Extremes are 
avoided, and violence to the established 
laws of life is in good measure prevent- 
ed. The average life of Christian peo- 
ple is longer than the average of others. 
Ministers, who are special representa- 
tives of the religious life, are especially 
accepted as among the best risks of in- 
surance companies. — United Presbyter- 
ian. 

1086. When Melanchthon was serious- 
ly ill at Weimar in 1540 Luther au- 
daciously stormed the heights of heaven, 

came back, took Philip's hand and 
thundered in his ear the words: "Be of 
good comfort, Philip, you will not die! 
Our Lord God must hear me! I have 
pleaded all his promises on prayer in the 
Holy Scriptures that I could remember; 
so that he must hear me!" Melanch- 
thon awoke as out of a deep swoon; be- 
gan to breathe deeply and regularly; 
new life burst through his veins; and he 
became well. He afterward said: "I 
would have died had I not been snatched 
by Luther's coming and petition from 
death's grasp." 

1087. There are those in every com- 
munity who carry with them, wherever 
they go, an influence of healing and 
blessing. They bear into a sick room a 
delicate sympathy which not only enters 
into the experience of the suffering, but 
puts new cheer and hope into the heart 
of the sufferer. They speak encourag- 
ing and inspiring words. Their face 
has in it a message of cheer wherever it 
appears. They bring some promise of 
God, some word of hope and encourage- 
ment. — Forward. 

Christian Love. (1088-1142) 

1088. Spurgeon's famous illustration 
of the relation of our love for God to 
our love for man was the fountain with 

' an upper and lower basin. The upper 
represented our love to God. It's over- 
flow is our love to man. Only that love 
to man which has its origin in, and is 
the surplusage of our love to God, is of 



the highest type. Philanthropy must be 
rooted in religion to endure. 

1089. Gladstone in his criticism of 
"Robert Elsmere" used the oak tree il- 
lustration. A farmer seeing a flourish- 
ing cak in his field conceives the notion 
that the foliage does not need the roots. 
So he girdles the tree, and returning 
next day, before the foliage has had 
time to wither, exults in the apparent 
confirmation of his theory. Gladstone 
says, let him wait a little longer and he 
will soon see the disastrous results of 
his obstruction of the flow of sap from 
root to feaf. And so with philanthropy. 
Disconnect it from its roots in supernat- 
ural religion and it will soon die. Love 
for God alone will keep alive love to 
man. 

1090. "They were building a great 
bridge across a river", wrote Amos R. 
Wells, in the Christian Endeavor World, 
"and the structure was carried from 
both sides to meet in the middle. But 
some way, when the central span was 
swung into place, they found that it did 
not fit; it fell short by two inches, and 
no ingenuity could bridge that little 
space. In dismay, they telegraphed to 
the designer of the bridge, and in great 
impatience awaited his reply. When 
the reply came it was enigmatical, for 
it merely said: "Wait till tomorrow 
noon." To-morrow noon the mystified 
beholders found that the sun's rays had 
expanded the metal so that, section to 
section, it precisely matched, and there 
was no crack at all, the bridge was one. 
So love solves the hard problems of the 
Christian life. 

1091. When a man is told that the 
whole of religion and morality is 
summed up in the two commandments 
to love God and to love our neighbor, he 

is ready to cry, like Charoba in Gebir 
at the first sight of the sea, "Is this the 
mighty sea? Is this all?" Yes, all; 
but how small a part of it do your eyes 
survey! Only trust yourself to it; 
launch out upon it; sail abroad over it; 
you will find it has no end; it will carry 
you round the world. — British Weekly. 

1092. "No bacillus has been discov- 
ered that can survive the sunlight." No 
evil can survive the sunlight of the love 
of God aglow in the heart of man. 

1093. Christianity alone teaches that 
salvation is of grace, and that a loving 
faith is the sole condition of acceptance 
with God. Sir Monier-Williams said: 
"I met an intelligent Sikh from the Pun- 
jab, and asked him about his religion. 
He replied, "I believe in one God, and I 
repeat my prayers, called Japji, every 
morning and evening. These prayers 



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Love. 



occupy six pages of print, but I can 
get through thern in little more than 
ten minutes." He seemed to pride him- 
self on this rapid recitation as a work 
of increased merit. I said: "What else 
does your religion require of you?" He 
replied, "I have made one pilgrimage to 
a holy well near Amritsar. Eighty-five 
steps lead down to it. I descended and 
bathed in the sacred pool. Then I as- 
cended one step and repeated my Japji 
in about ten minutes. Then I descended 
again to the pool and bathed again, and 
ascended to the second step and repeat- 
ed my Japji a second time. Then I de- 
scended a third time and bathed a third 
time, and ascended to the third step 
•and repeated my Japji a third time; and 
so on for the whole eighty-five steps, 
eighty-five bathings, and eighty-five re- 
pititions of the same prayers. It took 
me exactly fourteen hours, from 5 p. m. 
one evening to 7 a. m. next morning." 
I asked: "What good did you expect to 
get by going through this task?" He 
replied, "I hope I have laid up a great 
store of merit, which will last me for a 
long time." This, let me tell you, is a 
genuine Hindu idea. It is of the very 
essence of Brabmanism, of Hinduism, of 
Zoroastrianism, of Mohammedanism, of 
Buddhism. 

109 1. When Louis IX of France was 

young he married the Princess Marga- 
ret of Province.. On the wedding ring 
that he wore from that day there was 
engraved: "God, France, Margaret", and 
he was wont to say, "I have no love out- 
side that ring." This was the secret of 
his being known iO history as Saint 
Louis. — Martin. 

1095. When Moffat proclaimed God's 
love to the degraded Bechuanas, they 
awoke from the slumber of generations. 
Their hearts responded to the appeal; 
and it was proved that even in their 
souls there lay unextinguished, though 
unexercised, the most disiinethe char- 
acter of humanity, the faculty of know- 
ing. lo\ing. and serving God. .Many of 
them are now enlightened and spiritual 
worshipers of the Most High. 

1090. It is said that the way to tell 
genuine gold quart/, is to examine it 
from every direction. If it is the genu- 
ine article it will glisten and sparkle no 
matter -what the position. There Is a 
commodity that resembles gold, and un- 
der certain lights only will shine, but 
it Is not pure. So it is with the real 
Christian and the nominal professor. 
The one will shine wherever he Is and 
Christ will be lifted up. The other only 
looks well under certain lights, and will 
not bear close scrutiny at all. There is 



no shining, because the pure gold of a 
sincere Christian life is not there. — 
Zion's Herald. 

1097. When faith grows faint and 
feeble, and hope droops her wings, love 
toils on. It is a perennial force, un- 
wasting, undying. Neither time, nor 
age, nor circumstance, nor death itself 
can quench it. Browning, in his poem 
•A Death in the Desert." imagines the 

aged apostle John sinking into his last 
sleep from which no words nor cordials 
could rouse him. At length one read 
into his ear the words of Christ, "I am 
the resurrection and the life," whereat 
I he opened his eyes wide at once, sat up 
of himself and looked around. Dead to 
everything else, his ear was still respon- 
sive to the voice of Divine Love. 

1098. There was a girl whose wonder- 
ful grace and purity of character 
charmed everyone who knew her. One 
day a friend touched the spring of a 
little gold locket which she always wore 
on her neck, but which she would let 
no one see, and in it were these words: 
"Whom not having seen, I love." 

1099. The wife of Dr. Belfrage. the 
Scottish divine, died after less than one 
year of singular and unbroken happi- 
ness. There was no portrait of her, but 
he resolved that there should be one. 
Though ignorant of drawing, he deter- 
mined to make it himself. He pro- 
cured the pigments and the canvas, 
and shut himself up for fourteen days. 
He came out of the study wasted and 
feeble, but with a portrait full of subtle 
likeness, drawn and colored as no one 
could have dreamed. Every one said 
it was perfect. Why was it perfect? 
It was the product of love. 

1100. "Why must you polish that lens 
with the palm of your hand?" asked a 
man in a telescope factory. 

"There comes a time in the making of 
a fine lense," the workman replied, 
"when nothing can be substituted for the 
human touch." 

It is so with our effort to help men 
and women to lead a better life. The 
reading-matter, of itself might have 
done good, but how blessed was the 
letter that brought with it the sense of 
i companionship and .sympathy. Chris- 
tian love i- an incalculably mighty force. 

1101. Scientists of most recent re- 
search tell tis thai the basal emotion — 
one of those instinctive feelings shown 
earliest in life, in the case both of in- 
fants and of animals — Is fear. This 
emotion shows Itself sometimes s<> early 

:is to astonish us. displaying its. II skiih-- 
I times as early as at the age of three 
weeks In Infants. When we consider 
what ii gamut of feeling stretches be- 



The Christian Life. 



— 174 — 



Love. 



tween fear and love, and how persistent 
the fundamental emotions are through- 
out life, having the perdurable quality 
of the things earliest built into our na- 
tures, fear seems a long way off from 
love! The saying of the apostle, "Per- 
fect love easteth out fear," becomes 
more astonishing to us than ever. This 
is the point aimed at and attained by 
the Christian. This is the mighty re- 
constructive work grace is to do for us. 
Perfect love to us works perfect love in 
us. 

1102. The glory of Christian love is its 
refusal of monopoly. The spiritual ar- 
tist — the man who paints Christ in his 
soul — wants no solitary niche in the tem- 
ple of fame. He would not like to hear 
any one say: "He is the first of his pro- 
fession; there is not one that can hold 
the candle to him." He would be very 
sad to be distinguished in his profession 
of Christ, marked out as a solitary fig- 
ure. The gladdest moment to him will 
always he the moment when the cry is 
heard, "Thy brother is coming up the 
ladder also; thy brother will share the 
inheritance with thee." — George Mathe- 
son. 

1103. When the venerable Professor 
Nitsch had reached his 80th year, he 
said to a friend; "I can no longer see. 
I can no longer hear. I am not able to 
work, but I can still love. Love never 
faileth." 

1104. A Japanese traveler was calling 
upon the celebrated Russian Count Tol- 
stoi. When the count asked his visitor 
what were the ideals of his nation, the 
Japanese replied, "Reverence for the 
Emperor, and love of country." To 
which the sturdy old Russian answered: 
"Too low! too low. There is no hope for 
a nation which does not love God, and 
that has not religion for a basis." 

1105. The remark was attributed to 
Col. Ingersoll, the sceptic; "I love Judge 

, and hate God." We who love 

God ought to know it and rejoice in it. 
If we love God he will be often in our 
thoughts. 

1106. Talk we of morals, O, thou 
bleeding Lamb! 

The great morality is love of thee. 

1107. If a man is to exist millions of 
years after his death, to be himself he 
must be able to remember himself. Let 

a man now think what will probably be 
the precious things of memory a myriad 
of years hence? Will it be the accumu- 
lation of a few poor, pitiful millions of 
dollars, most of which he could not use 
even while in the flesh? Will it be that 
his name was in the newspapers of his 
day? Will it be that he held a mo- 



mentary thrill of physical enjoyment? 
What will it be? It will be life's deeds 
of love to which Christ's love con- 
strained us. — Deems. 

1108. Not long ago a young man, who 
had just been recovering from a severe 
attack of sickness, was walking along 
the bank of the Ohio River to regain 
his strength. He saw a man drowning 
in the stream. He forgot his own con- 
dition and saved that man. O, that we 
may forget ourselves in the love and 
service of God! — Herald and Presbyter. 

1109. When Napoleon first started to 
fight England and Austria, do you know 
what the soldiers called him? It was 
"Wee One hundred thousand men." It 
was a grand testimony to the power of 
the little Napoleon in the midst of his 
army. They asked one another, "Is 
'Wee One hundred thousand men' in 
the army to-day?" He was worth that 
number of men. The man whose heart 
is aflame with love is a spiritual Na- 
poleon. 

1110. The colored sunsets and the 
starry heavens, the beautiful mountains 
and the shining sea, the fragrant woods 
and the painted flowers, they are not 
half so beautiful as a soul that is serv- 
ing Jesus out of love, in the wear and 
tear of common, unpoetic life. 

1111. Bunyan says that the hen has 
four different calls to her brood: one 
when twilight begins to darken toward 
night; another when she has come 
across some dainty for their food; an- 
other of danger, when the hawk is hov- 
ering in the air; and yet another of 
yearning desire. It is thus that he calls, 
in whose nature every kind of love has 
its origin and fount. — F. B. Meyer. 

1112. An old minister of a small 
church in a country town had one day 
in his audience a very distinguished 
statesman. The service went on about 
as usual, and the old minister preached 
with his accustomed earnestness and 
plainness of speech. At the close of the 
service, several members of the congre- 
gation gathered about him and said: 
"Brother, we had a distinguished vis- 
itor to-day, but you did not seem at all 
embarrassed." Thereupon the old man 
replied, "I have been preaching in the 
presence of the Almighty God for forty 
years, and do you think, with him as 
one of my constant hearers, any man 
can embarrass me by his presence?" 

1113. Baron Von Welz was so mas- 
tered by the missionary idea that, after 
pleading pathetically, but in vain, with 
the state church to give the gospel to 
the heathen, he renounced his title and 
his estates, and gave himself, going at 



The Christian Life. 



— 175 — 



Love. 



his own charges to Dutch Guinea, where 
he soon filled a lonely missionary grave. I 
He vindicates his renunciation of his 
title thus: "What to me is the title 
'well-born,' when I am born again in 
Christ? What to me is the title 'lord', 
when I desire to be a servant of Christ? 
What to me to be called 'your grace', 
when I have need of God's grace, help, 
and succor? All these vanities I will 
away with, and everything besides I will 
lay at the feet of Jesus, my dearest 
Lord, that I may have no hindrance in 
serving him aright." 

1114. In the center of London, says 
Rev. Ashton Oxendon, stands the great 
Cathedral of St. Paul. The last time 
I passed by it, I saw numbers of people 
in the street with their eyes directed i 
towards .something high up on the 
steeple. I stopped and looked also; and 
there, far aloft, almost out, of sight, 
could be seen a man working in a kind 
of cradle. It seemed as though he was 
in the utmost peril; but in fact he was 
secure. It made one giddy to watch 
him; but he was quite safe. There was 
a strong rope to which he was slung, 
which passed upwards, and entered 
through a trap-door above him; and 
this rope was fastened to a stout beam 
within. The wind might whistle around 
him, but he had nothing to fear. He 
could look upon the dizzy crowd below, 
but he felt no alarm; lie was safe. 

What a picture of the Christian! In 
the hour of his greatest weakness, he 
looks up to heaven and feels that all is 
secure. There is his Father, seated on 
his eternal throne! 

1115. A man was the possessor of a 
large tract of land. To the outward 
eye it seemed much like other land. 
But one day a bed of metal, called man- 
ganese, was discovered in one of his 
fields. From that moment the value of 
the field was Increased twenty-fold in 
Ills eyes. The rich mine had existed 
there all along; but he knew it not. 
God's great love, when once discovered, 
call- forth man'- love, and gives to life 
a new and glorious meaning. 

1116. God must come first. Our fore- 
fathers in the "Mayflower" began their 
famous "compact" with the words: "In 
the name of God, Amen." Daniel Web- 
ster called this "the Rrst clause of the 
American const i ( ul ion." 

1117. A lobster, when left high and 
dry upon the rocks. has not the energy 
to creep back to the sea. but waits for 
the tide to come back to It. If the tide 
does not rise high enough. It remains 
whore It Is and dies. When the tide of 
love — my love to God, God's love to me 



— rises high in my life, it floats my soul 
out to safety and spiritual abundance. 

1118. Our love responds to God's love 
realized. A newsboy was in the habit 
of running after a gentleman on the 
ferry boat and brushing his coat with af- 
fectionate fondness. One day the gen- 
tleman asked him, "Why are you so 
careful with me every morning?" The 
boy answered, "Because once, when you 
bought a paper, you said, 'My child!* 
Xo one ever called me his cliild before. 
That's the reason. I love you for say- 
ing that to me." It was the first love 
the boy had found in this world, and it 
was like heaven to him. It is a blessed 
moment to us when we first realize that 
God is our Father, and calls us his own 
children. — J. R. Miller. 

1119. A young girl, saved out of Af- 
rican heathenism, brought a generous 
offering one Christmas day for the Lord. 
The missionary was amazed at the mag- 
nitude of it and he first refused to ac- 
cept it. She explained to him very sim- 
ply that in order to give to Christ an 
offering that satisfied her own heart, she 
had gone to a neighboring planter and 
bound herself out to him as a slave for 
the rest of her life, and had brought the 
whole financial equivalent of her life of 
pledged service and laid it down in a 
single gift at the feet cf her Lord! — 
London Missionary Chronicle. 

1120. In crossing the Atlantic, our 
steamships have to calculate each day, 
and make allowance for the "magnetic 
variations" of the compasses by which 
they steer. It would be well if all of 
us understood just how far from the 
true meridian our moral compass need- 
les were deflected by the attractions of 
gold, or pleasure, or appetite, or ambi- 
tion, or love, or hatred, or by the social 
atmosphere of our immediate neighbor- 
hood. — Trumbull. 

1121. A man traveling on horseback, 
accompanied by his dog, dismounted 
for some purpose, and dropped his 
package of money. His dog saw this, 
but his master did not. The dog stayed 
for a time beside the lost package, then 
running on ahead of his master, began 
to bark vigorously and to try to stop the 
horse and to turn it back toward the 
missing treasure. The man feared that 
the dog had gone mad, and he drew his 
pistol and shot it. The poor, faithful, 
wounded creature dragged itself back 
to the place where the lost pocket book 
was, and, lying down beside it. tiled. 
Love never failcth. 

1122. The mule of an American wha- 
ler, Mr. Whalon. w.'i- captured by the 

cannibals of BTiva-Oa, one of the -Mar- 



The Christian Life. 



— 176 — 



Love. 



quesan islands, and rescued bravely by 
the intervention of a native Christian, 
Kekela, who was subsequently rewarded 
by President Lincoln for his gallant 
charity. Mr. Stevenson, in his "In the 
South Seas", quotes an extract from 
Kekela's letter of thanks, adding, "I do 
not envy the man who can read it with- 
out emotion." After telling of the res- 
cue, Kekela proceeds: "As to this friend- 
ly deed of mine in saving Mr. Whalon, 
its seed came from your great land, 
and was brought by a certain of your 
countrymen, who had received the love 
of God. It was planted in Hawaii, and 
I brought it to plant in this land and in 
these dark regions, that they might re- 
ceive the best of all that is good and 
true, which is love." — Literary Illustra- 
tions. 

1123. God is all for quality; man is 
for quantity. But the immediate need 
of the world at this moment is not more 
of us, but, if I may use the expression, 
a better brand of us. To secure ten 
men of an improved type would be bet- 
ter than if we had ten thousand of the 
average Christians distributed all over 
the world. And our first consideration 
is our life — our own spiritual relations 
to God — our own likeness to Christ. 
"Thou shalt love", comes first: 

1124. "Love never faileth." Knowl- 
edge shall vanish away. You put yes- 
terday's newspaper in the fire. Its 
knowledge has vanished away. You 
buy the old editions of the great ency- 
clopaedias for a few cents. Their knowl- 
edge has vanished away. The greatest 
living authority on electricity and on 
physics — Sir "William Thomson — said 
one day in Scotland at a meeting at 
which I was present: "The steam-engine 
is passing away." At every workshop 
you will see out in the back-yard a heap 
of old iron- — a few wheels, and a few 
levers, all rusty. Twenty years ago that 
was the pride of the city. Men flocked 
in from the country to see this great in- 
vention, and now it has been superseded 
and has vanished away. And all the 
boasted science and philosophy of this 
day will soon be old. It is not going to 
last. Only love endures. — Drummond. 

1125. Why does the world listen to 

the story of the Cross? The reason is 
that God has so builded man that there 
is a place in his heart which nothing 
but the Cross of Christ can fill. There- 
fore, if you present the Cross of Christ 
and the kindred doctrines (for they are 
all united in one arch), men will listen, 
in heathen as well as in Christian lands. 
The author of Christianity is the author 
of the human heart; they must fit each 
other. — Townsend. 



1126. "I hold with Algernon Sydney," 
said Thomas Arnold, "that there are but 
two things of vital importance — those 
which he calls Religion and Politics but 
which I would rather call, our duties 
and affections toward God and our du- 
ties and feelings toward men; science 
and literature are both but a poor make- 
up for the want of these." 

1127. Love means surrender: "I gave 
my sins to Jesus two years ago; I gave 
myself to him only a few months ago;" 
so said a young girl recently, who was 
asked how long she had been a Chris- 
tian. — Pentecost. 

1128. And only the master shall praise 
us, and only the master shall blame; 

And no one shall work for money; and 
no one shall work for fame, 

But each for the joy of the working, and 
each, in his separate star 

Shall draw the Thing as he sees It for 
the God of the Things as They are. 

— Kipling. 

1129. An exquisite little Hindu poem 

was given in substance by Rev. G. M. 
Cobbam, as follows: "You are going to 
worship, are you not? and you ha^e 
brought flowers from your garden, and 
you are going to offer them, but that 
idol is not God, and these are not the 
right flowers. God is a spirit. God 
wants a flower; but the flower that he 
wants is the flower that grows in the 
garden of the heart, the Sower of love. 
That is the flower you must brinrj." 

1130. Luther said: "My coat of arms 
shall be a heart that has the color of 
human flesh upon it, warm with human 
love, and in it shall be planted the 
cross, the black cross, that shows the 
sacredness of sacrificial suffering, and 
that shall be set in a rose of the purest 
white — the purity and strength of char- 
acter that God can give to those that 
suffer — and back of it all shall be that 
ground of blue that brings heaven nearer 
to earth, and around it shall be the 
golden ring of perfectedness and eternity 
as a symbol of what Jesus Christ has 
done for men." 

1131. The Buddhist says, "Think of 
Buddha and you will become like 
Buddha." Aye, and if we think of Christ 
in loving loyalty we shall become like 
him. 

1132. Personal love for Christ is the 
sure and unfailing mark of a disciple. 

"Every one that loveth is born of God, 
and knoweth God. He that loveth not, 
knoweth not God, for God is love." 
Love is the infallible sign of spiritual 
life. Where love is, there is life. 
Where there is no love there is no life. 
—J. F. Carson, D. D. 



— 177 — 



1133. "Go a little deeper", said a 
French soldier of the Old Guard to the 
surgeon who was probing a wound in 
his breast, "go a little deeper and you 
will find the Emperor" — intimating that 
in the innermost sanctuary of his heart 
the Emperor was enshrined. It was 
that spirit that made that Old Guard so 
irresistible. 

1134. Raymond Lull, the first mis- 
sionary to the Moslems, showed the 
marvelous power of love, which trans- 
figured his life and placed no limit on 
his desire for the souls of men. His 
vow of consecration reads thus: "To 
thee, Lord God, do I now offer myself 
and my wife and my children and all 
that I possess; and since I approach 
thee humbly with this gift and sacrifice, 
may it please thee to condescend to ac- 
cept all that I give and offer up now for 
thee, that I and my wife and my chil- 
dren may be thy humble slaves." Later 
he wrote: "I see many knights going to 
the Holy Land beyond the seas, and 
thinking that they can acquire it by 
force of arms; but in the end all are de- 
stroyed before they attain that which 
they think to have. Whence it seems to 
me that -the conquest of the Holy Land 
ought not to be attempted, except in the 
way in which thou and thine apostles 
acquired it, namely, by love and prayers, 
and the pouring out of tears and of 
blood." 

1135. Our business is, not to build 
quickly, but to build upon a right foun- 
dation and in a right spirit. Life is 
more than a mere competition as be- 
tween man and man; it is not who can 
be done first, but who can work best; 
not who can rise highest, but who is 
working most patiently and lovingly in 
accordance with the designs of God. — 
Joseph Parker. 

1130. Whole-hearted love to God 
means joy and peace. Why is it that 
you think of your childhood's days as 
your happiest days? Simply because 
they were your purest days. Who are 
the happiest persons you know? They 
are the holiest and purest. When have 
you known the purest Joy? When you 
have been longing most to be like 
Christ, "mossed are the pure in heart, 
for ihey shall see God" — that's heaven, 
and we can have it this side of the 
gra\e. — Religious Herald. 

113". 1 have scon almost all the beau- 
tiful things God has made: I have en- 
joyed almost every pleasure that God 
has planned for man; and yet I can 
look back, and I see standing out above 
all the life that has gone four or live 
short experiences when the love of God 

reflected itself In some poor imitation, 

1J Pra.-. III. 



some small act of love of mine — and 
that is the thing that I get comfort from 
now. When I think about my past life, 
everything else has been transitory — 
has passed away. But the acts of love 
which no man knows about, or will ever 
know about — they never fail. The test 
of religion — the final test of religion — 
is not religiousness, but love. — Drum- 
mond. 

1138. To see the beauty, fruitfulness, 
and sufficiency of love is easy, but to 
have it as the mainspring of our own 
life, most difficult, — indeed, the greatest 
of all attainments. This we instinctive- 
ly recognize as the true test of our con- 
dition. Have we that in us which really 
knits us to God and our fellow-men, 
and prompts us to do our utmost for 
them? Have we in us this new affec- 
tion which destroys selfishness, and 
brings us into true and lasting relations 
with all we have to do with ? This is 
the root of all good, the beginning of all 
blessedness, because the germ of all 
likeness to God, who himself is love. 
— Marcus Dods, D. D. 

1139. Xothing is harder than to try 
to be a Christian with half-hearted de- 
sire. But to one in whom the love of 
Christ is fully formed, who panteth after 
righteousness as the hart panteth after 
the water brook, nothing can be more 
easy and natural than to be a child of 
God — especially if this love was formed 
in the heart before the love of the world 
had an opportunity to choke it. It" is 
then as easy to be a Christian as it is to 
repose in a loving father's arms, or to 
run his errands. When the love of 
Christ once constrains us, his precepts 
are easy and his pathway a delight. — 
The Lutheran. 

1110. There conies an end to all these 
things which you are' doing now! Not 
because God snatches them out of your 
hand, but because they exhaust them- 
selves and expire, because they are by 
their nature temporary and perishing, 
they die. You follow out any of them 
a little way, and you come to this in- 
evitable epitaph in their mortality, 
"Then cometh the end." Mow is it then 
v.iih you? Have yon anything to which 
there comes no end?" "What?" you 
say: "What sort of thing?" And I re- 
ply, "Any passion for charac ter and love 
of God!" Those are eternal. There 
comes no end to those. You may change 
your dress, your name, your habits, your 
companionships, your work, — every- 
thing that you do, — but your passion for 
character and lo\c for God. If you have 
them, you never change; they are the 
game forever. 



The Christian Life. 



— 178 — 



Gratitude. 



1141. There is nothing so faithful in 
this world as sincere love! A young 
Englishman came to California and be- 
came very wealthy by his good fortune 
in the mines. He sent a large nugget 
of gold to England to the woman to 
whom he was engaged. In an evil turn 
of fortune, he lost his wealth. He wrote 
to the lady informing her of his change 
of fortune and releasing her from all 
obligations. But what was his surprise 
and joy to receive, as soon as an answer 
could come to his letter, a gold ring, 
made of the nugget he had sent, en- 
graved with these words: "Entreat me 
not to leave thee." — Banks. 

1142. It was once a problem in me- 
chanics to find a pendulum which would 
be of the same length in all weather, 

and move at the same rate through the 
heat of summer and cold of winter. 
The problem was solved. By a process 
of compensation the rod is made to 
lengthen in one way as much as it con- 
tracts in another, so that the center of 
motion is always the same and you have 
the same number of beats on a day in 
January and a day in June. There was 
a like problem in religion: to find a mo- 
tive, a principle of action, sure, steady, 
unvarying, to move men to righteous and 
holy living and to noble, unselfish ser- 
vice of God and their fellow men. The 
problem is solved by the Gospel. The 
motive is found in that love for Christ 
which is awakened and sustained by the 
Holy Spirit in the believer's soul in re- 
sponse to that infinite love wherewith he 
has loved us. — Preacher's Magazine. 

Gratitude. (Thanksgiving Day.) 

(1143-1170) 

1143. Thanksgiving is the natural out- 
come of thoughtgiving. "Thank" and 
"think", the philologists say, are the 
same word at the bottom. 

1144. A little boy who had been oper- 
ated upon by a great surgeon, said, as 
soon as he came out from under the 
anaesthetic, "My mother'U never get 
done talking about you." 

1145. The visitor who walks down 
Front Street, Exeter, N. H., will be re- 
minded of a sailor who had his own way 
of keeping God's mercies ever in mind. 
On the lawn at the residence of the late 
Captain John Chadwick he will see a 
fine flagstaff made up like a ship's mast 
and topmast — the mast crossed by a 
slender yard just below the top. That 
yard is a precious souvenir. It was a 
studding-sail yard of the ship "Sun- 
beam" and on it Captain Chadwick and 
his son were saved when the "Sunbeam" 



was burned in the South Pacific Ocean. 
That little spar, to which two men clung 
for dear life in mid-ocean until rescue 
came, stands to-day as a memorial of 
God's mercy and a motive for thanks- 
giving. — The Sea Breeze. 

1146. Travelers among the mountains 
of the East, as they wend their way be- 
tween the rocks or through narrow and 
intricate paths, notice their guides every 
here and there placing a stone on a con- 
spicuous bit of rock, or two stones one 
upon another. At the same time they 
are heard uttering words which we learn 
are of thanksgiving — thanks to God for 
help so far and prayer for safe return. 
We should rear memorials like these to 
God's goodness. 

1147. "We all sat together in prayer- 
meeting," says a writer in the Interior, 
"and the sweet old saint who had not 
seen the face of man or woman for fifty 
years sat ... on the front row. The pas- 
tor gave out the hymn, 'Count your 
many blessings one by one.' Now we all 
knew the dear old man had blessings; 
we had heard him say so. But none of 
us thought he had so very many. It 
was just after he was married that an 
accident had cost him his sight. He had 
earned a living for himself and his wife 
through nearly the whole of a half- 
century by scrubbing other people's 
clothes clean at the washtub in their lit- 
tle kitchen, the wife standing by to tell 
him when they were made spotless. Not 
content to provide this way for two — 
they were childless — he adopted and 
raised an orphan niece. Now in his 
old age he had lost his wife and about 
the only earthly satisfaction that re- 
mained to him was the faithful care 
of this foster child and her husband. 
But they were not rich, and what they 
so gladly shared with him could not be 
more than a sufficiency. But the pas- 
tor had given out, 'Count your many 
blessings one by one.' We heard the 
blind saint sigh: 'I can't do that!' What 
calamity had befallen here? Had the 
blind man lost his faith ? No, — wait, — 
he is finishing his sentence: 'I can't 
count them that way; I'd never get 
through if I did!' " 

1148. A boy was bringing home a 
loaf of bread, and one said, "What have 
you there?'" "A loaf." "Where did 
you get it?" "From the baker." 
"Where did the baker get it?" "He 
made it." "Of what did he make it?" 
"Flour." "Where did he get the flour?" 
"From the miller.." "Where did he get 
it?" "From the farmer." "Where did 
the farmer get it?" Then the truth 
dawned upon the boy's mind, and he re- 
plied, "From God." "Well, then, from 



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Gratitude. 



whom did you get the loaf?" "O, from 
God." Here is a hoy who, in the last 
resort, acknowledges God to be the giver 
of good. In this materialistic age, a 
man says, "My business supports me and 
my family." It is a lie; God supports 
you and your family. Men deal with 
God only as a last resort, and yet go on 
hoping to sneak into God's heaven when 
they have done with his world; but the 
God of Sinai is thundering out to this 
age, "Thou shalt put me first and the 
baker second.'' We may not sacrifice 
to the net, nor may we burn incense to 
the drag. — J. Campbell Morgan, D. D., 
Record of Christian Work. 

1149. A poor German boy whose foot 
was twisted out of shape, was operated 
on successfully. When the plaster cast 
had been taken off from his foot they 
called his attention to the hospital, and 
the boy admired it, but he said, "I like 
the doctor best." . He said the nurses are 
nothing compared to the doctor. They 
went to his Missouri home, and stepped 
out at the station together, and the old 
German mother was waiting to receive 
him. She did not look at her boy's 
face nor at his hands, but she fell on 
her knees and looked at his foot, and 
then said, sobbing, "It is just like any 
other boy's foot." Taking him in her 
arms, the minister said, all the boy kept 
saying to her over and over was, "Mo- 
ther, you ongbt to know the doctor that 
made me walk." 

And then my friend said, "There is 
not one of us but for whom Jesus Christ 
has done ten thousand times more than 
the doctor did for this boy, and we 
have never spoken for him, we have not 
yielded ourselves to him. 

1150. He who does not feel that no 
blessings could come from heaven unless 
forgiveness cleared the way for them, 
has yet to learn the deepest music of 
thankfulness. — Alexander McLaren, D.D. 

1151. Our praise is in the nature of a 
debt. That man who declines to meet 
his Obligation to • » ■ — God, repudiate-, an 
honest debt. ;ind, however he may rank 
in Bradstreet's, he Is not, in the last 
analysis, an honest man. — Rev. D. F. 
Burr ell, D. D. 

1152. Our memories can do much to 
make or mar us. They can make cow- 
ards or heroes of us all. And it Is in 
the great hours of our career, v hen we 
are called to act or to decide, that mem- 
ory wakes up In her strange power to 
help us upward or to keep us back. 
There was a note of triumph about Da- 
vid, when he recounted to Saul his past 
deliverances, and Said could say not! - 
ing to the lad save: "Go. and the Lord 
be with thee." Have you no memories 



like that of David? God has never 
freed you in an hour of need? Cherish 
the thought of it as David did; be sure 
it will be wanted by and by. Some day 
you will be face to face with your Go- 
liath, some day for you there will be a 
giant to fight, and it will fortify and 
garrison your heart to have remem- 
brances of help from God. — G. H. Mor- 
rison. 

1153. My little daughter said: "Fa- 
ther. I am going to count the stars." 
"Very well," I said, "go on." By and by 
I heard her counting, "Two hundred and 
twenty-three, two hundred and twenty- 
five, Oh, dear," she said, "I had no 
idea there were so many!" I sometimes 
say in my soul, "Now, Master, I am 
going to count the benefits." Soon my 
heart sighs, not with sorrow, but bur- 
dened with such goodness, and I say to 
myself, " I had no idea that there were 
so many." — Mark Guy Pearse. 

1151. All the best things in this world 
are scattered with a lavish hand, and 
we do not know how rich we are until 
we sit down to reckon up our treasures. 
The love of parents, the affection of 
brothers and sisters, the help of teach- 
ers, the sympathy of friends, the com- 
panionship of books, the gift of chil- 
dren, the joys of home are given to all 
sorts and conditions of men. If those 
you love and who love you have been 
spared to you another year, there ought 
to be a thanksgiving season in your 
borne. — Charles E. Jefferson, D. D. 

1155. Professor Agassiz once ap- 
proached the instrument of the cele- 
brated microscopist, but paused and 
said, "Tell me what I am to see." The 
microscopist, delighted, answered, "You 
are a man after my own heart. You 
recognize that there must be a prepared 
mind to enable the eye to see rightly." 
We shall see what we expect or desire 
to see. Thousands have eyes but see 
not God's goodness to them. 

1150. Out of our pain and struggle, 
Up from our grief and dole. 
We are swift to cry to the Healer 
For the touch that makes us whole. 



Alas! we are not so ready, 

In the day of our joy and crown, 
With the palms and the fragrant incense 

Laid at his altar down; 
And how it in list grieve (be Master 

That his own arc mi slow to praise. 
In the flush of their peace and gladness. 

The goodness which brims the days! 

— M. E. Sangster. 

1167, During the war with Spain, 
when the American Army w.-ih supplv- 
i ing the slar\ in::, iccoik cnlradOS Of ED 



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Gratitude. 



Caney with food, a storm made the 
roads impassable, and the order was 
given that the people might walk to the 
camp, six miles off, for their rations. 
When Lieutenant Brooke was returning 
to camp one day he saw a six year old 
lad lying in the mud by the road utterly 
exhausted. The Lieutenant leaped from 
his horse, picked the little fellow up, 
and carried him to camp. There he saw 
that he was well fed and cared for until 
his strength returned. When the boy 
was able to travel he was given a supply 
of food to take back with him to El 
Caney. Two days later the little fellow, 
still pale and weak, appeared at the 
camp. He had walked back over six 
miles to bring- his only possession, a 
small chicken, to Lieutenant Brooke, 
because he had been so kind to him. 
The Lieutenant took the chicken to 
General Shafter and told the story of 
the lad's gratitude. When the army en- 
tered Santiago the chicken entered, too, 
and perched each night on a gilded 
chandelier in the governor's palace. 
She traveled wherever General Shaffer's 
baggage did, and was finally brought to 
the United States and taken to his home 
in San Francisco. — Tarbell. 

1158. Why offer unto God thanksgiv- 
ing? Because the faith is indestructible 
in human hearts — both that God is, and 
that he cares for and guides the world; 
and that, bereft and isolated as our lives 
may sometimes seem, no more than he 
forgets to send each year, the water 
fowl through "pathless sky with certain 
flight," does he forget to cause to fly to 
us, from bounteous hand, mercies multi- 
tudinous. — Wayland Hoyt, D. D. 

1159. In 1908 150,000,000, Christians 
in all the world gave $17,000,000 to for- 
eign missions, and the liquor dealers in 
the State of New York, ministering to 
8,000,000 people, gave $17,000,000 for 
licenses; and that was a part of the first 
investment. Louis XI. of France gave 
the magnificent Province of Boulogne to 
the Church, but pocketed the income. 
We give ourselves to Jesus Christ, we 
consecrate ourselves to our Redeemer, 
we give the great provinces of the soul 
to our king, and then absorb the income 
on our pleasures and in our savings. — 
O. P. Gifford, D. D. 

1160. Praise God that you do not lift 
blind eyes to a sky you have never seen. 
Be grateful for your sight, through 
which so many of your pleasures come. 
Praise the kind Father in heaven, too, 
for your hearing and speech. How shall 
we do all this praising? With our lips. 
In our hearts. By our lives. — William 
T. Ellis. 

1161. Thanksgiving is, or shoidd be, 



made one of the most uplifting anni- 
versaries in the year. An "anniversary" 
is literally the turning of the year — the 
axis of its rapid revolution. Praise, 
which is the main business of Thanks- 
giving Day, should be axial in all the ac- 
tivities of the twelvemonth. Thanks- 
giving should be life's keynote. — New 
York Observer. 

1162. Daniel Quorm quaintly tells the 
truth: "We do want a bit o'prunin' now 
and then, I dare say, but don't 'e go 
a-thinken' about the dear Lord as stand- 
in' only over us for that. A standin' 
there with all his kindness and care. 
Why, he is trainin' the branches and is 
watchin' over us and wardin' off blights 
and keepin' off enemies — slugs and 
snails, and such like, that do harbor in 
a man's soul, and his gentleness and lov- 
ing care have a deal more tp do with the 
fruit than the knife has." 

1163. He who thanks God only in re- 
trospect gives God only half thanks> 
He who finds his heart swelling with 
gratitude only when he looks backward 
or around him at the material benefits 
which have come to him, is in danger of 
being selfish as he is grateful. If three 
times a clay he bows his head and thanks 
God for his food, he looks forward 
thrice each day to the coming of more 
blessings from the same bountiful hand 
of Divine Providence. His own selfish 
gratification is his uppermost thought. — 
F. H. Hays, D. D. 

1164. Ninety million miles come the 
sunbeams through space before they 
touch the roots and grasses and the 
flowers in the spring days, warming and 
quickening them into life and beauty. 
Through thousands and thousands of 
years out of the great past comes the 
love of Christ that today touches our 
hearts and blesses them with its divine 
tenderness. 

1165. And have you been thankful 
enough and praiseful enough for the 
great national leaders with whom God 
has blessed us?Not more really were Jo- 
seph, Moses, Joshua, David, lifted as 
leaders for the ancient Hebrews than 
have been leaders for us, divinely given 
in great emergencies. No nation has 
been so signally favored with great lea- 
ders as has our own. Call the shining 
roll. Washington, Lincoln — under whose 
superb and patient leadership it was at 
last effectually declared that our gov- 
ernment "of the people, by the people, 
for the people" should not perish from 
the earth; of whom Secretary Stanton so 
truly said, as he gazed upon his dead 
body, "There lies the most perfect ruler 
of men who ever lived"; "Unconditional 
Surrender" Grant — on whom the great 



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Consecration. 



Lincoln leaned; MeKinley — so beautiful 
in spirit, and yet withal so firm and 
strong; Roosevelt — the Ajax for right- 
eousness, national and civic. And these 
are but scant specimens from a crowd- 
ing list. — Christian Work. 

1166. The Supreme Being onee gave 
a banquet in his azure halls. All the 
virtues were invited to it — none but the 
virtues. Many of these were assembled 
there, great and small. The smaller 
virtues were more agreeable and amia- 
ble than the great; but all seemed in 
good spirits and conversed very politely 
with one another, as beseemed such near 
relations and acquaintances. Then the 
Supreme Being noticed two beautiful 
beings who did not seem to know each 
other. The host took one lady by the 
hand and led her to the other. "Be- 
nevolence." said he, pointing to the first. 
•'Gratitude", added he, introducing the 
second to her. Both virtues were much 
surprised to make each other's acquaint- 
ance. For the first time since the crea- 
tion of the world, and that was a long 
time ago, they now met, face to face. 

1167. May you not also appropriately 
give thanks even for Divine denials? 
An eight-year-old boy was asked to 
write out what he thought a good bill of 
fare for a Thanksgiving dinner. Thus 
he wrote: "Furst corse, mince pie; 
sekund corse, pumpkin pie and turkey; 
third corse, lemon pie, turkey, cranber- 
ries; forth corse, custard pie, apple pie, 
mince pie, chocolate cake, ice cream, 
plum pudding. Desert, pie." 

But what would have become of the 
boy could he have had all that? Surely, 
for that boy, some denial would be bless- 
ing. — Christian Work. 

1168. A score of women were helped 
off the car in one day by a street -car 
conductor: only one of them remem- 
bered to thank him. though he had car- 
ried their luggage and got off the car to 
assist them in alighting. Two dozen 
people had packages weighed in a store 
that sold stamps, and only one thanked 
the clerk, though.it was no part of his 
duties to weigh their packages. The 
sun shines upon eighty millions of peo- 
ple, but how many go to the church at 
the end of the year to give thanks to 
him who rules the sun? We are all fed 
and clothed by the same hand, yet where 
one acknowledges the debt a hundred 
forget it or pass it lightly. — Herald and 
Presbyter. 

1169. Tt is said when the last rays of 
the boh touch the summit of the Alps, 
the shepherd who lives on the highest 
peak takes his Alpine horn and, using 
it as a speaking-trumpet, cries with a 
loud voice: "Praised be the Lord." Oth- 



ers farther down take up the refrain, 
the very rocks echoing and re-echoing 
the name of God. Silence at length suc- 
ceeding, the shepherds bend their knees 
and pray in the open air, and then retire 
to their huts for rest. 

1170. Hard as your lot may have 
been, it might have been worse. If you 
would take the trouble to inquire into 
the misfortunes of thousands of others, 
you would find that their lot has been 
even harder still. Thank God for your 
afflictions, and while in the act of 
thanking maybe the chastening hand 
will be lifted. When humility in its low- 
liest form has taken the place of re- 
sentment and complaint, then there is 
no more need of the crucible, for only 
the pure gold remains. 

Consecration. Holiness. Otherworld- 
liness. (1171-1229) 

1171. One of the futile methods of 
sanctifying ourselves, said Prof. Drum- 
mond, is trying — effort — struggle — agon- 
izing. I suppose you have all tried that, 
and I appeal to your own life when I 
ask if it has not failed. Crossing the 
Atlantic, the Ktruria. in which I was 
sailing, suddenly stopped in mid-ocean — 
something had suddenly broken down. 
There were a thousand people on board 
that ship. Do you think we could have 
made it go on if we had all gathered 
together and pushed against the sides 
or against the masts? When a man 
hopes to sanctify himself by trying, he 
is like a man trying to make the boat go 
that carries him by pushing it. It is 
impossible. We are transformed by be- 
holding. 

1172. It was on Advent Sunday. De- 
cember, 1873, that I first saw clearly the 
blessedness- of true consecration. I saw 
it as a flash of electric light; and what 
you see, you can never unsee. There 
must be lull surrender before there can 

be lull blessedness. God admits you by 
the one into the other. lie himself 
showed me this most clearly. You 
know how singularly I have been with- 
held from attending conventions and 
conferences; man's teaching has conse- 
quently but little to do with it. First 
I was shown that the blood of Jesus 
Christ, his Son, cleanseth from .ill sin; 
and then it was made plain to me that 
he who had thus cleansed me, had 
power to keep me clean; so I utterly 
yielded myself to him and utterly trust- 
ed him to keep me. — Frances Kidhy 
Havergal. 

1178. Consecration is the s u rrender of 
a .shadow for a substance : a silicate lor a 



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Consecration. 



diamond, bubbles for jewels! When a 
wave of happy sunlight rolls in from 
the East, then the lamp loses its mean- 
ing. When the ear is attuned to high- 
grade music, it will not listen to rag- 
time. When the heart finds Christ, the 
world is empty. Cicero tells of a prison- 
er who had spent most of his life in a 
dungeon, who was distressed when told 
that his prisjpn wall was to be torn 
down. A Colorado silver miner thought 
he was ruined when the white metal de- 
preciated, until one morning his chem- 
ist chanced on his slag heap and dis- 
covered evidences of gold. It was found 
that the veins beneath were fabulously 
rich in gold.— McLeod. 

1174. An English lady who often gave 
gifts to our mission in India, said Mr. 
Robert Wilder, was one day thanked by 
my mother for some act of kindness. 
With an earnest look she said: "You 
are under no more obligation to go 
down and teach the women in those huts 
than I am." All of Christ's followers 
are under equal obligations to conse- 
crate their lives wholly to him and his 
service. 

1175. In 1835 and 1836 the mission- 
aries, forbidden to preach and teach, 
withdrew from Madagascar, leaving be- 
hind them the printed Bible, complete, 
in the hands of one thousand adherents, 
two hundred of whom were communi- 
cants. Death was threatened to any 
native who should read the Bible. For 
a quarter of a century persecution 
raged, and ten thousand persons were 
sentenced to penalties of different kinds, 
including torture and death. Worship 
was held in secret; the Scriptures were 
buried for safety, and read only by 
stealth; and when the supply of printed 
Bibles failed, many busied themselves 
by copying out portions with the pen. 
During those twenty-six years of perse- 
cution, the Christians increased in num- 
ber from one thousand to seven thou- 
sand, and the actual communicants 
from two hundred to one thousand. — ■ 
E. W. Gilman, D. D. 

1176. A man was driving with his 
wife along a dangerous road. At a very 
narrow place the wife became frightened 
and seized the rein nearest to her. Her 
husband quietly passed the other rein 
over to her and let go. Then she was 
more frightened than ever, and said, 
"Oh, don't you let go!" He answered, 
"Two people cannot drive one horse; 
either I must drive or you must." Then 
she gave him the reins and ' he drove 
safely past the danger. If we wish God 
to rule over us we must give everything 
into his hands and let him manage for 



us. Either God must be ovir King or 
self will rule our lives. — Black. 

1177. There is a little water-beetle 

with two pairs of eyes, one above and 
one below the waterline, so that it can 
see two worlds at once. 

1178. A wise headmaster of a school, 

noted both for the scholarship and the 
manly qualities of the boys, whom it 
sent out, due to him, once said to the 
boys, when the Sunday afternoon Bible 
lesson was half over: "Boys, I want you 
to do something for yourselves which 
will help you more than I can. Please 
go to your rooms and spend the remain- 
der of the hour in just thinking. Listen 
to your own heart-beats for a while; I 
mean your conscience. No matter what 
you want to be; no matter what you 
have been; let each one try to say, 'I 
am going to be just right.' To your 
rooms, boys, and God bless you!" The 
result of that "think" was the Chris- 
tian consecration of several of the class, 
hitherto the most heedless. 

1179. A certain minister was wont to 
explain his success, under God, in a 
long pastorate, by referring to two men 
and two women who emphasized his 
preaching by their pious lives. One of 
these, when asked as to their minis- 
ter's success, said he was a "very godly 
man." "His life emphasized his preach- 
ing." All can not preach from the pul- 
pit, but all may emphasize the Word. 
They may thus be living witnesses, 
known and read, and by their example 
may turn men to Christ.— Sermons for 
Silent Sabbaths. 

1180. At the bedside of a dying mo- 
ther, in the hour when watching hearts 
dread both speech and silence, a son 
whispered; "Don't worry, mother; we'll 
all be good." And the wan lips an- 
swered feebly: "Yes, my son; just be 
good; be good; nothing else counts." 

1181. A noted infidel in England 
made sport of Christians. One Sab- 
bath he met a plain man with a Bible 
under his arm, going to church. So he 
put this question to the Christian, 
"Where are you going?" The answer 
was "To church." "And what do you 
do when you get there?" "I worship 
God." "And what kind of a God is he, 
a great God or a small God?" With 
great reverence the Christian man re- 
plied, "God is so great that the heav- 
ens and the heaven of heavens can not 
contain him, yet he is so small that he 
lives in my small heart." This answer 
closed his lips. 

1182. At the foot of a cliff, under the 
windows of the Castle of Miraniar, for- 
merly the residence of the Mexican Em- 



The Christian Life. 



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Consecration. 



peror Maximilian, at a depth of eighty 
feet below the surface of the clear wa- 
ters of the Adriatic, there was years ago 
a kind of cage fashioned by divers in the 
face of the rock. In that cage were j 
some of the most magnificent pearls in 
existence. They belonged to the Arch- 
diu he-s Rainer. Having been left un- 
worn for a long time, the gems lost their : 
color, and the experts were unanimous 
to declaring that the only means by 
Which they could be restored to their 
original brilliancy was submitting them 
to a prolonged immersion in the depths 
of the sea. For some years they were 
kept lying in the crystal depths and 
gradually regained their unrivalled 
beauty and splendor. The only secret 
of regaining the lost luster of the inner 
life, the high desire, the fuller insight, 
the more alluring calm, the richer hopes 
and the loftier moral determination, is 
to get back again to those blessed depths 
from which the soul first received its 
bright touch of divine and holier things. , 

1183. In 1884, it was our privilege to 
climb the Righi of Switzerland. Our 
little party started up the western slope. 
After a time we found ourselves coming 
into that which seemed like a fog. or ! 
mist, but which in reality was a cloud. 
With greater zeal we pushed on, saying, 
'•Let s get out of this." as we were as- 
sured it was better farther on: and so, 
on we went, until at last we stood upon 
the summit and in triumph, upon the 
solid rocks, watched the sun as it went 
down over and beyond the great sea of 
floating clouds, above which we had 
climbed. So let us mount upward in 
our Christian life, and if. at any time 
we find ourselves being surrounded by 
clouds, let us say as we said upon the I 
Righi "Let us get out or this", and make 
it cause us to push upward with greater 
haste. — Harold F. Sayles. 

1181. It was on one of his birthdays 
that David Livingstone -aid: "I will 
place no value on anything that I have 
or may possess, except in relation to the 
kingdom of Christ. If anything that I 
have will advance the interest of that 
kingdom it shall be given or kept as by 
giving or keeping It I shall most pro- 
mote the glory of him to whom I owe 
all my hope-, both for time nn«l eternity. 
May grace be given me to adhere to this." 

1185. One day in pastoral visitation I 
called upon a washerwoman of my con- 
gregation. I found her finishing her 
day's work, and as the clothes hung up- 
on the line in the little yard they Im- 
pressed me as unusually clean and 
white. 

"An uncommonly fine wash you are 
hanging out," I said. I stepped inside. 



and talked with her while she brewed a 
cup of tea. Meantime there came a 
flurry of snow, which soon passed; but 
when I rose to go the ground was white, 
although the air was clear. 

"Ah," I said, the clothes do not look 
as white as they did!" 

"O sir," she said, "the clothes are nil 
right, but what can stand against God 
Almighty's white?" 

God "knoweth our frame," a?d 
"remembereth that we are dust," 
and he does not expect from us 
an impossible goodness, but to be 
content with too easy goodness is to 
grow worse and worse. The Divine 
spotlessness is our pattern and ideal, and 
our lives grow whiter in its light or not 
at all. AVe may not be able to match it 
in degree, but we can in kind. — F. B. 
Meyer, D. D. 

1186. The Earl of Shaftesbury said: 
"During the latter part of these cen- 
turies, it has been in the power of those 
who bold the truth, having means 
enough, having knowledge enough, and 
having opportunity enough, to evangel- 
ize the globe fifty times over." It was 
wholly a question of the consecration 
of men and means. 

1187. The gold and diamonds of Bra- 
zil are of immense value; they are earn- 
estly sought and much talked about, 
they afford fine material for romance; 
yet the exports from that country of 
vulgar articles like sugar and coffee are 
of more value than all the gold and 
jewels found in that territory in fifty 
years. It is much the same with our 
moral life; the major profit lies in the 
Wise handling of daily homely things. 
The consecration of common relation-. 
W. L. "Watkinson. 

1188. Consecration implies a Willing- 
ness to discard the less for the greater. 
One day Dr. Charles A. Berry was pass- 
ing a cotton-mill. He saw pieces of 
machinery being thrown out of the up- 
per window and falling in shattered 
fragments. In answer to a question, the 
manager remarked: "You see the mill 
does not run for the machinery; it run- 
to make cotton." 

1189. During a vi-it to Southern Cali- 
fornia I was feasting my eyes on ti e 
beauty of the orange orchards and the 
lemon groves. I was especially inter- 
ested in a dwarf orange tree In front of 
my window at Bedlands. The little 
fellow was not higher than my head, 
but he bore golden fruit with all hU 
might mid main: not an ounce of sap 
ran to waste, and not one tiny branch 
was Idle. He shamed some of the I>Ik- 
ger trees, which, with larger oppor- 
tunities, were yielding smaller r<-\<-n- 



The Christian Life. 



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Consecration. 



ues. As I looked at that brave and 
bountiful little tree, I saw a fine illus- 
tration of the Master's declaration, 
"Herein is my Father glorified, that ye 
bear much fruit." — Cuyler. 

1190. A young man had just taken a 
physical examination in a gymnasium. 
His lungs, heart, and muscles had been 
thoroughly tested. That night he 
dreamed he had been summoned to ap- 
pear on a certain day to have his soul 
tested in the same way. Suppose our 
patience, our faith, our liberality, our 
purity could be tested as accurately as 
our bodily powers — how many of us 
would dare to take the test? But God 
does so test us, and measures our growth 
constantly. — Christian Endeavor World. 

1191. A legend says, that on a certain 
feast day all the people in a little Ital- 
ian town were bidden to come to the 
great cathedral and lay upon the altar 
a gift for the Lord; and to him who 
should offer the most acceptable gift, 
heaven would grant a sign. The people 
came, and they bore in their hands cost- 
ly spices, rare laces, vessels of gold, 
proudly and in deep expectation, look- 
ing to see the sign; but as one after an- 
other reached out his hands over the 
altar to lay down the gift, lo! it disap- 
peared. With terror-stricken faces they 
went back down the other long, dim 
aisle and out into the sunshine, hardly 
daring to look at one another. At last 
a maiden poorly clad went slowly down 
to the altar and knelt there. While the 
curious crowd wondered, they saw her 
stretch out both hands and lay them on 
the altar for a long time, and when she 
rose and came out into the sunshine 
her face wore a look of peace and great 
joy. Then the people looked back at 
the altar where nothing had been, and 
there saw two beautiful white lilies 
which had burst into bloom upon the 
altar and filled the cathedral with fra- 
grance. — Margaret Slattery. 

1192. Take our use of money. Every 
dollar represents so much energy of 
mind or body, or both, treasured as the 
light and heat in the coal. In spending 
that dollar I spend just so much of my 
life, of the treasured energy which I 
hold in trust, and I set it free to go on 
forever in a right or wrong direction. 
I can never recall it. If I spend a dol- 
lar in rum, I invest just so much cap- 
ital in the traffic, and, aside from the 
influence of the rum upon me, I become 
a perpetual stockholder in the trade. 
If I go to a theater, the tendency of 
which, on the whole, if not always, is 
evil, beyond and above its influence up- 
on myself and of my example upon 
others I put that much stock into the 



theater business, and my liability re- 
mains unlimited to all eternity, for I 
cannot sell out my interest in that con- 
cern. — Rev. S. A. Dyke. 

1193. One day a number of years ago 
a thoughtful girl was reading an old 
book. As the girl read her eyes lin- 
gered on one sentence which seemed to 
have a special message for her that day. 
As she pondered it it took fast hold of 
her thought until she began to breathe 
it as her own. It was a prayer — "God 
make me beautiful within." It was the 
beginning of a new life for the earnest- 
hearted young girl. God had found her 
and touched her heart. — J. R. Miller. 

1194. In the practice of the photog- 
rapher we see two things: faith in the 
power and effects of light, and the wise 
adjustment of everything in obedience 
to its laws. With what care the ten- 
derly sensitive plate is prepared to re- 
ceive the impression; with what pre- 
cision its relative position to the object 
to be portrayed is adjusted; how still 
and undisturbed it is, then, held face to 
face with that object! Having done 
this, the photographer leaves the light 
to do its wonderful work! his work is 
indeed the work of faith. Let us believe 
in the light, in the power of the light of 
God to transcribe Christ's image on our 
hearts. "We are changed into the same 
image as by the Spirit of the Lord." Let 
us not seek to do the work the Spirit 
must do; let us simply trust him to do 
it. Our duty is to seek the prepared 
heart, waiting, longing, praying for the 
likeness; to take our place face to face 
with Jesus, studying, gazing, loving, 
worshipping, and believing that the 
wonderful vision of that Crucified One 
is the sure promise of what can be. 
Not more surely or wonderfully than in 
the light printing which is done here on 
earth, will our souls receive and show 
the impress of that wonderful likeness. 
— Andrew Murray. 

1195. What call did Maria Maths- 
dotter receive as she followed the rein- 
deer over the silent hills around her fa- 
ther's house? The needs of her people 
called her. She wept and prayed for 
the ignorant Lapps, until their condi- 
tion forced her to decide. Their need 
was the voice of God calling her. It 
took her three years to learn the Swe- 
dish language. Then, clad in otter and 
reindeer skins, with Lapland skidders 
on her feet, she walked in winter six 
hundred miles to Stockholm. It was a 
long journey over the dreary mountains 
and dismal forests. But success crowned 
her efforts. The Lord was with her. 
The King of Sweden granted her re- 
quest. Her people were provided with 



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Consecration. 



schools and churches. Her consecra- 
tion won. 

1196. We are living in an intense 
age. The trouble with a great many 
men is that they spread themselves out 
over too much ground. They fail in 
everything. If they would only put 
their life into one channel, and keep in 
it, they would accomplish something. 
They make no impression, because they 
do a little work here and a little work 
there. They spread themselves out so 
thin that they make no impression at 
all. Lay yourselves on the altar of 
God. and then concentrate on some 
one work. — Moody. 

1197. A beautiful and profound para- 
ble of the Persian poet Jellaladeen tells 
us that one knocked at the Beloved's 
door; and a voice from within asked, 
"Who is there?" And he answered, 
"It is I." Then the voice said, "This 
house will not hold me and thee." And 
the door was not opened. Then went 
the lover into the desert, and fasted and 
prayed in solitude; and after a year he 
returned and, knocked again at the door, 
and again the voice asked, "Who is 
there?" And he said, "It is thyself." 
And the door was opened to him. — 
Lowell. 

1198. It chanced to the writer of 
these lines to be for a short time during 
the Civil War in the military family of 
our brave Christian soldier. General 
Howard, who is now almost the last 
surviving general of that war in the 
Northern army. It was in the midst of 
the hurried campaign of the summer of 
1862, which ended in the battle of An- 
tietam. He had just lost his arm in 
the battle of Fair Oaks, and was learn- 
ing the use of his left hand. All was 
confusion, day and night, but wherever 
we were the general was the same Chris- 
tian man. If we ate our breakfast, 
seated on a stump in the woods, the 
blessing was asked, and, after coffee 
and hardtack, the little Testament came 
out of his pocket, and a few verses were 
read. In order and disorder the same 
course was followed. God was remem- 
bered and honored. So it was with 
General Gordon ;it Khartoum. "He thou 
faithful unto death, and I will give 
thee a crown of life," is the promise 
for us all. — Packard. 

1199. Dr. Hodge, In his "Popular 
Lectures on Theology", has given us 
a marvelous picture of the revelation 
of the resurrection morning. He pic- 
tures Laura Ilridgman. tin- noted <]••:• t - 
mute, who was also without the sense of 
sight, placed on some central tower In 
some great city, touching the universe 
round about her only through the soles 



I of her feet and the zephyrs that fan her 
cheek. And then he pictures an angel 
coming from the throne of God and 
placing his fingers on the soundless 
ears and saying, "Daughter, bear!?' 
touching the sightless eyes and crying, 
"Daughter, see." And instantly into 
that irradiated consciousness there flow 
all the sights and sounds of the earth 
and sea and sky. O beloved, you need 
not wait until the resurrection morn- 
ing for an experience like that. Into 
the heart fully surrendered unto God 
I will God pour the illimitable treasures 
I of the revelation of himself. — Mills. 

1200. Tou w ill ask, "When and where 
was jour conversion?" I do not know. 

' I have never been able to date it. I 
can not tell you where it was. I am 
perfectly sure that at some time in past 

( years to what my parents told me of 
my relation to God I said, "Amen."- If 
you put the question back on me, "How 
do you know you are born again?" I 
do not know how I am born again by 
any experience of thirty years ago, but 
by the present throbbing of God in my 
life and soul, his Spirit bearing witness 
with my spirit here and now. I am 
his, and none can deny me the witness 
of his Spirit. And I think there is 
nothing more dangerous than that peo- 
ple should build upon an experience 
thirty years old, and think they are 
Christians now because something hap- 
pened to them then. — Campbell Morgan. 

1201. The electrician cannot charge 
your body with electricity while a single 
thread connects you with the ground 

I and breaks the completeness of your 
I insulation. The Lord Jesus cannot ful- 
ly save you while there is one point of 
controversy between you and him. Let 
him have that one last thing, the last 
barrier and fdm of a life of blessedness, 
and glory will come filling your soul. — 
F. B. Meyer. 

1202. A girl of fourteen felt that she 
had experienced a change of heart. 
Her pastor asked her: "What makes you 
feel that you are now a Christian, 
Mary?" "Well, for one thing I do all 
my work better than I did before." It 
was a wise reply, and it proved the sin- 
cerity of her desire to lead a better life. 

120:5. One day my friend <)li\er 
\\ i ite -aid. "Munhall, I would to God 
I had your physical powers, because I 
have such large purposes; but I am so 
weak physically that I can"t do the 
work I .should be glad to do if I had the 
strength." I said: "Oliver, liow big a 
man do you think Samson was.'" 
"Well," said he; "I think he was about 
six feet across the shoulders and about 
fourteen feet high, with muscle, layer 



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Consecration. 



on layer." "Why," said I, "my dear 
brother; that is abominable legalism — 
to suppose that Samson did the work 
and that the Lord had nothing to do 
with it. There is nothing in the Bible 
to show that he might not have been 
the puniest, scrawniest individual in all 
Jerusalem — no bigger than you. It was 
the power of God in him that did the 
work. It wasn't Samson that did it, ex- 
cept as he was the willing instrument." 

1204. A young Christian went to visit 
some friends at some distance from 
her home. While visiting, arrange- 
ments were being made for a ball, and 
the new disciple of Jesus was asked to 
assist the daughters of the house, which 
she did. In arranging one of the rooms 
as the ballroom, a discussion arose re- 
specting a picture of Jesus which hung 
on the wall. One girl said, "Let us 
cover the picture over." Another sug- 
gested, "We could turn the face of the 
picture to the wall." Another said, 
"Let us take the picture out of the 
room." But they could come to no de- 
cision. The father of the girls was 
called in and asked what they should do 
with the picture, and he impatiently 
said, "Take the picture out of the 
room." Realizing what this all meant, 
the Christian girl thought, "What! Take 
the picture of my Saviour out of the 
room lest his pure eyes looking down 
on the enjoyment of the evening should 
spoil it? If that is what it means, I 
will never be found in a place where I 
shall be ashamed for the eyes of Je- 
sus to see me."— Northwestern Christian 
Advocate. 

1205. It is said that a farmer once 
called on an infidel neighbor and told 
him that he had just been awakened 
to a sense of his sin, and wanted to re- 
store to him four sheep that ought to 
be in his neighbor's pasture, with » the 
offspring of these sheep for the past 
four years. The infidel was much dis- 
turbed, and said: "Go away; don't both- 
er me about the sheep; you are wel- 
come to keep them. If you go on this 
way much longer I will believe there is 
something after all in your religion. 
Keep the sheep, and don't disturb my 
peace of mind." This is the gospel our 
conscienceless age needs, and that is the 
sort of repentance and practical right- 
eousness that will make people want 
the fullness of Christ and lead the 
world to believe in Christ and his peo- 
ple. 

1206. A learned Chinaman passed as 
I was proclaiming the Gospel. He heard 
of Christ's love and said, "If there 
is a Saviour like that there is not a 
man in this world who does not want 



him." He accepted him there and then, 
and after a time he came to my friend 
to learn more about Christianity. Short- 
ly after that there were fifty Christians 
in that town as the result of that man's 
work. — J. Hudson Taylor. 

1207. A famous statue in a Paris 
gallery was the last work of a great 
genius. When the clay model was al- 
most done, a heavy frost fell one night. 
The sculptor, poor, in his fireless room, 
fearing it would freeze, heaped the bed- 
clothes around it. In the morning the 
old man was dead from exposure. But 
the statue lived. All else must give way 
to Christ's image forming within. — 
Drummond. 

1208. Tokyo has a custom of having 
an annual house-cleaning. The city is 
taken by sections and every man who 
lives in that section must put all his 
furniture and household effects out on 
the street, take up the mats from the 
floor, clean out all the trash, dust and 
sprinkle lime all around. I went to the 
dentist one day last week and found his 
neighbors all cleaning house, while the 
policeman had left him quite undis- 
turbed to continue his business. "Why 
is it you are not house cleaning to-day?" 
I asked. "I clean house every day. not 
once a year," he replied. "The police- 
men only come and look in and pass on, 
saying I'm all right." So those who try 
to be Christians only now and then will 
be subjected to a test. 

1209. The bells in Christian towers 
and the lights in Christian chapels are 
almost within sight and hearing of each 
other around the whole globe, and 
this has been made possible because the 
lives of consecrated missionaries were 
laid on God's altar, and noble and de- 
voted souls lived for Christ instead of 
self. 

1210. Moffatt told how, wandering in 
an out of the way part of Bechuana- 
land, his party found a woman who 
was a Christian. They asked her how 
she, surrounded by heathen, had kept 
the flame alive. She showed them a 
little Dutch Testament, given her when 
a girl, and said, "That is what keeps the 
oil burning within me." The flame of 
consecration must feed upon the oil of 
God's Word. 

1211. In the last persecution of the 
pagans against the Christian Church 
there was in the Council of the Em- 
peror, an apostate Christian. They were 
considering how best to crush Christian 
ity out of the Roman Empire, when this 
apostate said, "It is of no use to burn 
the Christians, for if you burn every 
Christian alive to-day, and leave a sin- 
gle copy of the Scriptures remaining, 



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Consecration. 



the Christian Church will spring up 
again to-morrow." Accordingly the 
Emperor issued a decree ordering the 
destruction of the Scriptures. The Bi- 
hle in the heart is sure to secure conse- 
cration in the life. 

1212. A great editor of a secular pa- 
per, who was an inveterate and incor- 
rigible cynic, once said: "If Christians 
are to be regarded as more trustworthy, 
and as living on a higher moral plane 
than the rest of the world, they must 
furnish stronger evidence of their sin- 
cerity than is now exacted from them 
in the shape of plain and open self-de- 
nial. The Church, in short, must be an 
organization held together by some 
stronger ties than enjoyment of weekly 
music and oratory in a pretty building, 
and almsgiving which entails no sacri- 
fice, and often is only a tickler of social 
vanity." 

1213. The 11th Indiana Regiment in 
the Army of the Mississippi, said Dr. 
Munhall, was engaged under Grant at 
Vicksburg. Among them was a strap- 
ping, manly boy — by the name of Peter 
Apple. During the siege of Vicksburg 
a certain outwork had to be taken, and 
the 11th Indiana was detailed to under- 
take the business. The word of com- 
mand was given. They sprang forward 
up the hill, and the enemy opened a 
withering, galling fire upon them. The 
ranks wavered, were broken, and fell 
back to the cover of the woods. Peter 
didn't hear the order to fall back, but 
kept on going right to the top of the 
hill. A Confederate gunner was ram- 
ming a charge home in the piece he was 
firing, and was leaning out of the em- 
brasure. Peter struck him across the 
head with his gun, which stunned the 
gunner; and then Peter, dropping his 
piece, sprang into the embrasure, and 
seizing this fellow by the coat-collar, 
pulled him out and marched him off 
down the hill, a prisoner. The Con- 
federates didn't dare to fire on Peter, 
for fear of killing their own man. By 
the time he got to the foot of the hill, 
Colonel "Dan" McAuley had re-formed 
his men. Seeing Peter cominp: with the 
prisoner, he said: "Peter, where in the 
world did you get that man?" Said 
Peter: "I just got him tip on the hill, 
and there are lots of them up there. 
Every one of you could have had one if 
you had kept on going." Consecrated 
persistence will take the world for 
Christ. 

1211. People say that "It does not 
make any difference whether a man 
keeps the Ten Commandments or not, 

he will go to heaven anyway." If that 
is the kind of a place heaven is, it Is 



scarcely worth while for anybody to 
go there. It is simply this world over 
again. For myself, though I love my 
kind and my own redemption, I pray 
my God to keep heaven as it is; to 
change me, change the world, not heav- 
en; to bring me to the feet of the Lord 
and Savior or heaven, and then I shall 
walk among all the stars with their 
glory undimmed, and I shall know the 
meaning of that highest of my Lord's 
beatitudes, "Blessed are the pure in 
heart for they shall see God." — Alex- 
ander McKenzie. 

1215. One evening in a parlor at a 
summer watering-place the young peo- 
ple were dancing. One young lady was 
not taking any part. "Does not your 
daughter dance?" asked another lady 
of this young lady's mother. "No," was 
the reply. "Why, how will she get on 
in the world?" "I am not bringing her 
up for this world," was the quiet an- 
swer. That young lady is now a wo- 
man, and the influence of her conse- 
crated life is felt in many of the Chris- 
tian interests of a great city. — Words 
and Weapons. 

1216. Carey and his associates in In- 
dia translated the Bible into several 
score of tongues, and put it within the 
reach of 300,000.000 people. Whenever 
a volume was completed, they laid it 
on the communion table and dedicated 
it to Christ. 

1217. Of a Chinese convert it was 
1 said after his death, "There is no dif- 
ference between him and the Book." A 
Brahman once said to a missionary: 

I "You Christians are not as good as your 
Book. If you were as good as your 
Book, you would convert India to Christ 
in five years." — The Revivalist. 

1218. Writing of the converts in 
Madagascar. Rev. A. Merencsky said: 
Their stores of corn and their cooking 
utensils were destroyed by the order of 
the king, with the exclamation, "We will 
see If your God will save you from 
sl-irvation;" but they took joyfully the 
spoiling of their possessions. Then 
came the most bitter cup. Thirty of 
our Christians were surrounded by or- 
der of the king by warriors, and fear- 
fully beaten with cluhs and sticks, 
some of them within an inch of death. 
When the executioners approached 
them they all knelt down and received 
their bruises lor the sake of Christ. 

1219. Tn driving between Melbourne 
and my home I ofte n stop at a wayside 
trough to give the horse a drink. I 
notice that the trough is quite full of 
water and that there Is a box In one 
end of it. As the horse drinks the wa- 



The Christian Life. 



— 188 — 



Consecration. 



ter is lowering and presently I hear a 
sound as of a running tap. Yes, the sound 
is coming from the box. That box is cov- 
ering a piece of mechanism that needs 
explaining. Within it there is a tap 
connected by pipes with the Yan Yean 
Reservoir up in the Plenty Ranges. 
Attached by a lever to the tap is a metal 
ball, which rests on the surface of the 
water. As the horse drinks, the water 
on which the ball is floating is lowered, 
and thus the ball opens the tap and the 
Yan Yean begins to pour in; so that, 
although the water is being withdrawn 
by the thirsty animal, a fresh suppiy 
is being poured in, the trough is "being 
filled," so that it is always "full." Thus 
may- it be with the soul of the believer. 
No matter what the outflow into the 
surrounding emptiness may be, or the 
withdrawals by thirsty, needy souls, 
there is the continual inflow, so that 
there may be the constant "Fullness." 
Indeed the outflow depends directly on 
the inflow; one can only give as he gets. 
It is ours to see to the connection be- 
tween us and the infinite Reservoir away 
up among the hills of God being kept 
open. — McNeill. 

1220. An able preacher, settled over 
a large church, lamented that his 
preaching resulted in no conversions. 
He sought a remedy in additional years 
of theological study, but still his spirit- 
ual sterility remained. When, finally, 
the Holy Spirit revealed to him his own 
worldly, ambitious heart, and he went 
to his room and to his knees, yielding 
all to Christ, the power of God came 
upon him and he said, "Now, Lord, I 
will go anywhere and do anything for 
thee." He became a blessing to mul- 
titudes. Which is your choice, God or 
self? 

An unbelieving native who was sick, 
asked for the prayers of a missionary. 
He was told to give up his idols. He 
did, except one little one of gold, to 
which he clung. Not until that cher- 
ished thing was yielded could his friend 
pray in faith for his recovery. When 
he surrendered all, the prayer was of- 
fered and answered. The disease left 
him. 

1221. When the Bishop laid his hands 
upon my head, if my evil heart doth 
not deceive me, I offered up my whole 
spirit, soul and body, to the service of 
God's sanctuary. Let come what will, 
life or death, depth or height, I shall 
henceforth live like one who this day, 
in the presence of men and angels, 
took the holy sacrament upon the pro- 
fession of being inwardly moved by the 
Holy Ghost to take upon me that min- 
istration in the church. I can call 



heaven and earth to witness that, when 
the Bishop laid his hand upon me, I 
gave myself up, to be a martyr for him 
who hung upon the cross for me. 
Known unto him are all future events 
and contingencies. I have thrown my- 
self blindfolded, and I trust without re- 
serve into his almighty hands. — White- 
field. 

1222. A noble Christian man lay dy- 
ing. His pastor asked him: "Are you 
willing it shall come out just as God 
wills, your life to go out or to stay 
here?" and he answered: "Of course. I 
have no use for my life but to serve the 
will of God with it." That was the an- 
swer of a crown prince. He was God's 
own son. He accepted God's will and 
lived to God's glory. 

1223. When MacGregor's boy was 
stolen during the war between the Scot- 
tish .clans, and made to exchange his 
clothes with a peasant boy, he revealed 
his identity, even in peasant clothes, by 
the way in which he used the things of 
the palace. . . . W T e are known by the 
way we appreciate and use our Chris- 
tian privileges. Among our privileges 
is access to the face of Jesus Christ. If 
we avail ourselves of this privilege fre- 
quently, if we are often found studying 
this face in its different aspects, we indi- 
cate that we are born from above and 
are the sons of God. — David Gregg, D.D. 

1224. A woman who had become an 
earnest Christian, visited a worldly sis- 
ter, at a distance, whom she had not 
met for years. When she returned she 
said, "I have been much cheered by my 
visit. While my sister is worldly, she 
said, 'I do not know what has hap- 
pened to you, but you are a great deal 
easier to live with than you used to be.' " 
As Dr. Clarke says; "Sanctification is 
the Christianizing of Christians." 

1225. A missionary in India tells a 
pathetic story of an old man who has 
been sitting upon a stone outside the 
city of Allahabad, for a great many 
years, patiently awaiting his change. 
During all the long period he has been 
looking toward an unseen existence. 
His mind has dwelt upon God and the 
mysteries of his government; and, as 
a result, we are told that those who 
visit him perceive a peculiar light upon 
his face — an apparently supernatural 
radiance. How true it is that the Chris- 
tian who lives in loving contemplation 
of Christ comes to reflect his image. 

1226. In excavating the houses at 
Pompeii, the pick of the workman 
sometimes finds its way through the 
fused and solidified volcanic mass into 
a hollow space. He announces the fact 



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Obedience. 



to the director of the works, who then 
prepares plaster of Paris, and pours it 
into the vacant space. After the plaster 
has set, the ash is broken away, and an 
image or perfect cast is found of some 
Roman man or woman who perished 
there twenty centuries ago. Every 
trace of the body has gone, clothes, 
flesh, bone, are all destroyed, but the 
lava hardening round the place where 
the figure once lay has shaped itself into 
a faultless mould. And do we not know 
of spiritual processes very much like 
that? Let the Spirit of God diffuse life, 
love, sanctity, into our buried capabili- 
ties that wait to be filled, the abyssmal 
wants that wait to be satisfied, and the 
picture of all that was Divine in un- 
fallen man comes back again. "Filled 
with all the fulness of God," the lost 
symmetries of five or ten thousand 
years ago are revived for the wonder of 
the world and the glory of God's power. 
"The new man which is renewed in 
knowledge after the image -of him that 
created him." — Rev. J. G. Selby. 

1227. John Howe tells of a devout 
French nobleman who made a quit- 
claim deed of himself to God, and 
signed the document with his own 
blood — "whose affection I commend," 
he adds, "more than his expression of 
it." And well he might. When God 
takes security he wants a good name, 
and trustworthy signature. We are 
only safe when we present "the name 
above every name," and trust alone in 
"the blood of the New Testament." — 
A. J. Gordon. 

1228. "What a blessed thing it is to 
lose one's will! Since I have lost mine 
I have found happiness. There can be 
no such thing as disappointment to me, 
for I have no desires, but that God's will 
m*y be accomplished." "Christians 
might avoid much trouble if they would 
believe what they profess, viz: that God 
it able to make them happy without 
anything but himself. They imagine 
that if such a dear friend were to die, 
or etc., etc., they would be miserable; 
whereas God can make them a thousand 
times happier without them. To men- 
tion my own case; God has l>een depriv- 
ing me of one blessing after another; 
but as everyone was removed, he has 
come in and filled np its place: and 
now, when I am a cripple and not able 
to move, I am happier than ever I was 
in my life, or ever expected to be; and 
if I had believed this twenty years ago 
I might have been spared much anxiety." 
— Dr. Payson. 

1221). Tauler, the mystic, tells of a 
poor pea-ant, a man of deep consecra- 
tion, from whom he gained deep instruc- 



tion in spiritual things. To his search- 
ing question, "But what would you say 
if God should damn you?" "If God 
would damn me?" said the poor man; 
"verily if he would use me so hardly, 
I have two arms to embrace; the one 
whereof is a deep humility by which I 
am united to his holy humanity; the 
other is faith and charity which joins 
me to his Divinity, by which I would 
embrace him in such sort that he should 
be constrained to descend with me into 
hell, and I had rather without com- 
parison be in hell with God, than with- 
out him in Paradise." 

Obedience. (1230-1272) 

1230. After I had gone through the 
great shops with the master mechanic 

and was chatting in the plain but well- 
appointed office, I said to him, "How 
did you get this position?" He had told 
me that he had begun work in this great 
shop as a laborer at a dollar and a half 
a day, and as I saw the vast amount of 
ability which must have been developed 
in order that he might do what was 
now being done, I was interested to 
know by what process he had climbed 
up the ladder of responsibility and suc- 
cess. Turning to me simply he replied 
— and I shall never forget that answer — 
'•I have reached my present position by 
doing what I was told." 

1231. Dr. Robert Bruce, whom Alex- 
ander Whyte called the most finished 
divine of Scotland, was educated for the 
bar, but against the wish of both parents 
the Lord had set him apart for the 
Edinburg pulpit. Listen to what lie 
says; "1 would rather walk through a 
mile of burning brimstone every night 
than spend over again those midni ght 
hours when I fought against the call of 
God. 

1232. "I'll try, sir." When Gen. Scott 
met the Rritish at Lundy's Lane, there 
were three times as many Lritish sol- 
diers as American, but Scott was de- 
termined to fight. If a battery on a hill 
belonging to the British was not cap- 
tured, the victory certainly would be 
lost. General Brown just then arrived 
on the field, and took Scott's place. 
"Can you take that battery?" lie asked 
of Colonel Miller. The prompt reply 
was, "I'll try, sir." Miller then charged 
up the hill with three hundred men as 
brave as himself, and gained the coveted 
battery. The contest ended at mid- 
night, July 25, 1814. 

1233. A man may take large blocks 
Of granite and he need not be careful ill 
working at them: hut with the diamond 
polishers it is a \ery different tiling: 



The Christian Life. 



— 190 — 



Obedience. 



they put on their glasses, and take out 
their instruments, and with fear and 
trembling- they set about their delicate 
work. We are working with diamonds, 
not with granite blocks, — with diamonds 
that are going- to shine in the diadem of 
Christ for ever and ever. We cannot, 
therefore, be too careful; we cannot have 
too much fear, not too much trembling, 
lest the diamond should not come out 
nicely edged, lest the gem should not 
have all the clearness of the glory of 
God. — Mackay. 

1234. Ruskin prided himself upon the 
discovery, of that famous inscription in 
the Church of St. Giacomo in Venice; 
"Around this temple let the merchant's 
laws be just, his weights true, and his 
agreements guileless." True righteous- 
ness is loving obedience rendered as to 
our Lord. 

1235. A Londoner who had lost his 
faith, went to Jerusalem, hoping that 
by visiting the actual scenes of Christ's 
earthly life they might renew for him 
his lost sense of the reality of spiritual 
things. He stood on what is supposed 
to be the site of Calvary. He visited 
the Holy Sepulchre, but all in vain. In 
despair he returned to London. As he 
neared his house, he saw a poor out- 
cast soul haunting the vicinity. With 
tenderest pity and Christ-like compas- 
sion he ministered to that soul's needs, 
and in that ministry he found the Christ 
he had lost. 

1236. He had heard much of the won- 
derful chimes of St. Nicholas in Am- 
sterdam, so one day he went up into the 
tower of the church to hear them. 
There he found a man hard at work be- 
fore an immense key-board, thumping 
and pounding the keys with his hands 
incased in wooden gloves. The trav- 
eler was almost deafened by the rattle 
of blows on the keys, and the harsh dis- 
cordant clangor of the bells above his 
head, and hurried away, wondering why 
people talked so much of the beautiful 
chimes of St. Nicholas. The next day 
at the same hour, he was in a distant 
part of the city, sightseeing, when sud- 
denly the air was filled with the mellow 
music of marvelously clear and full- 
toned bells. "We hear the chimes of 
St. Nicholas," said the guide in answer 
to his question, and the gentleman won- 
dered no longer why travelers spoke en- 
thusiastically of their melody. But he 
thought of the man in the tower, and 
wondered if he ever knew how beautiful 
his hard work became in the distance. 
And if in gloomy moments the thought 
ever comes to you that your life is shut 
up to a narrow round of hard work 
which has in it no beauty or sweetness 



for you or any one else, let the story of 
the* chimes teach you better. The noise 
and clatter and fatigue of life's tasks are 
not all there is of their doing. 

1237. The subscription of the Scotch 
people to their National Covenant: — 
The keynote of this pledge to defend 
their land and church from political and 
ecclesiastical tyranny was scored in the 
declaration that they "joined themselves 
to the Lord in an everlasting covenant, 
that shall not be forgotten." The lea- 
ders met in Greyfriars church in Edin- 
burgh. After a solemn appeal to the 
Searcher of Hearts, the multitude, fol- 
lowing the example -of the venerable 
Earl of Sutherland, set their names to 
this article of consecration. It was then 
spread upon one of the fiat tombstones 
in the graveyard and subscribed by the 
people, who afterward stood together 
with tearful eyes and right hands lifted 
to heaven. Copies were sent to all parts 
of Scotland and the scene was repeated 
everywhere in the churches. The first 
result was a widespread revival of true 
religion. 

1238. The Christian is like the pearl- 
diver, who is out of the sunshine for a 
little, spending his short day amid rocks 
and weeds and dangers ' at the bottom 
of the ocean. Does he desire to spend 
his life there? No, but his master 
wants him to. Is his life there? No, 
his life is up above. A communication 
is open to the surface, and the fresh, 
pure life comes down to him from God. 
Is he not wasting time there? He is 
gathering pearls for his Master's crown. 
Will he always stay there? When the 
last pearl is gathered, the "Come up 
higher" will beckon him away. Until 
then he will simply do the Master's will. 

1239. After Dr. Charles H. Hall's or- 
dination, when most of his classmates 
had been called to minister to intelligent 
and cultured congregations, he went to 
preach to the ignorant negroes living on 
one of the sea islands off the coast of 
North Carolina. The Responsibility of 
these ignorant, groping, souls, for whom 
he was the only teacher, aged and so- 
bered him, and drove him to Christ for 
his sole companionship and help. He 
remained eight years on the island, 
struggling to rise to the height of the 
duty required from him by these de- 
graded brethren. At the end of that 
time, when he was called to leading city 
churches, he influenced the most 
thoughtful and strongest men and wo- 
men to a remarkable degree. He "knew 
Christ;" he had lived with him in a way 
that no other man who spoke to them 
had done; he had come close, too, to 
human nature stripped of disguise and 



The Christian Life. 



— 191 — 



Obedience. 



conventionalities. The lessons he had 
learned in his work of eight years with 
the poor negroes enabled him to help 
every class of men. 

1240. Devotion to duty: — General 
Elliott, governor of Gibraltar during the 
siege of that fortress, was making a 
tour of inspection when he suddenly 
came upon a German soldier standing 
at his post silent and still, but he neither 
held his musket nor presented his arms 
when the general approached. Struck 
with the neglect, and unable to account 
for it, he exclaimed, "Do you know me, 
sentinel, or why do you neglect your 
duty?" The soldier answered respect- 
fully: "I know you well, general, and 
my duty also; but within the last few 
minutes two of the fingers of my right 
hand have been shot off, and I am una- 
ble to hold my musket." "Why do you 
not go and have them bound up, then?" 
asked the general. "Because," an- 
swered the soldier, "in Germany a man 
is forbidden to quit his post until he is 
relieved by another." The general in- 
stantly dismounted from his horse. "Now, 
friend," he said, "give me your musket, 
and I will relieve you. Go and get your 
wounds attended to." The soldier obeyed, 
but went to the nearest guardhouse, 
where he told how the general stood at 
his post; and not till then did he go to 
the hospital and get his bleeding hand 
dressed. This injury completely unfitted 
him for active service; but the news of 
it having reached England, whither the 
wounded man had been sent. King 
George III, expressed a desire to see 
him, and for his bravery made him an 
officer. — Dr. A. T. Pierson in Homiletic 
Review. 

1211. The church, in the period of 
her deepest degradation, was not all 
bad. Hence we find in her bosom noble 
spirits, devout and learned men, self- 
denying, and laborious missionaries. 
Obedient to the heavenly vision. Such 
men as Patrick and Columhan. as Ful- 
gentlns and Severtnus, Germanus and 
Lupus, Caesarlus ol Arks, and ESUglus, 
Bishop of Noyon, the venerable Bede, 
(.alius the apostle of Switzerland, the 
Abbot Sturm of Fulda, Martin of Tours, 
Anschar the apostle of the north, who 
in his dreams heard a voice urging him 
to preach the gospel in Scandinavia, and 
saying, "Go, and return to me crowned 
with martyrdom." 

1212. One noon General Havelocfc 
left bis son on London Bridge, telling 
him to -lay there iniiii his return. The 

father Intended to be absent but a short 
time, but he was kept busy with one af- 
fair after another, and forgot all about 
his boy. Not until he went home at 



night, and his wife inquired, "Where is 
Henry?" did he recall his order. Hastily 
calling a cab, he drove down to the 
bridge in great anxiety, and found there 
his boy standing where he had left him. 

1243. During the centuries designated 
by historians as pre-eminently "dark 
ages," some faithful Christian men and 

devoted missionaries were at work, in 
various countries, sowing the seed of 
life "beside all waters." All around 
them lay the thick shadows of ignor- 
ance and superstition; but by the bless- 
ing of Heaven, they kept the lamp of 
truth bright and clear, until the day 
dawned, and the day-star arose upon 
the nations. — Turnbull. 

1244. Now these are the laws of the 
jungle, and 

Many and mighty are they; 
But the head and the hoof of the law, 
and 

The haunch and the hump is — Obey! 

— Kipling. 

1245. A prince went into a vineyard 
to examine it. He came to a peach 
tree, and said, "What are you doing for 
me?" The tree said, "In the spring I 
give my blossoms and fill the air with 
fragrance, and on my boughs hangs the 
fruit which men will gather and carry 
into the palace for you." "Well done!" 
said the prince. To the chestnut he 
said, "What are you doing?" "I am 
making nests for the birds and shelter 
cattle with my leaves and spreading 
branches." And the prince said, "Well 
done!" Then he went down to the 
meadow and asked the grass what it 
was doing. "We are giving our lives for 
others, for your sheep and cattle that 
they may be nourished." And the 
prince said, "Well done!" Last of all he 
asked the tiny daisy what it was doing, 
and the daisy said. "Nothing, nothing. 
I cannot make a nesting place for the 
birds, and I cannot give shelter for the 
cattle, and I cannot send fruit into the 
palace, and I cannot even give food for 
the sheep and cows — they do not want 
me in the meadow. All I can do is to 
be the best little daisy I can be." And 
the prince bent down and kissed the 
daisy, and said. "There is none better 
than thou." All that God asks is cor- 
dial obedience. 

12 Ifi. A young woman came to me in 
distress over her failure to fulfill the re- 
ligious duties of life. I was aware that 
at this very time she was living a life 
of sacrificial devotion t<> a blind Father. 
I asked if this service of hers was not a 
religious duty. She answered, "Oh. no! 
it cannot be so, because that brings me 
such Joy; it Is the delight of my heart 



The Christian Life. 



— 192 — 



Obedience. 



to sefVe my father!" I scarcely knew 
whether I was amused or not. To any 
parent of earth the child's service is 
precious in proportion as it is painless. 
— George Matheson. 

1247. Dean Stanley did well to put 
on the memorial tablet raised to the 
honor of John Wesley those memorable 
and characteristic words, "The world 
is my parish!" He that loveth father 
or mother or country more than Christ 
is not worthy of him,, — Hoar. 

1248. God knows: we do not. The 
secret of a truly successful life lies in 
minute and unswerving obedience to 
God's directions; in following his pat- 
tern. As Oliver Wendell Holmes said ; 
"Take your needle, my child, and work 
at your pattern; it will come out a rose 
by and by. Life is like that— One stitch 
at a time taken patiently, and the • pat- 
tern will come out all right like the em- 
broidery." 

1249. Obedience insures spiritual illu- 
mination. "If any man will do his will, 
he shall know of the doctrine." The 
Spirit shows the things of Christ to them 
that love him. Not the trained mind, 
but the devoted heart, gives the clear- 
est insight into the deep things of God. 
As Neander was wont to say, "The heart 
makes the theologian." 

1250. At Muckross Abbey, says Dr. 
Hoyt, I saw a yew tree hundreds of 
years old, as old as the crumbling ab- 
bey rising round it, yet still growing 
bravely on. It was growing, because, 
standing on the past of gnarled trunk 
and spreading branches, it was using 
the present, forming its leaf buds every 
season, and drinking in the dew and 
light. But the abbey in whose court it 
stood was only a disintegrating pile of 
crumbling stone, because it had ceased 
relation with the present. Implicit 
obedience day by day is the condition 
of all spiritual life and progress. 

1251. There was a woman, during the 
war, who had one son, and when the 
conflict was fiercest, with heroic patri- 
otism she called him to her and said: 
"Son, our country needs you; go!" He 
went; and she, pressing her lips a little 
firmer together, went on with her work. 
Three days later a soldier came to her 
door and told her that he had seen her 
son shot down in the midst of the bat- 
tle. Again she went on with her work, 
with her lips a little more firmly pressed 
together, and now and then a tear in 
her eyes. But she said: "God needed 
him. His will be done!" 

1252 A iriend told us that he was vis- 
iting a lighthouse lately, and said to the 
keeper; "Are you not afraid to live 



here? It is a dreadful place to be con- 
stantly in." 

"No," replied the man, "I am not 
afraid; we never think of ourselves 
here." 

"Never think of yourselves! how is 
that?" 

The reply was a good one: "We know 
that we are perfectly safe, and only 
think of having our lamps brightly 
burning, and keeping the reflectors 
clear, so that those in danger may be 
saved. — The Quiver. 

1253. Beecher said, "The Elect are 
the 'I wills', and the Non-Elect are the 
*I vvon'ts.' " 

1254. No man can live in perfect con- 
tentment whose life contradicts a fun- 
damental instinct. The man born to be 
a great poet or artist or statesman, with 
intuitive qualifications for enchaining a 
multitude can never find satisfaction in 
an obscure .sphere in which those in- 
stincts were mortified and suppressed. 
A man with social dispositions and 
leanings can never find rest of soul as 
solitary anchorite or Trappist monk, or 
fakeer vowed to life-rong dumbness. 
Romulus, with great imperial instincts 
in his soul, could never have passed a 
contented life in the mountain lair, where 
the she-wolf is said to have suckled him. 
All these might more readily attain 
rest and contentment of soul than you 
who are made in God's image without 
daily speech and companionship with 
God. — Rev. T. G. Selby. 

1255. On John Ruskin's desk was a 
paper-weight made of a block of chal- 
cedony. Deeply carved upon it was the 
word "To-day." The great prophet of 
modern life used to-day. To-morrow 
could bide its time, while to-day was on 
the throne. To-day is always here. 
To-day is the only opportunity we have 
for life's work. We never work to-mor- 
row. Action belongs to the present. 
Whatever is the duty for to-day, let us 
do to-day. — "The Call of To-day." 

1256. Eaeh week is full of hours for 
spending and being spent out. If we 
don't find time, we shall be caught 
sometimes unawares, and have to look 
our Master in the face with our lamp 
unlit and our loins ungirt. "I trust that 
when my time comes," wrote Lewis 
Carroll, "I may be found working." — 
Speer. 

1557. As the acom cannot grow with- 
out appropriating the elements already 
prepared for it in the soil and the sky; 
and as the carbon cannot burn without 
laying hold of the oxygen already exist- 
ing for it in the atmosphere; and as 
the fish cannot swim without utilizing 



The Christian Life. 



— 198 



Obedience. 



the water already adjusted to its fins; 
so man cannot fill out the possibilities 
of his being without obeying the laws he 
finds already ordained to his will, when 
he conies into the world. — "The Mak- 
ings of a Man." 

1258. The heavenly bodies serve God 
with an untie viating obedience: to them 
he has given a law which cannot be 
broken. But the obedience of a little 
child in some trifling matter is some- 
thing infinitely higher, because it is a 
moral act of surrender of will to will. — 
A. C. A. Hall. 

1259. A child was forbidden by her 
father to go to the shore of a lake. But 
some fascination drew her to the for- 
bidden place, she gathered a number of 
beautiful shells, of which he was a great 
admirer, and carried them to him. But, 
when she put them in his hand, he 
dashed them away from him, simply 
saying in explanation, "My child, to 
obey is better than to sacrifice." The 
lesson was never forgotten. — C. E. 
World. 

1260. Francis Xavier had early risen 
into brilliant reputation; and crowds are 
thronging his lectures day by day. Who 
has achieved success if he has not? 
But in the throng of his hearers appears 
the sombre figure of Ignatius Loyola. 
Disliked, ridiculed, repulsed at first, he 
does not leave the object of his solici- 
tude; but after each splendid success he 
plies him with the question, "What shall 
it profit a man if he gain the whole 
world and lose his own soul?" At last, 
under this searching inquisition, Xavier 
is driven into retirement and his am- 
bitious thoughts are remanded to the 
cloister of his penitent heart, there to 
be trained into obedience to the cross of 
Christ. When he comes forth he is 
girded for service. 

1261. "Well, have you got any religion 
today?" asked a Christian friend of a 
Vermont shoemaker, somewhat noted 
for the simple and joyous earnestness of 
his religion. "Just enough lo make good 
Bhoea to the glory of God!" said he in 
reply, as with an extra pull he drew his 
thread firmly to its place. That's the 
kind of religion we want! A religion 
that makes each one faithful to his 
work; that rules behind the counter as 
well as in the church; that guides the 
poor cobbler as he patches the old shoe 
of his customer, as truly as the visitor 
of the "sick and in prison." and that 
never puts the l>ig potatoes only on top, 
nor all the large apples in the last layer 
at the top of the barrel. 

1202. "My will, not thine, be done- 
turned paradise into a desert. "Thy 
18 Prac. III. 



will, not mine, be done," turned the des- 
ert into a paradise and made Gethse- 
mane the gate of heaven." — Pressense. 

1263. Zinzendorf said to a Moravian 
brother at Herrnhut, "Can you go as a 
missionary to Greenland?" "Yes." Can 
you go to-morrow?" "If the cobbler 
has finished my shoes I can go to-mor- 
row." That was a cjuick, willing-heart- 
ed response. Wesley said: "If I had 
three hundred men who feared nothing 
but God, hated nothing but sin, and 
were determined to know nothing 
among men but Jesus Christ and him 
crucified, I would set the world on fire." 
"Send us men," said a heathen convert, 
"with hot hearts." 

1264. Most of us are more eager to 
obtain God's' power in order to push 
our plans, than we are to learn God's 
will to adopt his plans. — Murray. 

1265. In one of Browning's poems is 
the beautiful story of a boy working 
at his poor trade and praising God 
morn, noon and night. But one whis- 
pered in the boy's ear a word which left 
in his mind a feeling of discontent with 
his lowly place and work, and started in 
his heart a desire for something great 
and conspicuous. He craved now to 
praise God on the Pope's throne. He 

* left his poor trade and became a priest. 
Meanwhile Gabriel took up the boy's 
tastes and played the craftsman well, 
praising God in his place. At last The- 
ocrite realized his early dream — he was 
I'ope now in St. Peter's. But Gabriel 
appeared to him, saying: 
"I did not well when I took thee from 

thy craftsman's cell and set thee 

here. 

Go back to thy cell and thy poor employ; 
Resume the craftsman and the boy." 

He seemed to be serving God now in 
a far grander way than when he was 
working at his trade in his lowly place. 
But really he pleased God better in 
those early days than now, amid splen- 
dor and pomp. God had missed the 
boy's song all the years — his place had 
been really vacant since he left it. Only 
when he went back to his poor employ 
was he fulfilling the divine plan for his 
life. . . . Not the making of a fine ca- 
reer, therefore, but the simple doing of 
God's will, is the one true aim in living. 
Thus only can we achieve real success. 
If we do this, though we fail in the 
earthly race, we shall not fail in God's 
sight. — J. B. Miller, D. D. 

1266. An artist pupil had wrought 
long over his picture and was weary and 

discouraged, as it seemed i<> him he 

could never work out his ideal. II' 

sank into sleep one day by his easel, 
and while he slept , n ansrcl came nT "' 



The Christian Life. 



— 194 — 



Trust. 



finished the picture in a matchless way. 

So when we are faithful, striving, at our 
best, to learn the lesson of peace and get 
it into our life, though seeming to fail, 
the Master will come and finish it for 
us. 

1267. It is not said that after keeping 
God's commandments, but in keeping 
them there is great reward, God has 
linked these two things together, and no 
man can separate them — obedience and 
peace. — Robertson. 

1268. Florence Nightingale said: "If I 
could give you information of my life 
it would be to show how a woman of 
very ordinary ability has been led by 
God in strange and unaccustomed paths 
to do in his service what he has done in 
her. And if I could tell you all, you 
would see how God has done all, and I 
nothing. I have worked hard, very 
hard, that is all; and I have never re- 
fused God anything." 

1269. The spirit to obey is a ready 
solution of most of the practical prob- 
lems of obedience. Once come to re- 
gard yourself purely in the light of a 
servant of Christ, with absolutely no de- 
sire but to know his will and do it, and 
what room have you left for any anxious 
thought concerning your future? 

1270. We can claim God's protection 
only so far as we obey his command- 
ments. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect 
peace whose mind is stayed on thee," 
says Isaiah. But the staying of the 
mind is our work. It is like the staying 
in the cars which the railroads require. 
We cannot wander from God and yet 
expect that God will bless us and keep 
us. 

1271. Everything, for time and for 
eternity, depends upon our readiness to 
render implicit obedience to our great 
Commander. A ship was breaking to 
pieces on the rocks. A life-boat came 
as near as it dared for rescue. A wo- 
man stood on the tossing deck prepared 
to leap for her life. The captain of the 
life-boat was waiting to receive her, but 
there was a watery gulf between. He 
told her to leap when the wave rose 
high above the rock, and it would float 
her safely to the life-boat, but not to 
leap when the rock was bare, as she 
would then be dashed to pieces. At 
length the moment came; he called to 
her to leap; the flood was high; it 
was perfectly safe. She hesitated; she 
held back, and then she ventured 
to the edge, but it was too late, and she 
was lost. She did not obey at the mo- 
ment of command. 

1272. I am free to obey or disobey. 

God lovingly warns me of the conse- 



quences of disobedience, but he will not 
compel me to obey. He will not force 
the door. One of our most eloquent 
senators once said that an Englishman's 
cottage was his castle. The winds may 
whistle through every crevice, and the 
rains penetrate through every cranny, 
but into that cottage the monarch of 
England dare not enter against the cot- 
ter's will. This is just the state of the 
case between Christ and the human 
soul. He has such a respect for the 
will of that immortal tenant that he has 
placed within us that he will never 
force an entrance. 

Trust. Assurance. Freedom from Worry. 

(1273-1382) 

1273. Mailer's Orphanages. We have 
received altogether, simply in answer to 
prayer and the exercise of faith, without 
applying to any one for anything, about 
$4,000,000. 60,000 children or grown 
up persons have been taught in the var- 
ious schools entirely supported by the 
funds of the Institution, besides the tens 
of thousands who have been benefited in 
the schools which were assisted by its 
funds; above 9800 now frequent the 
schools; above 113,000 Bibles, above 
295,000 Testaments and smaller por- 
tions of the Holy Scriptures, in 
various languages, have been circu- 
lated since the formation of the 
Institution, and above 60,000,000 ' of 
tracts and books, likewise in several dif- 
ferent languages, have been circulated. 
There have been likewise, from the ear- 
liest days of this Institution, missionaries 
assisted by its funds, and of late years 
more than one hundred and seventy in 
number. — Muller's "Life of Trust." 

1274. To my mother when dying one 
of her sons said, "It is a dark valley, 
mother." "No, my laddie, there's a 
bright light at the other end!" Be of 

good cheer, Christian; a few more trials, 
then the shadowy valley, then the roll- 
ing river, then a welcome on the other 
side. 

1275. Two Christian gentlemen sat in 

a parlor car,- communing of him who 
had been a Comforter through lonely 
years since each laid away his wife. 
The conversation was interrupted by the 
entrance of a poor, sad-faced man slow- 
ly scanning each passenger. The grief 
in his face touched them. "What is it?" 
they asked. The stranger stopped. 
"Yes", he said, "I guess you can tell me 
where it is. My wife is in the baggage 
car. I'm taking her to the old place. 
She wa'n't one bit afraid to die. She 
kept sayin' something 'bout 'Let not 



The Christian Life. — 195 



your heart be troubled,' and I've been 
thinkin' if only I could find the words 
it wouldn't seem so awful lonesome. 
I've been lookin' all through the book, 
but can't find 'em. It 'peared like there 
was somebody in this car could tell me 
where they be." Kindly the place was 
found, and the desolate heart pointed to 
the Christ who first spoke the words to 
bereaved ones. 

1276. We put our cares into God's 
hands, with a prayer that he free us 
from the load. But the cares do not 
seem to become any less. "We think 
there has been no answer to our prayer. 
But all the while an unseen hand lias 
been shaping, adjusting, disentangling 
the complex affairs of our life and pre- 
paring a blessing for us out of them all. 
— Dr. J. R. Miller. 

1277. I do not trust you as a stranger. 

But as I come into contact with you, 
and watch you, and live with you, I find 
out that you are trustworthy, and I 
conic to trust myself to you. and to lean 
upon you. The way to trust Christ is to 
know Christ. You cannot help trusting 
him then. You are changed. By know- 
ing him faith is begotten in you, as 
cause and effect. — Drummond. 

1278. Dr. Louis Harms was a man of 
high culture, but he was strongly moved 
to encourage artisans and farmers, men 
of humble educational attainments who 
felt a distinct call to go to the heathen 
with the gospel. He could get no sympa- 
thy for his idea; on the contrary, he was 
much spoken against on account of it. 
Thus he was straitly shut up to God, 
and thus was he brought into that tra- 
vail of decision whose crisis he has so 
vividly described; "I 'knocked at men's 
doors and found them shut; and yet the 
plan was manifestly good and for the 
glory of God. What was to be done? 
"Straightforward makes the best run- 
ner." I prayed fervently to the Lord, 
laid the matter in his hand, and as I 
rose up at midnight from my knees, I 
said in a voice that almost startled me 
in the quiet room, "Forward now, in 
<;<)d's name." From that moment there 
never came a thought of doubt in my 
mind. 

1270. When Luther was asked, in a 
time of great trial; "Now, with Pope 
and cardinals, priests and kings all 
against you. what will you do?" He an- 
swered; "Put myself under the shelter 
of bin i who said; 'I will never leave 
thee nor forsake thee.' " 

12S0. Some men believe easily: some 
do not. Kdison (in relation to the value 
of his own Inventions) seems to have 
been one of the latter class. The way 



Trust. 

i 

in which he was convinced of the worth 
of a check given him was told by him- 
self to a friend, and re-told in "Success" 
lately. The check was for forty thou- 
sand dollars. General Lefferts told him 
to go to the Bank of America in Wall 
Street and he would get the money. The 
inventor went, but with so little real 
faith in that paper promise that he says 
he would have sold out on the spot for 
two crisp thousand-dollar bills if any- 
body had offered them to him. A little 
fumbling or delay at the desk and a 
request from the cashier which Edison, 
being hard of hearing, did not under- 
stand, convinced him that the check was 
worthless. A clerk was then sent to 
the bank to identify him. It was not till 
he had the forty thousand dollars "in 
two wads of twenty thousand each, one 
in each trouser pocket," that he really 
believed in the check. He missed the 
serene content of the nobleman who 
"believed the word . . . and . . . went 
his way. God's promises are like checks. 
Most of us are as incredulous as Edison 
was. 

1281. Someone once came to Brother 
Giles, a saintly follower of the good 
Francis of Assisi, saying, "Father, if in 
our time there should fall some great 
adversities and tribulations, what should 
we do then?" W 7 hereunto replied Bro- 
ther Giles, saying, "My brother, I would 
have thee know, that if the Lord were 
to rain down stones and lightning from 
heaven, they could not hurt us nor do us 
any harm, if we were such as we ought 
to be; for if man were truly what he 
ought to be, every evil and every tribu- 
lation would be turned into blessing. 
For we know what saith the apostle, 
that 'all things work together for good 
to them that love God'. And so likewise 
to the man of evil will, all good things 
are turned to evil and to judgment." — 
Margaret E. Sangster. 

1282. There was a beautiful engrav- 
ing on the wall of the Matterhorn Moun- 
tain. We were remarking that the 
wondrous works of God were not only 
shown in those lofty snow-clad moun- 
tains, but also in the tiny mosses found 
in its crevices. A friend present said. 
"Yes, I was with a party at the Matter- 
horn, and while we were admiring the 
sublimity of the scene, a gentleman of 
the company produced a pocket micro- 
scope, and having caught a tiny fly, 
placed It under the glass. He remind- 
ed us that the legs of the household 
fly in England were naked, then called 
our attention to the Ic^s of this little 
fly, which were thickly covered with 
hair:" thus showing that the same God 
who made those lofty mountains rise, 



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Trust. 



attended to the comfort of the tiniest of 
his creatures. — Newberry. 

1283. The sin of the world is a false 
confidence; of the Christian, a false diffi- 
dence. 

1284. That will break a worldly man's 
heart which will not break a godly 
man's sleep. — Matthew Arnold. 

1285. In the summer of 1879 I de- 
scended the Rhigi with one of the most 
faithful of Swiss guides. Beyond the 
services of the day, he gave me, uncon- 
sciously, a lesson for life. His first care 
was to put my wraps and other burdens 
upon his own shoulders. In doing so 
he called for all; but I chose to keep back 
a few for special care. I soon found them 
no little hindrance to the freedom of 
my movement; but still I would not give 
them up until my guide, returning to 
where I was resting for a moment, kind- 
ly but firmly demanded that I should 
give him everything but my alpenstock. 
Putting them with the utmost care upon 
his shoulders, with a look of intense sat- 
isfaction, he led the way. And now, 
with my freedom, I found that I could 
make double speed with double safety. 
Then a voice spake inwardly: "O, fool- 
ish, wilful heart! hast thou, indeed, 
given up thy last burden? Thou hast no 
need to carry them." I saw it all in a 
flash; and then, as I leaped lightly from 
rock to rock down the steep mountain- 
side, I said within myself: And ever thus 
will I follow Jesus, my Guide, my Bur- 
den-bearer. I will rest all my care upon 
him, for he careth for me. — Sarah Smi- 
ley. 

1286. A sparrow had built its nest in 
a freight car that had been ordered to 
the shops for repair. "When the car was 
in order and started again into service, 
a nest full of young sparrows seemed 
about to be robbed of a mother's care. 
But though the car traveled several hun- 
dred miles, the mother bird would not 
desert her young. The sympathy of the 
trainmen was touched, and they notified 
the division superintendent, who ordered 
the car. out of commission until the little 
birds were able to care for themselves. 
If a great railroad system can be or- 
dered so as to protect helpless sparrows, 
is it hard to believe that the great Su- 
perintendent of the universe orders all 
things for the good of his children? 

1287. Sometimes faith is little more 
than a simple clinging to Christ : a sense 
of dependence, and a willingness so to 
depend. When you are down at the 
seaside, as we might all of us wish to 
be, you will see the limpet sticking to 
the rock; you walk with a soft tread up 



to the rock with your walking stick 
and strike the limpet with a rapid blow, 
and off he comes. Try the next limpet 
in the way. You have given him warn- 
ing; he heard the blow with which you 
struck his neighbor, and he clings with 
all his might. You will never get him 
off. Strike, and strike again, but you 
may as soon break the rock. Our little 
friend, the limpet, does not know much, 
but he clings. He cannot tell us much 
about what he is clinging to, he is not 
acquainted with the geological forma- 
tion of the rock, but he clings. He 
has found something to cling to, that is 
his little bit of knowledge, and he uses 
it by clinging to the rock of his salva- 
tion; it is the limpet's life to cling. 
Thousands of God's people have no more 
faith than this; they know enough to 
cling to Jesus with all their heart and 
soul and this suffices. Jesus Christ is 
to them a Saviour strong and mighty, 
and like a rock immovable and immut- 
able; they cleave to him. — Spurgeon. 

1288. I was in a provincial town 
some time ago, when I was told of a 
nobleman who for many years worked 
as a porter in the railway station, be- 
cause he did not know his true position 
in the world, till one day a gentleman 
entered the station, and after saluting 
him said, "Sir, may I ask your name?" 

"John ," was the answer. "I have 

come to tell you that you are the Earl 

of , and entitled to a large estate," 

replied the visitor. Do you think that 
man stood about the station touching 
his cap for tips any longer? Not he. 
He took possession of his inheritance 
at once. That is just what we Chris- 
tians should do. 

1289. He was sitting by the bedside 
of his little girl. She had been lying 
there helplessly a year through an in- 
jury to her hip. Angrily, he exclaimed 
that day: "Do you think I could love a 
God who would -send such trouble upon 
my little girl?" Tears began to trickle 
from beneath the closed lids upon the 
child's face. "My dear child," the fa- 
ther said, "I ought not to have brought 
my anger here to you. You have been 
so patient, so brave. I ought not to 
have added to your burden." 

"It isn't that, papa," the little girl 
said. "But I couldn't help thinking 
while you were talking — I've tried so 
hard — I haven't always been good, but 
I've tried. You know better than I do, 
but I was thinking — if I hadn't believed 
all the time that God had something to 
do with it, I don't think I could have 
borne it." Be you sure the child's faith 
was the truer. Thenceforward the 
child's faith became the father's too. 



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197 — 



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God's hand is somewhere in our circum- 
stances. 

1290. Noticing over the chemist's ta- 
ble a magnet which hung loaded with a 
collection of various tools and weights, 
I asked, "What is the magnet doing?'' 
"I am loading it up," the chemist an- 
swered. "It has been lying round on 
the table doing nothing and losing its 
power; so now I am giving it something 
to do. a little more every morning, and 
it's gaining, it's growing stronger every 
day," and he added a small file to the 
clump attached to the magnet. True 
faith must never lie round doing noth- 
ing. Every day a little more, and every 
day gaining a little in power to hold to 
God and his promises. 

1291. The traveler in Switzerland, in 

the train to Geneva, creeps along the 
base of a gigantic mountain peak which 
towers, bare and stern, thousands of 
feet above him. On the very crest are 
the remains of a nigged stone building. 
From this airy height can be seen most 
of the lakes of Switzerland, Mont Blanc, 
the Alps of the Valais and the Bernese 
Oberland. The old convent is reached 
by steps cut in the almost perpendicular 
face of the rock, and concerning these 
steps a legend is told. In the sixth cen- 
tury, it is said, a godly old man taunlit 
;i few boys in a hut in the valley. The 
hut was dark, being windowless, and 
damp as it stood in a swamp full of mire 
and fetid water. So poisonous were the 
air and stagnant pools of the valley that 
the people had inherited for generations 
a kind of idiocy called cretinism. 

The good old clergyman resolved to 
rescue the children whom he taught and 
loved. He gave all of his time for rest 
to the cutting of these steps in the 
mountain side. The work was slow, 
the people jeered at his endeavors, even 
the children for whom he worked 
laughed at him; but he persevered. 
After years of work, he reached the top 
of the mountain and built there a little 
house, to which he retired with his pu- 
pils, living above the world, as the peas- 
ants tell us, "alone in God's sight." The 
building afterward was enlarged into a 
convent. It Is now In ruins; but the 
story has its useful meaning. Life may 
be low and miry for us, but it is always 
possible to ( Hi a stairway, up which we 
can climb into clean, healthful air and 
Sunshine. 

1292. A writer in the Biblical Treas- 
ury says: "When one asked Alexander 
how he could sleep so soundly and se- 
curely In the midst of danger, lie told 
him that Panncnio watched. He might 
well sleep when Parmenio watched. 
The Christian lives a charmed life be- 



cause the Omnipotent Arm is around 
him. — Ernest Gilmore. 

1293. I used to visit a woman engaged 
in a ••sweated industry." She lived in 
a small, ill-lighted, unsanitary room in 
a slum. She worked through the weary 
clays, and knew nothing of holidays. 
Her wage was small, her occupation pre- 
carious, and her health indifferent; yet 
she would work away, singing hymns, 
her favorite hymn being: 

"I feel like singing all the time, 
My tears are wiped away, 

For Jesus is a friend of mine, 
I'll serve him all the day." 

This "sweated" was one of the happi- 
est beings I have ever known. What 
was her secret? What prompted her 
happiness? It was religion — the reli- 
gion of Christ. And the religion of 
Christ is the supreme factor in inspiring 
cheerfulness in adversity. — Rev. G. En- 
sor Walters. 

1291. "I know not where his islands lift 
Their fronded palms in air; 

I only know I cannot drift 
Beyond his love and care. 

"And so beside the silent sea 
I sit with muffled oar; 

No harm from him can come to me 
On ocean or on shore." — Whittier. 

1295. "Help yourself to God." The 
late Dr. Benjamin M. Adams, one of the 
purest and noblest of Christian minis- 
ters, awoke one night, several years ago, 
and as he lay there thinking it seemed 
to him he heard a voice say, "Help your- 
self to God." At first he was almost 
shocked. It seemed irreverent, and yet 
the words repeated themselves over and 
over again, "Help yourself to God, help 
yourself to God, help yourself." Grad- 
ually a sense of peace and joy filled his 
heart, and he realized as never before 
how near God is, how he stands at our 
very side, waiting to give us abundantly 
of his Spirit, his love, and his help — we 
have only to help ourselves. That eve- 
ning he preached in a New York church, 
and told this experience of his. After- 
ward he learned that a lady in the con- 
gregation had come to New York to 
undergo a severe surgical operation. She 
had come into the church feeling greatly 
burdened with anxiety and shrinking 
from the ordeal before her. Dr. Adams' 
words seemed like a message from God 
to her, and she said her last conscious 
thought as she lay on the operating ta- 
ble was that God was beside her with 
help and strength sufficient for all her 
needs — she had only to take all she 
wanted. She had found the "Bread of 
Life." 

1290. It was up In the Adirondack 



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Trust. 



Mountains. A boy had gone from the 
home early in the sixties — gone to the 
war. Day after day a mother had 
prayed — prayed with such importunity, 
prayed with such faith, that the boy 
might come home — but the winter of 
1865, in March, the snow had fallen so 
deep that it covered the fence, and then 
a thaw, and then a frost, and the crust 
was so thick that a beast could walk 
over it without breaking through. In 
the early days of March a friend walked 
fourteen miles over the mountains and 
brought a paper, and said: "A battle has 
been fought, a battle down on the 
ocean at Fort Fisher, and a stronghold 
has been taken." And then his voice 
grew hoarse. He said the battle had 
cost us much, and then a tear came into 
his eye, and then he read a long list of 
the slain, and when his voice spake one 

word it read: "Charles L , killed in 

the fort, buried in the trenches." And 
the woman did not cry out, but 
went upstairs and stayed there all the 
rest of the day and that night, and until 
the afternoon of the next day. We 
thought she might never come down, for 
we had learned of Moses in the presence 
of God. But in the afternoon she came 
down, and her face shone like the face 
of an angel. In the secret of the great 
sob you may learn the secret of God. 
The secret of the Lord is with them that 
fear him, and he will show them his 
covenants. — Brooklyn Eagle. 

1297. I remember the funeral of 
Moody's brother. After they had fin- 
ished the usual services and the coffin- 
lid was about to be put in its place, Mr. 
Moody arose, and, stepping forward from 
the seat where he had been sitting, with 
a shining face, he laid one hand upon 
the coffin, and then lifting the other he 
poured out such a stream of thanks- 
giving unto God for the life that was 
gone, and for the wonderful comfort 
and joy and hope that came to him in 
Jesus Christ, that it was said by this 
onlooker that it almost seemed as if the 
heavens were opened and they could see 
the angels of God ascending and de- 
scending upon the Son of man. At last 
he ceased, the coffin-lid was placed in its 
position, and the body was carried out 
and laid in the grave. On one side of 
the sepulcher stood fifty young men, 
many of them led to Christ through the 
influence of this one who was gone, and 
they held in their hands beautiful 
white flowers, which they cast down up- 
on the coffin in token of the glorious 
resurrection. And on the other side of 
the grave stood Mr. Moody; and he said 
that as he stood there and thought of 
how his brother, being dead, was yet 
speaking, he felt that if he were silent 



the very stones would cry out, and he 
cried with a loud voice, "Glory to God! 
Glory he to God! O death, where is 
thy sting? O grave, where is thy vic- 
tory?" — God's World. 

1298. The way of loving trust in the 
Saviour may thus be illustrated. A 
lady is the wife of the most eminent 
physician of the day. She is seized with 
a dangerous illness, and is smitten down 
by its power; yet she is wonderfully 
calm and quiet, for her husband has 
made this disease his special study, and 
has healed thousands similarly afflicted. 
She is not in the least troubled, for she 
feels perfectly safe in the hands of one in 
whom skill and love are blended in their 
highest forms. Her faith is reasonable 
and natural. This is the kind of faith 
which the happiest of believers exercise 
toward Christ. — Spurgeon. 

1299. In one of his books of travel, 
Du Chaillu speaks of the horror that 
seized upon him when he shot his first 
gorilla. The cry of the poor creature 
was so human, its attitudes and expres- 
sions of pain so like those of a suffering 
man, that he imagined he had perpe- 
trated something not far short of mur- 
der. He could scarcely acquit himself 
of blood-guiltiness. The tie that hinds 
us to God is inexpressibly higher and 
more sacred than the tie which binds 
the most human-like brute to man. No 
cry, however plaintive and piteous, that 
has ever risen from the world of animal 
life to a kindly human heart can com- 
pare in its melting persuasiveness and 
its poignant appeal to my prayer, as it 
wings itself to the attending ear of the 
Eternal. He will hear and heed. — Selby. 

1300. Alas for him who never sees 
The stars shine through his cypress 

trees! 

Who, hopeless, lays his dead away, 
Nor looks to see the breaking day 
Across the mournful marbles play; 
Who hath not learned, in hours of faith, 
The truth to flesh and sense unknown, 
That Life is ever lord of Death, 
And Love can never lose its own! 

1301. A gentleman in the East heard 
of a shepherd who could call all his 
sheep to him by name. He went and 
asked if this was true. The shepherd 
took him to the pasture where they were, 
and called one of them by some name. 
One sheep looked up and answered the 
call, while the others went on feeding 
and paid no attention. In the same way 
he called about a dozen of the sheep 
around him. The stranger said: "How 
do you know one from the other? They 
all look perfectly alike." "Well," said 
he, "you see that sheep toes in a little; 
that other one has a squint; one has a 



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Trust. 



little piece of wool off; another has a 
black spot; and another has a piece out 
of its ear." The man knew all his sheep 
by their failings, for he had not a per- 
fect one in the whole flock. I suppos 
our Shepherd knows us in the same way. 
— Moody. 

1302. Dean Farrar tells how an Eng- 
lish clergyman visited two fine ships 
about to sail on their voyage of Arctic 
discovery into the land of snow and 
darkness. He found the brave captains 
full of confidence, and, raising his eyes 
in the cabin, he saw there, as almost its 
only ornament, an illuminated text, 
which read, "Have faith in God". "Ah, 
there," he said, pointing to the text, 
"there is the true pole!" 

1303. "My mother had the joy of life. 
I think no moment ever passed her by 
without being seized in all the eagerness 
of acceptance. I never knew her when 
she was not delicate, but I never heard 
her complain; she was always happy, 
with a natural gayety which had only 
been strengthened into a kind of vivid 
peace by the continual presence of a re- 
ligion at once calm and passionate. 
She was as sure of God as of my father; 
heaven was always as real to her as the 
room in which she laughed and prayed. . . 
To her the past, the present and the 
future were but moments of one exis- 
tence; life was everything to her and 
life was indestructible." — Arthur Sy- 
monds. 

1301. The disciplined soid thinks of 
possible evils just so much as is needful 
for practical action, and no more. It 
will not dwell under cloud when it 
knows its way to the clear sky. One of 
the best bits of history we know is that 
of Quaker John Woolman, who, on one 
of his missionary expeditions, being 
overtaken in the forest by night and by 
the rain, with no habitation at hand 
and no means even of kindling a fire, 
tells us how he allowed his horse to 
graze, while he himself, sitting under a 
tree, "found great comfort in meditation 
upon the love of God." He had learned 
the secret. It is worth knowing. — Rev. 
J. Brierly in Congregationalism 

1305. A very beautiful thought is 
brought out by the French translation of 
a verse in the First Epistle of Peter. 
The words are: "Casting all your care 
upon him; for he caret h for you." Where 
our version reads "casting" the French 
translation is unloading (dechargeant). 
The difference of meaning is made plain 
by an illustration we have somewhere 
seen. Have you ever seen a coal cart 
unlond? The man took out of the front 
of the heavy cart a little iron pin, and 
the cart was so balanced on the axle that 



then, with a slight pressure on the back 
of the cart, it would tip up and the 
whole load slide off to the ground, and 
the pony would trot away with a light 
step. You do not have to take it up. 

1306. Some time ago a boy was dis- 
covered in the street, evidently bright 
and intelligent, but sick. A man who 
had the feeling of kindness strongly de- 
veloped, went to ask him what he was 
doing there. "Waiting for God to come 
for me," he said. "What do you mean?" 
said the gentleman, touched by the pa- 
thetic tones of the answer and the con- 
dition of the boy, in whose eyes and 
flushed face he saw evidences of fever. 
"God sent for mother and father and lit- 
tle brother," said he, "and took them 
away to his home up in the sky; and 
mother told me, when she was sick, 
that God would take care of me. I 
have no home, nobody to give me any- 
thing, and so I came out here, and have 
been looking so long up into the sky 
for God to come and take care of me, 
as mother said he would. He will 
come, won't he? Mother never told a 
lie." 

"Yes, my lad," said the gentleman, 
overcome with emotion, "He has sent 
me to take care of you." 

Then his eyes flashed, and a smile of 
triumph broke over his face as he said: 
"Mother never told a lie, sir; but you 
have been so long on the way!" — Words 
and Weapons. 

1307. A man comes to me and asks 
if I am married. I tell him I hope so; 
at times I feel that I am. Sometimes I 
think I am. Do you not see what a re- 
flection that is on my marriage vows? 
Some one asks me whether 1 am an 
American, and I tell him I hope so. 
Don't I know that I was born on Amer- 
ican soil of American parents? Spur- 
geon said that he did not want any 
man to tell him how honey tastes; he 
knows. — Moody. 

1308. There is an Arabian proverb 
which says: "He who knows not, and 
knows not that he knows not, is a fool; 
shun him. lie who knows not. and 
knows that he knows not, is simple; 
teach him. He who knows, and knows 
not that he knows, is asleep; wake 
him. He who knows, and knows that 
he knows, is wise; follow him." Happy 
is the man who has arrived at certain- 
ty; who knows, and knows that he 
knows. He shall be like a house that 
is built upon a rock. He shall be sta- 
ble, serene, secure. He shall be strong 
and a source of strength to others. Men 
will listen to him and will follow him; 
for he will speak with the tone of cer- 
tainty, with the accent of conviction. 



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1309. Faith in laws of nature or of 
human action comes by experience; 
faith in persons is easier and instinctive. 

The child begins to show faith in its pa- 
rents long before it can utter its 
thoughts. That faith is widened so as 
to include friends and teachers. It is 
the basis of much of the knowledge 
gained in school. However many times 
one may have been deceived in others, 
it is well-nigh impossible not to contin- 
ue to believe one's fellow men. This 
faith strengthens with the goodness and 
the wisdom of the one that is its object. 
Faith in God, then, is not the hard, 
strange, unnatural feeling that many 
would make it; it is the most natural 
of acts. If we can trust in a fallible 
and fickle human being, even in an 
impersonal and invisible force like elec- 
tricity, it surely is no great task to trust 
in a loving God who reveals himself in 
so many ways. — Golden Rule. 

1310. Those who seek to tempt emi- 
grants have told of lands in whose cli- 
mate consumption dies, where east 
winds are unknown; and spring and au- 
tumn have joined hands and thrust out 
the unkinder extremes "of summer and 
winter. But who can find us a land 
where worry cannot thrive? Who can 
tell us where the old croaking raven 
Care cannot build his nest? Why, wor- 
ried soul, such is the very land which 
the Lord would have thee go in to pos- 
sess, where care is killed, for the Lord 
careth for it: where troubled worry, 
cannot set its foot, for the eyes of the 
Lord are always upon it from the be- 
ginning of the year even unto the end- 
ing of the year. — Mark Guy Pearse. 

1311. Some years ago, when a pastor 
in Detroit, I got word one Sabbath 
morning that a boy of our Sabbath- 
school had died. So after the morning 
service, I went around to try and com- 
fort the mother. She was a faithful 
member of the church, but very quiet, 
I had never heard her utter a word in 
the public services. She had two noble 
girls and the boy who died. As I 
walked up the steps leading to their 
door, I heard singing; and through the 
open window I caught sight of the mo- 
ther and her two daughters, sitting by 
the coffin of their boy, and they were 
singing softly: 

"Safe in the arms of Jesus, 
Safe on his gentle breast." 
I dared not interrupt the beautiful 
scene, so I slipped down the steps and 
tip-toed away, leaving them with their 
dead, for though I came to comfort 
them, I saw that they had already found 
the hidden springs. And so there come to 
millions of toilers and sufferers the 



world over strength and comfort and 
beauty from the springs of God. "The 
secret of the Lord" is with them. They 
reflect the beauty of lives sunk deep in 
God. — -Wilbur F. Sheriden. 

1312. The Spectre of Brocken. Up 
among the Hartz Mountains, in Ger- 
many, there is a spot to which tourists 
are often asked to climb in the after part 
of the day that they may see this spec- 
tre. A vast ridge of hills appears ex- 
tending away into the distance; across 
this blue expanse, a great figure in hu- 
man shape is seen to move. It requires 
some little attention before it is discov- 
ered that this is only one's own shadow 
projected by the sun behind his back; 
and that the brow whose nod seems as 
if it might shake the universe is only 
his own forehead; and that the hand 
which might grapple with the Titans is 
only his own with his staff in it. — Dr. 
Banks. 

1313. Some people have their trouble 
three times; first in anticipation; second 
in actual realization, and lastly in liv- 
ing it over and over again in morbid 
retrospection. 

1314. An old Methodist preacher 

once offered this prayer in a meeting: 
"Lord, help us to trust thee with our 
souls." Many voices responded "Amen!" 
He went on: "Lord, help us to trust 
thee with our bodies." The response 
was vociferous, "Amen!" Then with still 
more warmth he said, "and, Lord, help 
us to trust thee with our money." Not 
an amen was heard in the house, except 
that of an old and poor lady. Is it not 
strange that when religion touches the 
pocketbooks of some people it seals 
their lips? 

1315. Stephen Shultz, the noted 
missionary to the Jews, was a man of 
firm trust. The principal of the school 
which he entered, when he was prepar- 
ing for the work, asked him, "What do 
you wish to study?" "Theology." "My 
son, you are probably not aware how 
expensive it is to study; are your pa- 
rents able to bear the expense?" 

"No, sir; this is impossible for them." 

"What, then, do you intend to do?" 

"The God who made the heaven and 
the earth will have left a few pence to 
enable me to study." 

"My son, if you thus trust in the Lord, 
you will find help." 

And the Lord did help Stephen 
Shultz. Everything needful was pro- 
vided, so that he could prosecute his 
studies, and equip himself for a success- 
ful life-work. 

1316. A friend one day asked me to 
take a drive and spend the day with 



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him. I accepted his invitation. He 
paid for everything. As we neared the 
town, we had to pay a toll. Another 
friend beside me, thinking I was about 

to pay the toll, said: "Mr. will pay." 

"I should think so," I replied. "After 
having paid for everything, I didn't 
think I would insult him by paying the 
tew pence of toll." — Mackay. 

1317. We look too much at the work- 
ing side of life, instead of the outcome 
of life. Were you ever in a manufac- 
tory where pianofortes are made? Of 
all places in the world, don't go there 
for good music. I have been there, and 
of all the places of discord — tuning, 
tuning, tuning, and thump, thump, 
thumping, you ever heard, — it is dread- 
ful. But if you want music, go to the 
band, and orchestra in its force. Down 
here is the place for tuning and making 
the instruments. By-and-by we shall 
have such a concert to the glory of God; 
every one of us, small and big instru- 
ments, sounding to his praise and glory. 
Trust anticipates the outcome. 

1318. On the keystone of a bridge 
over a little stream in a beautiful Scot- 
tish parish we have read the words, 
"God and We." The tale is interesting. 
A girl in danger of perishing in the 
storm, when the stream was in flood, 
vowed that if God would save her life 
and help her in the future, she would 
build a bridge over the dangerous 
chasm. Her prayer was heard. She 
lived to build the bridge, and to leave 
an endowment for the poor of the par- 
ish. The inscription on the bridge gives 
the secret of success. "Fellow-workers 
with God," ever depending on him. 

1319. A ■ venerable clergyman, moved 
by my sermon, said, "Your words recall 
an incident of my early life. I was at 
that time quite a worldly man. I was 
traveling through a wild part of Ire- 
land, through a fine mountain pass: I 
had never seen such scenery and such 
splendour of vastness. I journeyed on 
quite overpowered with the beauty of 
the view I was gazing at, when all at 
once I chanced to turn my eyes from 
the hills, and I found close to me a vast 
bed of what Is called "London Pride,' 
one of the most minute of flowers: 
there in all its beauty it was spread all 
around my feet. Worldly man as I 
was, the contrast between the glory of 
that vastness and the beauty of thai lit- 
tleness of God's work so weighed upon 
me, that I dropped on my knees In that 
bed of flowers and burst into tears." I 
am not surprised at it. The greatness 
of God Impressed him all the more be- 
cause it was contrasted with his interest 
in littleness. You arc not too small for 



God to think of you; not too insignifi- 
cant for God to love you. — Rev. W. H. 
Hay Aitkin. 

1320. I saw in Kensington Garden a 
picture of Waterloo a good while after 
the battle had passed, and the grass had 
grown all over the field. There was a 
dismounted cannon, and a lamb had 
come up from the pasture and lay 
sleeping in the mouth of that cannon. 
So the artist had represented it, a most 
suggestive thing. Then I thought how 
the war between God and the soul had 
ended, and instead of the announce- 
ment, "The wages of sin is death." there 
came the words, "My peace I give unto 
thee," and amid the batteries of the law 
that had once quaked with the fiery hail 
of death I beheld the Lamb of God, 
which taketh away the sin of the world. 

1321. Two painters each painted a 
picture to illustrate his conception of 
rest. The first chose for his scene a 
still, lone lake among far-off mountains. 
The second threw on his canvas a thun- 
dering waterfall, with a fragile birch 
tree bending over the foam; at the fork 
of a branch, almost wet with the cata- 
ract's spray, a robin sat on its nest. 
The first was only Stagnation: the last 
was Rest. For in rest there are always 
two elements — tranquillity and energy; 
silence and turbulence; creation and de- 
struction; fearfulness and fearlessness. 
— Drummond. 

1322. A bit of wholesome philosophy 
is bound up in the terse epigram of 
Admiral Bob Evans, when he said: 
"There are two classes of things I never 
worry about — those things I can't help, 
and those I can." It is sheer folly to 
worry over what we can't help. It is 
cowardice to worry over what we can 
help. With a will we should go to 
work to help it. When tempted to 
worry, first classify your worry either 
into the class you can help, or the class 
you can not. 

1323. The soul fearless with its trust 
in God) alone but nnterrifled amid dan- 
gers and snares, may walk, as did the 
blind girl Xydiu through the showering 
ashes of Vesuvius; the boiling torrents 
touched her not, huge fragments of 
scoria shivered the I'ompciaii pave- 
ments before and beside her, but spared 
her frail form, and when the lesser 
ashes fell on her she shook them off 
and dauntlessly went on her way. 

1324. Xenophon tells us that when 
Cyrus gave Artabasus, one or liis court- 
iers, a cup of gold, he gave Chrysantes, 
his favorite, nothing at that time but a 
kiss; which occasioned this speech from 
Artabasus to Cyrus: "Sir, the cup you 



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gave me was not so good gold as the 
kiss you gave Chrysantes." God gives 
wicked men many times gold, but with- 
out kisses; and godly men kisses with- 
out gold; yet the godly may say, 
"There's more gold in their kisses than 
in the others' gold. Trust rejoices in 
God rather than merely in his gifts. 

1325. A building was being torn 
down, and a laborer, who was noted for 
his lack of intelligence, was set to pull 
at a rope attached to the top of the wall. 
"Do you think," a passer-by asked, 
"that you are going to pull that thick 
wall down that way?" The man con- 
tinued his tugs as he replied: "It doesn't 
seem so to me, but I guess the boss 
knows what he is about." After an 
hour's pulling, the wall swayed 
and fell. The man who gave the 
order knew that it would, although 
the man who pulled at the rope 
did not. If more faith were exercised 
in Christ's commands now, we should be 
astonished at results, although "sur- 
prise" should have little or no place, 
since God hath said, and will he not do 
it? 

1326. I remember once swimming 
with some friends in Scotland; I had 

not measured the current, and they had 
got across; and I found my strength was 
giving way. My two friends saw the 
condition which I was in, and at once 
sprang in from the bank to my rescue. 
When they reached me where I was — 
just in time, for my strength was ex- 
hausted — they each put a hand under 
me. I at once stopped all my efforts to 
save myself, and I was carried to shore 
in that position. I was saved from un- 
der. That is just where Christ saves 
from, beneath; He saves from under. 
You must let go the last rag, the last 
tatter, the last hope, and let yourselves 
be saved from under; "for underneath 
are the everlasting arms" of salvation. — 
W. P. Mackay. 

1327. Faith realizes the presence of 
the living God and Saviour and thus it 
breeds in the soul a beautiful calm and 
quiet, like that which was seen in a lit- 
tle child in the time of a tempest. Her 
mother was alarmed, but the lassie was 
pleased; she clapped her hands with de- 
light. Standing at the window when 
the flashes came most vividly, she cried 
in childish accents, "Look, mamma! 
How beautiful! How beautiful!" Her 
mother said, "My dear, come away, the 
lightning is terrible;" but she begged to 
be allowed to look out and see the love- 
ly light which God was making all over 
the sky, for she was sure God would not 
do his little child any harm. — Spurgeon. 

1328. Be faithful in sowing and trust 



God for the harvest. Some years ago 
Dr. Antliff went to preach in a small 
Derbyshire village, in a farmhouse 
kitchen. The congregation was composed 
mainly of a number of boys and other 
young people. On returning home at 
night, his wife said, "Well, Samuel, what 
sort of a day have you had?" "Only a 
poor day," he replied, "hardly anybody 
present, but a few boys." But God gra- 
ciously blessed that service. Three of 
the boys, who dated their conversion 
from that afternoon, are now ministers. 
He told the incident in a sermon. As 
he mentioned these names a young min- 
ister in the congregation became deeply 
moved, and rising and interrupting the 
preacher said, with tears rolling down 
his face, "Forgive my intruding on 
your sermon, Dr. Antliff, but I am an- 
other of those boys who were led to 
Christ at that service in the farmhouse 
kitchen." 

1329. There is often a great impres- 
sion made on heathen hearts by the 
fearless way in which Christians enter 
the valley of shadow. During an out- 
break of smallpox in a mission institu- 
tion, a heathen woman was engaged to 
help in nursing. She was filled with 
wonder because not one of the Christian 
girls had been afraid to die, and all the 
Christians were bright and happy. She 
returned to her village but the impres- 
sion remained, and she came back to 
learn of that Savior who had robbed 
death of its sting. Having found him, 
she openly confessed herself his disci- 
ple; she became a teacher, and now, 
under the superintendent of the mission- 
aries, she is telling her own people of 
him whose "perfect love casteth out 
fear." — Missionary Comments. 

1330. I draw out from my pocket a 
little miniature, and look upon it, and 
tears drop from my eyes. What is it? 
A piece of ivory. What is on it? A 
face that some artist has painted there. 
It is a radiant face. My history is con- 
nected with it. When I look upon it 
tides of feeling swell in me. Someone 
comes to me and says, "What is that?" 
I say,, "It is my mother." "Your moth- 
er! I should call it a piece of ivory with 
water-colors on it". To me it is my 
mother. When you come to scratch 
and analyze it, and scrutinize the ele- 
ments of it, to be sure it is only a sign 
or dumb show, but it brings to me that 
which is no sign nor dumb show. Ac- 
cording to the law of my mind, through 
it I have brought back, interpreted, re- 
freshed, revived, made patent in me, all 
the sense of what a loving mother was. 
So I take my conception of Christ as he 
is painted in dead letters on dead pa- 



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per, and to me is interpreted the glory, 
the sweetness, the patience, the love, 
the joy-inspiring nature of God; and I 
do not hesitate to say, "Christ is my 
God," just as I would not hesitate to 
say of that picture, "It is my mother." 
— Beecher. 

1331. Some naturalist, in the Scotch 
highlands, desiring to secure a rare flow- 
er, growing down on the side of a cliff, 
offered to pay a boy liberally if he would 
consent to be lowered. At first he hesi- 
tated, but finally said, "I'll go down if 
father holds the rope." 

1332. After the hattle of Gettysburg 
Lincoln told Gen. Sickels that he had 
had no doubt as to the result. When 
asked why he felt so confident, he said; 
"I knew that defeat in a great battle on 
Northern soil involved the loss of Wash- 
ington, to be followed, perhaps, by the 
intervention of England and France in 
favor of the Confederacy. I went to 
my room and got down on my knees in 
prayer. Never before had I prayed 
with so much earnestness. I wish I 
could repeat my prayer. I felt that I 
must put ail my trust in Almighty God. 
I asked him to help us and give us vic- 
tory now. I felt that my prayer was 
answered. I knew that God was on 
our side. I had no misgivings as to 
the result at Gettysburg." 

1333. Tn 1865, the cholera was pi 2- 
vailing in Northern Syria. I happened 
at that time to be in Mount Lebanon. 
We had a community of about one hun- 
dred and fifty Protestants in the city 
where the cholera broke out. They be- 
came alarmed, and they sent a messen- 
ger five days' journey with a note saying, 
"Our dear doctor, the cholera has broken 
out in our city, and we are afraid that 
we may be attacked. Will you please 
send us a bottle of medicine, and if you 
can, doctor, will you come yourself?" I 
took with me a young man who was a 
teacher in the theological seminary. He 
was not a physician. We traveled over 
the blazing plain of Caele-Syria five days, 
and we reached the outskirts of the city. 
My companion said to me, "Doctor, we 
might go in there to- night, but I want to 
tell you something: I know you will dc- 
spise me for it, but I am afraid of the 
cholera." He said, "I mean to go into 
thai city, but T want to spend this night 
in prayer and fasting, thai God may 
give me strength." Me went into his 
tent and spent the night wrestling on 
his knees. The next morning, when I 
woke up and came out of my tent, I 
found that young man with his face 
glowing like the face pf an angel. I 
knew that it was all over. He said, 
"Doctor, let us strike our tents and go 



into the city; I have found rest, I do not 
care a particle now for the cholera; I 
am ready to go." We went into the city, 
and were met by our brethren there. 
We saluted them and inquired about the 
health of the community, and found 
that no one had yet been stricken with 
cholera. — Rev. Dr. Geo. E. Post. 

1334. Possibly no Bible chapter has 
exerted a greater .influence on the 
world's leaders than Isaiah 40. Handel 
begins his "Messiah" with "Comfort ye 
etc." Luther pored over it in the cas- 
tle at Salzburg; John Brown read it in 
prison at Harper's Ferry; Oliver 
Cromwell went to it for help in time of 
storm; Daniel Webster read it again 
and again when he was crushed and 
broken in spirit; Tennyson called it one 
of the five great classics in the Old 
Testament record. 

1335. Dr. Francis E. Clark tells an in- 
teresting story of a young man living in 
Maine, who was out in the woods one 
day with his camera taking photographs 
of attractive bits of scenery. He came 
upon the mouth of a little cavern be- 
tween the rocks, and he said to himself, 
"I will see what sort of a picture I can 
get out of that cave," and as it was a 
dark day he decided to take a "time- 
exposure" instead of a "snap shot." 
Steadying the camera at the edge of 
the cave, he gave the sensitive plate a 
long, deliberate look at the semi-dark- 
ness within, went upon his way through 
the woods, and after a few hours re- 
turned to his home. Several weeks af- 
terward, in a leisure day, on develop- 
ing his picture, you can imagine his as- 
tonishment to see in the picture in the 
very center of the cavern, with arched 
back and bristling fur, a huge Canada 
lynx, that might easily have destroyed 
his life. We walk in the midst of phys- 
ical and moral perils every day we live. 
How splendid the promise, "lie that 
keepetb thee will neither slumber nor 
sleep." 

1336. One night T was trying to reach 
along the coast of England in a yacht; 
we could not weather the point, and our 
good captain said we would have to go 
under the lee, and cast anchor: and 
having let out a long length of 
chain — we had to do that be- 
cause there was such a storm blowing — 
our men got ready, and when they were 
cleared they said, "Let go the anchor." 
My anchor is Christ. My anchor cannot 
fail until his power, and my liible fail. 
I shall anchor fast to the eternal Uock 
of Ages, and .stand the storm, and live 
by faith. — Maekay. 

1337. A medical friend of mine in 
Kdiuhiirgh had ;i patient once who 



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Trust. 



wrote him a long letter, in which he 
gave a very elaborate account of his 
ailments, and made an appointment to 
meet him. When he came to his house, 
he went over the whole story* again, and 
then said, "Doctor, don't yon think 
such and such medicine would do?" 
"Oh, very well," said the doctor, "there 
it is, that is what you want." He went 
away, but he did not get any better. 
At last he wrote another letter, in which 
he said, "The last time I wrote to you 
I told you all about myself, and the 
medicine I thought I should have; but 
I am no better, so the next time I come 
I want you to tell me what you think, 
and give me the medicine you think I 
ought to have. That was the proper 
thing to do. When you go to a doctor 
it is not for you to prescribe for your- 
self, you must let him find out the dis- 
ease and apply the remedy, and then 
trust him for results. 

1338. Trust hears heaven's melody. 
One of the sweetest of Roman 
legends is the pure and lovely story of 
Saint Cecelia, whose one absorbing pas- 
sion was for music. One day while 
playing on Her instrument she heard 
another music overhead, finer and rich- 
er than her own, seeming to drop from 
the skies. Recognizing it to be celes- 
tial, angelic, divine, she hushed her own 
music that she might listen to the no- 
bler strains that floated down upon her 
ears. — Kelly.- 

1339. A Dutch scientist has completed 
five years study in South America. He 
took some insects from Holland into the 
rich tropic atmosphere, changed their 
environment, put them in a friendly en- 
vironment, and gave them the best food. 
He expected to modify their coloring, 
having exchanged the damp, foggy sky 
of Holland for the brilliant hues of the 
tropics. And lo! these insects doubled 
their size; the dim subdued tints be- 
came gay and brilliant. At last he dis- 
covered that insects that in Holland 
crawled, in the South spread their 
wings to fly and meet God's sun. More 
marvelous still is the way the soul can 
grow. Last year you lived in the damp, 
foggy miasmatic levels of selfishness; 
sordidness, like a cloud, wrapped you 
about. Suppose you take down your 
tent, and move into the tropic realm of 
love and trust and hope. Open the 
soul's wings to the light, the sun and 
dew of God's spirit. 

1340. Mr. Moody used to say, "The 
only way to keep a broken vessel full is 
to keep it always under the tap." 

1341. Does the doubter say, "Ah, but 
some of the birds do perish!" They do 



not perish because of their lack of dis- 
tracting care. Christ does not say they 
shall never perish; but that not a sparrow 
falleth to the ground without the knowl- 
edge of God. To fall, under his guid- 
ance, is as fortunate as to rise. You al- 
so, he implied, are helpless in his hands, 
you cannot make, or prolong life one 
moment. You cannot add a single step 
to its journey by worrying. — Monday 
Club Sermons. 

1342. Dr. Arnot describes a plant, 
which is sometimes found in the great 
deserts, rooted in the arid sand, yet 
with leaves full of sap, whose veins yield 
water to the thirsty traveler. This 
lowly herb, though chained in the midst 
of the Great Sahara, has all the waters 
of the ocean at its disposal. It has a 
multitude of microscopic mouths which 
suck the moisture from the air: and the 
air, thus robbed of its moisture, draws 
from the distant ocean to supply its 
need. So does the child of God, how- 
ever far lie may be from what he needs, 
draw through his Father to satisfy his 
needs. 

1343. Trust finds its name in the Bi- 
ble, and responds gladly to the Bible's 
personal call. Dr. Trumbull said; 
"When I was in Libby Prison, an order 
came that one person was to be released. 
Every one wished and hoped that he 
was the one. When the inspector came 
in the morning and the name was called 
out, 'Chaplain H. C. Trumbull,' I can 
assure you I never valued my name as I 
did at that moment." 

1344. Mr. Wilkinson started the Mild- 
may Mission to the Jews after the pat- 
tern of George Muller's work in Bris- 
tol. "Ask the Lord and tell his people" 
became the watchword of the Mildmay 
Mission. The plan was to ask the Lord 
to reveal his will, and make a simple 
statement to God's people as he gives 
opportunity, and then ask him to move 
the hearts of his children to give of their 
substance. The contributors thus be- 
come real sharers in the blessing of God 
upon the work, and the gifts themselves 
bring a blessing with them. Thus was 
the work begun and thus for some thirty 
years it has been supported. The mis- 
sionary property is vested in trustees, 
and the accounts are carefully audited. 
The mission has medical work, and has 
about 5,000 patients each year. Besides 
the larger missions in London, the Mild- 
may Mission has three stations in Rus- 
sia. — Missionary Comments. 

1345. I had a letter lately from one 
at a far distance. She was about to 
undergo a severe operation and stated 
the day and hour when it was to take 
place. She said she would like at that 



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day and hour to have the knowledge 
that some one was thinking of her, that 
some one was praying for her, that some 
one was, spiritually, holding her hand. 
She recovered. Will anybody say that 
the strength by which she bore the 
strain was purely physical? Will any- 
body say that the song in the heart went 
for nothing? In any crisis moment I 
should say it would turn the scale. — 
Geo. Matheson, D. D. 

1346. The tourist who goes up the 
Matterhorn must not tell the guide the 
route or what implements it is safe to 
carry. If he is not willing to trust his 
guide, he would better stay at the base 
of the mountain. For there will come 
many an emergency in which nothing 
but that guide's steady brain and stout 
arm will lie between him and certain 
destruction. Can you grasp a stiff hold 
on the loving hand of your Guide and 
say, even on the dizziest places, "I will 
trust?" — Rev. Theodore L. Cuyler. 

1347. The other day I took up a 
strong magnet. It lifted a piece of 
steel several times its weight. But when 
that steel was covered with tin or nickel 
it did not pick it up. There is then no 
connection between them. Christ is the 
great magnet of spiritual power. But 
if severed from us by a coating of un- 
belief he cannot lift us up. — Broughton. 

1318. A root set in the finest soil, in 
the best climate, and blessed with all 
that sun and air and rain can do for it, 
is not in so sure a way of its growtli to 
perfection as every man may he, whose 
spirit aspires after all that which God is 
ready and infinitely desirous to give him. 
For the sun meets not the springing bud 
that stretches toward him with half that 
certainty, as God. the source of all good, 
communicates himself to the soul that 
longs to partake of him. — Wm. Law. 

1310. Indulged sins of omission or 
commission will hinder assurance. No 
backslider can have it. Some resemble 
the little girl who prayed, "O Lord, 
make me good — not too good — but just 
good enough not to net whipped; Amen.'' 
— Rev. E. P. Marvin. 

1350. Gounod, the celebrated musi- 
cian, tells how in his earlier life he 
thought highly of himself. Later it 
was Gounod and Mozart Still later it 
w is. Mozart and Gounod. Finally his 
mind settled on Mozart and him only. 
So trust. Imperfect and divided at first, 
may at last rest on Christ solely. -Wil- 
son. 

1351. A certain judge said: "My wife 
has something that keeps her: all I 
have been able to do is to get something 

that i keep." 



1352. It was once said of a certain 
man with reference to the fretting worry 
which moved his spiritual life, "He is 
pulling at the chariot: I want a man 
who is riding in it." 

1353. A dying Scotch woman was 
twitted, by a friend, concerning her 
faith. The friend said, "Suppose that, 
after all, this God in whom you trust 
should not keep his promise to save 
you." She answered; "E'en as he likes, 
hut he will lose more than I will. I 
will merely lose my soul, but he will 
lose his veracity." 

1354. "I found the air so different." 

said a pedestrian, "when I changed and 
walked on the road along the top of the 
hill, instead of by the road in the valley 
below. It was so much more exhilarat- 
ing. I could speed along without half 
the sense of weariness." Is not that the 
, way with many Christians? Some trav- 
; el always by the valley road, and miss 
the joys and privileges of the few who 
journey on the crest of the hills. — East 
and West. 

1355. In one of the German picture 
galleries is a painting called "Cloud- 
land." It hangs at the end of a long 
gallery, and at first sight it looks like 
a huge, repulsive daub of confused 
color, without form or comeliness. As 
you walk toward it, the picture begins 
to take shape; it proves to be a 
mass of exquisite little cherub fa- 
ces like those at the head of 
the canvas in Raphael's "Madonna San 
Sisto." If you come close to the pic- 
ture, you see only an innumerable com- 
pany of little angels and cherubim, 
How often the soul that is frightened 
by trial sees nothing but a confused and 
repulsive mass of broken expectations 
and crushed hopes! But if that soul, 
instead of fleeing away into unbelief and 
despair, will only draw up dear to God, 
it will soon discover that the cloud is 
fall of angels of mercy. — Theodore L. 
Cuyler, D. D. 

1356. "Tt was now (in a time of spe- 
cial trouble: her parents dying, etc.) 
that I could try whether the path whic h 
I had chosen was the path of phantasy 
or truth; whether I had merely thought 
as others showed me, or the object of 
my trust had a reality. To my un- 
speakable support, my soul, when all 
was pressing on me from without, has- 
tened to the place of refuge, and never 
did it return empty." — Confessions of a 
Beautiful Soul. "Wilhelm Meister", 
Goethe. 

1357. God gives to his people the pro- 
pensity to cling. Look at the sweet pea 
which grows in your garden. Perhaps 



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it has fallen down upon the gravel 
walk. Lift it up against the laurel or 
the trellis, or put a stick near it, and it 
catches hold directly, because there are 
little hooks ready prepared with which 
it grasps anything which comes in its 
way, it was meant to grow upward, 
and so it is provided with tendrils. — 
Spurgeon. 

1358. A tribe in Sumatra was, until a 
few years ago, given up to cannibalism, 
and the sacrifice of human beings was 
no rare occurrence. When the first 
missionary settled among this tribe, he 
was asked by the natives how soon he 
would be going away. "I shall not go 
away," he replied; "I have come to 
stay." "Do you know that you are like 
a grain of corn thrown on a beaten path, 
which the birds will soon eat up! You 
had better go away." "He who has 
thrown me on the path," replied the 
missionary, "can keep me from harm." 
As the result of his trust and zeal the 
station today is the center of seven 
communities, in which the Christians 
number fully 3,000, and almost the 
whole population of the district is under 
the influence of the Church. 

1359. Never try to arouse faith from 
within. You cannot stir up faith from 
the depths of your heart. Leave your 
heart and look into the face of Christ, 
and listen to what he tells you about 
how he will keep you." — Andrew Mur- 
ray. 

13C0. Trust is loving confidence in 
Christ. Spurgeon summed up the ex- 
perience of the greatest hour of his life 
in the little Chapel at Colchester, in 
three words; "I found him." Andrew 
Bonar told the story of his conversion 
with equal simplicity; "I did nothing 
but receive the Saviour." 

1361. At a dark time, during the 
Civil War, Gov. Yates wrote a despair- 
ing letter to Lincoln. His brief reply 
was; "Dick, stand still and see the sal- 
vation of the Lord." — Speer. 

1362. About the year 1247, Joan of 
Arc, in the fields of Domremy, saw vis- 
ions and heard voices. The neighbors 
gravely whispered and the parents were 
mightily disturbed. But these voices 
became so peremptory that she entered 
the army, forced the English to raise the 
siege of Orleans, and finally succeeded 
in effecting the coronation of Charles at 
Rheims. No lasting results were ef- 
fected by the maid, but the immediate 
results were startling and emphatic. 
The great mind must ever see visions. 
They may not be unreal, uncanny 
sights, but they are the unproved and 
the unknown. Columbus had a vision 



of a continent before he saw San Do- 
mingo, or even before he had conclus- 
ively proved to his own mind that there 
was a new world. The first thought of 
the new world was visionary. Then he 
sought to prove by the aid of scientific 
laws then known that there was a real 
continent. Having proved it, he set out 
to discover it. How that vision haunted 
him on that eventful voyage! Could it 
be possible that it was all vain imagin- 
ation? Could it be that his scientific 
premises were wrong? Could it be that 
his computations were wrong? No land 
was in sight. Sailors on the verge of 
mutiny! Officers disheartened! Pitia- 
ble plight! Yet the vision of that new 
world was as clear to Columbus as the 
stars of a cloudless night, or as the 
sight of a thousand villages is now to 
the inhabitants of that land. — Hillis. 

1363. A Swiss martyr turned to the 
judge who had condemned him to be 
burned at the stake and said; "Sir, I 
have one last request. Put your hand 
on my heart first, and then lay it on 
your own, and tell the people which 
beats the more violently." He died amid 
the flames, secure and tranquil. — Speer. 

1364. On hearing of the death of his 
son, Barbarossa exclaimed; "Alas, my 
son is slain! my son is slain! But 
Christ still lives. Forward then sol- 
diers! March!" 

1365. The ear of trust hears music 
to which doubt is deaf. Many years ago 
some skylarks were liberated on Long 
Island, and they became established 
there and may now occasionally be - 
heard in certain localities. One sum- 
mer day a lover of birds journeyed out 
from the city in order to observe them. 
A lark was soaring and singing in the 
sky above him. An old Irishman came 
along and suddenly stopped as if trans- 
fixed to the spot. A look of mingled 
delight and incredulity came into his 
face. Was he indeed hearing the bird 
of his youth? He took off his hat and 
turned his face skyward, and with mov- 
ing lips and streaming eyes stood a long 
time regarding the bird. "Ah," thought 
the student of science, "If I could only 
hear that song with his ears!" To the 
man of science it was only a bird-song 
to be critically compared with a score 
of others, but to the other it brought 
back his youth and all those long-gone 
days on his native hills. 

1366. The comforting influence of the 
precious truths of the Bible at 
a dying hour, was manifested in 
the case of a soldier who was 
mortally wounded at the battle of 
Waterloo. His companion conveyed him 
to some distance and laid him down un- 



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Trust. 



der a tree. Before he left him the dying 
soldier entreated him to open his knap- 
sack, and take out his pocket Bible, and 
read to him a small portion of it before 
he died. When asked what passages 
he should read, he desired him to read 
John xiv: 27: "Peace I leave with you; 
my peace I give unto you; not as the 
world giveth, give I unto you. Let not 
your heart be troubled, neither let it be 
afraid." "Now," said he, "I die happy. 
I possess the peace of God which pass- 
eth all understanding." 

1367. It was said of one, inclined for 
a time to yield to depression, that, "He 
put a saddle and bridle upon depression 
and rode it to immortality." 

1368. An old Methodist, a singer of 
no mean order, was afflicted with cancer 
on his tongue. He went to a hospital 
for an operation, and there a pathetic 
incident occurred. Holding up his head, 
he said, "Wait a bit, doctor; I have 
something to say to you." The operator 
waited, and the patient continued, 
"When this is over, doctor, will I ever 
sing again?" 

The doctor could not speak; there 
was a big lump in his own throat. He 
simply shook his head, while the tears 
streamed down the poor fellow's face, 
and he trembled convulsively. The sick 
man then appealed to the doctor to lift 
him up. The physician complied. He 
said: "I have had many a good time 
singing God's praises, and you tell me, 
doctor, I can never sing any more after 
this. I have one song to sing, which 
will be the last. It will be a song of 
gratitude and praise to God as well." 
Then, from the operator's table he sang; 
"I'll praise my Maker while I've breath, 
And when my voice is lost in death, 

Praise shall employ my nobler powers; 
My days of praise shall ne'er be past, 
While life and thought and being last, 

Or immortality endures." 
1360. After all. the troubles you an- 
ticipate may never really befall. 'Tis 
a long lane without turning. The drear- 
iest day has some glints of light. How 
do you know that some spell of good 
fortune may not be about to befall you? 
In any case, worrying will not mend the 
matter. It will not rob to-morrow of 
its difficulties, but it will rob your brain 
of its clearsightedness and your heart of 
courage. Trim from it to God with faith 
and prayer; and look out for the one or 
two patches of blue which are in every 
sky. — F. B. Meyer, D. D. 

1S70, Your anxiety does not empty to- 
morrow of its sorrow: but. ah! it emp- 
ties today of its strength. It docs not 
make you escape the evil; It makes you 
unlit to cope with it If it comes. 



1371. Faith carries present loads, 
meets present dangers, feeds on present 
promises, and commits the future to a 
loving Heavenly Father. Again I say, 
take short views. Do not attempt to 
climb the high wall till you get to it — 
or fight the battle till it opens — or shed 
tears over sorrows that may never come. 
Be careful lest you lose the joys that 
you have by the sinful fear that God 
may have trials awaiting you. He prom- 
ises grace sufficient for to-day — but not 
one ounce of strength for to-morrow. 
You cannot create spiritual sunshine any 
more than you can create the morning 
star; but you can put your soul where 
Jesus Christ is shining. — Cuyler. 

1372. Worry must not he confused 
witli anxiety, though both words agree 
in meaning, originally, a "choking", or 
a "strangling," referring, of course, to 
the throttling effect upon individual ac- 
tivity. Anxiety faces large issues of life 
seriously, calmly, with dignity. Anxi- 
ety always suggests hopeful possibilities; 
it is active in being ready, and devising 
measures to meet the outcome. Worry- 
is not one large individual sorrow; it 
is a colony of petty, vague, insignifi- 
cant, restless imps of fear, that become 
important only from their combination, 
their constancy, their iteration. 

When Death comes, when the one we 
love has passed from us, and the silence 
and the loneness and the emptiness of 
all things make us stare dry-eyed into 
the future, we give ourselves up, for a 
time, to the agony of isolation. This is 
not a petty worry we must kill ere it 
kills us. This is the awful majesty of 
sorrow that mercifully benumbs us, 
though it may later become, in the 
mysterious working of omnipotence, a 
re-baptism and a re-generation. It is the 
worry habit, the magnifying of petty- 
sorrows to eclipse the sun of happiness, 
against which I here make protest. — 
Sat. Evening Post. 

1373. There is a saying old and rusty 
(But as good as any new): 

'Tis — "Never trouble trouble, 
Till trouble troubles you." 

If care you've got to carry, 

Wait till 'tis at the door, 
For he who runs to meet it 

Takes up the load before. 

1371. All fussing and rretting spill 
the costly spirits, life is made of. — W T. 

Clarke. 

1375. Dr. Schweinfurth, the distin- 
guished African explorer, traveled for 
thousands of miles, alone, on foot, into 
the interior, gathering plants. After 
two years' work, and the gathering of 
a priceless collection, it was destroyed 



The Christian Life. 



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Promises. 



by the burning of a native village. 
Fearing his reason might give way; in 
order to keep his mind in action, he 
began keeping a record of his footsteps 
along his dreary march. In several 
months he made an actual count of 
1,250,000. — Dr. Henry M. Fields. 

1376. There are two handles by 
which one may take hold of our tomor- 
rows; anxiety and faith. 

1377. One of the old Schoolmen said; 
"I entered this world in lowliness; I 
have lived in it in anxiety; I shall leave 
it in fear." 

1378. Pastor Harms and his single 
church of poor peasants at Hermanns- 
burg did a foreign missionary work al- 
most equal to that of any of our larg- 
est societies, sending out and support- 
ing 357 missionaries in thirty years. We 
read the story with astonishment, and 
ask again, "And how did you get the 
money for all this?" His reply tells us 
only that the Divine draft, "My God 
shall supply all your needs, according 
to his riches in glory," was promptly 
cashed whenever presented. It is so 
artless, the way in which he jots down 
his transactions with the Lord. "Last 
year," he writes in 1858, "I needed for 
the mission 15,000 crowns, and the Lord 
gave me that and 60 over. This year I 
needed double, and the Lord has given 
me double and 140 over." "I needed," 
and "my God shall supply all your 
need!" No mention of what he had as 
a basis for his enlarged undertaking, 
but only of what he must have, making 
that the schedule of his expectation 
from God. — Dr. A. J. Gordon, in Mis- 
sionary Review. 

1379. Two of Muller's long-associated 
co-workers were asked in substance the 
following question: "You have seen 
Mr. Muller of Bristol, England, in all 
circumstances; when there was plenty 
of money in the bank and plenty of food 
in the larder; have you noticed any 
difference in his composure and calm- 
ness of spirit at these different times?" 
One of these intimate co-workers re- 
sponded, "Not the slightest difference!" 
the other replied, "If possible, his com- 
posure seems rather the greater when 
all supplies of money and of food are 
exhausted." Then followed another ques- 
tion, "How do you account for this? 
Any father would feel natural and un- 
avoidable solicitude if his entire supplies 
for his children were exhausted; how 
much more the father of 2,000 or- 
phans?" Then came another answer, 
never to be forgotten: "The only way 
I can account for this is Mr. Muller's 
own philosophy of holy living, which 



is that the beginning of anxiety is the 
end of faith, and the beginning of true 
faith is the end of anxiety." — Pierson. 

1380. The worrying, anxious mind 
can find pessimistic suggestion in earth's 
brightest blessings. Heine, in his "Con- 
fessions", tells of an interview he once 
had with Hegel. After supper the poet, 
looking out of the window, began to 
speak sentimentally of the stars as 'the 
dwelling-place of the blessed. Hegel 
muttered, "Hum! hum! The stars are 
simply a brilliant leprosy on the face 
of heaven." 

1381. There is a legend along the 
Rhine that on a dark and cold night 
a thinly clad, half starved man was toil- 
ing along one of its rugged paths. He 
looked with wistful eye at the bright 
light that streamed from the windows 
of the mansion, and listened to the 
sounds of feasting and strains of music. 
He had left the home of his youth in 
early life, and heard nothing from it 
for many years. He knew not that the 
magnificent property was his father's, 
and that he was the heir. Desperate, 
he asked for shelter there. At its gate 
he found an old servant, who discovered 
who he was. Instantly he was ushered 
into the gayety. His robes were 
changed to those of the heir. He had 
found his heritage. And so the Chris- 
tian is often ignorant of all the blessings 
of the sons of God. 

1382. Do not borrow trouble. We do 
not trust enough in God's care. We are 
all in this respect too much like the 
great Carlyle, who had a reputation for 
"nerves." It seems that when he lived 
in London he had a neighbor possessed 
of an interesting coop of chickens, whose 
male member disturbed Carlyle's slum- 
ber by his loud crowing. The owner of 
the fowls was expostulated with. He 
replied that there ought not to be any 
complaint, as "the cock crew but three 
of four times during the night." "That 
may be," replied Carlyle, "but if you 
only knew how I suffer waiting for him 
to crow." That is our trouble, we 
think too much of what is going to 
trouble us, and so worry ourselves into 
early graves waiting for it to happen. — 
Northwestern Christian Advocate. 

The Promises. (1383-1399) 

1383. The saintly Miss Frances Ridley 
Havergal literally lived and moved in 
the Word of God. It was her constant 
solace, delight and inspiration. It is 
related of her that on the last day of 
her life she asked a friend to read to her 
the forty-second chapter of Isaiah. 
When the friend read the sixth verse, 



The Christian Life. 



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Promises. 



"I, the Lord, have called thee in right- 
eousness, and will hold thine hand, and 
will keep thee," Miss Havergal stopped 
her. "Called — held — kept — use," she 
whispered. "Well. I will just go home 
on that.*' And she did "go home on 
that," as on a celestial chariot, and the 
home-going was a triumph, with an 
abundant entrance into the city of God. 
What word of God have you to go home 
on? — Epworth Herald. 

1384. Every promise is built upon 
four pillars: God's justice, which will 
not suffer him to deceive; his grace, 
which will not suffer him to forget; his 
truth, which will not suffer him to 
change; and his power, which makes 
him able to accomplish. — Salter. 

1385. "Felt much turmoil of spirit at 

having my plans for the salvation of 
this region knocked on the head by 
savages to-morrow," wrote Livingstone, 
in his diary. [At Loangwa it seemed 
certain that he and his band must die.] 
"But I read, 'Go ye and teach all nations. 
And lo. I am with you alway.' It is the 
word of a Gentleman of the strictest 
honor, and there is an end on't. I will 
not cross furtively by night as I intend- 
ed. I shall take observations for lati- 
tude and longitude to-night though 
they may be the last." 

1386. When Dr. Fisher. Bishop of 
Rochester, was taken from the Tower 
to be put to death for the testimony of 
Christ, as he beheld the scaffold a fear- 
ful trembling seized him, but he took 
out his Greek Testament and prayed, 
"O, God, send me some particular Word 
that will help me in this awful hour," 
and he read, "This is eternal life, that 
they might know thee the only true God 
and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." 
He read this passage hundreds of times, 
but now it was the living Word to his 
soul and he exclaimed, "Blessed be God, 
this will suffice for all eternity." So 
God will give living messages from his 
word to all that find themselves in sea- 
sons of doubt and darkness. 

1387. The promises are not made to 
slrong faith, hut to true. The promise 
doth not say, he that hath a giant faith, 
who can believe God's love through a 
frown, who can rejoice in affliction, who 
can work wonders, remove mountains, 
stop the mouth of lions, shall be saved; 
but, Whoever believes, be his faith 
never so small. — Watson. 

1388. Never was "A Prayer of Moses, 
the man of God," the ninetieth I'salm, 
read amid more solemn circumstances 
than on the occasion of the buriul of 
one of the victims <>t' the accident upon 
the MatterboKO In i ««»r>. Three English 

14 Prac. III. 



gentlemen and their Swiss guide lost 
their lives. The almost formless bodies 
of three of them were found on the 
glacier below the mountain, and on one, 
that of the Rev. Charles Hudson, was 
found his prayer-book. Taking it rev- 
erently in his hands, a clergyman, pres- 
ent with the searching party, read from 
it the ninetieth Psalm. The mourners 
stood around the grave in the center of 
a snow-field, never before trodden by 
man. Above was the frowning moun- 
tain and the cloudless sky. Bronzed- 
faced guides and sorrowful friends 
leaned on their alpenstocks, while the 
minister read the prayer-book version of 
the Psalm: "Lord, thou hast been our 
refuge from one generation to another. 
Before the mountains were brought 
forth, or ever the earth and the world 
were made, thou are God from everlast- 
ing, and world without end. Thou 
turnest man to destruction; again thou 
sayest, Come again, ye children of men." 
— Youth's Companion. 

1389. Heaven does not leave man's 
nobler nature in its most perilous 
emergency to fall a victim to rampant 
and ungoverned passions, as Gladstone's 
government left Gordon at Khartoum 
to be slain by savages, says Dr. Kelly. 
God has arranged for punctual support 
with a sufficient force, so we may be 
able to light the good fight and lay 
hold on eternal life. The promise is, 
"Fear not for I am with thee." 

1390. God's promises have played a 
conspicuous part in salvation; they have 
been instruments of application. As 
when seizing the handles of an electrical 
machine, the current of electricity thrills 
throughout the entire body, so when 
grasping the promises, the Spirit be- 
comes operative upon the soul. The 
promises thus become instruments of 
transformation. — R. A. McKinley, D. D. 

1391. A daughter, on her death bed, 
having exhausted every means to win 
her ungodly father to Christ, with pain- 
ful effort wrote him a long letter of 
entreaty. That letter was received by 
him in due course of mail, glanced at 
and put away. Years rolled by; he 
sickened and wasted away, but would 
hear nothing of God or death. In 
glancing over his papers one day to 
make a final disposition of them, his 
eye fell on this letter. For the first 
time he read the dying words of his 
favorite child, long since dead and well 
nigh forgotton. A voice as from the 
grave pierced his stony heart. He fell 
upon his knees In the quiet of his cham- 
ber and for the first lime in his life 
pra yed. 

ta»2. She Hoguenots, before the bat- 



The Christian Life. 



— 210 — 



Hope. 



tie of Coutras, knelt and chanted the 
118th Psalm. Seeing their attitude of 
supplication, some courtiers cried, 
"Behold, the cowards are already beg- 
ging for mercy!" "No," answered an 
old officer, who knew their way, "you 
may expect a stern fight from the men 
who sing psalms and pray." 

The anecdote illustrates the part the 
promises have played in history, es- 
pecially in the throes that accompanied 
the Reformation. 

The 46th Psalm, "God is 'our refuge 
and strength," is the basis of the battle- 
hymn of Luther, "A strong tower is our 
God." The 68th was known among the 
Huguenots as the "Song of Battles." 
Savonarola chanted it as he marched to 
the most precious pyre ever lighted in 
Florence. After the victory of Dunbar, 
Cromwell and his army sung the 117th 
Psalm, "O praise the Lord, all ye na- 
tions; praise him, all ye people." No 
man knows what a great part the 
Psalms have played in the lives of men. 
These poems, which reflect every_ praise- 
worthy human emotion, have associated 
themselves, like the rain and the sun- 
light, with all sorts and conditions of 
men, women and children. The peni- 
tential groanings of the sixth Psalm, 
"O Lord,, rebuke me not in thine anger," 
have been sobbed out by Catherine de 
Medici, John Calvin, and Mrs. Carlylc. 
It might be properly called the "Uni- 
versal Psalm of the Penitent." — The 
Youth's Companion. 

1393. There is nothing greater than 
the promises except God himself. Caesar 
once rewarded a man who said: "This 
is too great a gift for me to receive." 
Caesar's reply was, "It is not too great 
for me to give." — R. A. McKinley, D. D. 

1394. "When the eloquent, erratic Ed- 
ward Irving was dying, he gathered up 
his strength and chanted, in Hebrew, the 
twenty-third Psalm; so did Scotland's 
greatest metaphysician, Sir William 
Hamilton, and then breathed out his 
spirit. The parting word of Luther, of 
Knox, of John Huss, of Jerome of 
Prague, and of countless martyrs and 
saints, was the fifth verse of the 31st 
Psalm: "Into thine hand I commit my 
spirit." The northernmost grave on 
the surface of the earth is near Cape 
Beechy, on the brow of a hill covered 
with snow. In it is buried the body of 
a member of the Nares expedition. A 
large stone covers the dead, and on a 
copper tablet at the head is engraved: 
"Wash me, and I- shall be whiter than 
snow." 

1395. Many Christians are like the 
drowning man who looked at the spar 
floating beside him. He believed that 



it was able to save him, but he still 
struggled with the waves, clung to little 
fragments of the wreck and neglected 
to grasp the spar. What he needed was 
to let all the fragments go, to give up 
his vain struggles, to throw his arms 
around the spar, to clasp it to his heart. 
And that is just what all must do, or 
they will perish. 

1396. The promises of God are to the 
believer an inexhaustible mine of wealth. 
They are an armory, containing all man- 
ner of offensive and defensive weapons. 
. . . They are a surgery in which the 
believer will find all manner of restora- 
tives . . . The promises are to the 
Christian a storehouse of food. They 
are as the granaries which Joseph built 
in Egypt, or as the golden pot wherein 
the manna was preserved. — Spurgeon. 

1397. The monks of the Greek 
Church monastery at the base of Mt. 
Sinai sought Mahomet's protection from 
wandering tribes which infested that 
region. He gave them a pledge. He 
could not write, but dipping his open 
hand in blood gave the imprint of his 
palm. It is said that the original is 
still in Constantinople. — Dr. H. M. Field. 

1398. A drummer boy lay dying in 
the City Point hospital. The words 
"Though I pass through the valley of 
the shadow of death, I will fear no evil," 
etc., were read to him. He asked that 
they be repeated again and again. 
Blindness came to him. He asked that 
his hand might be placed on those words. 
Then he wanted the promise laid close 
to his breast, so that he could press it 
close to his heart. And thus clinging to 
the promise he entered into his rest. 

1399. Every one carries some burden. 
It may be an affliction in the home. It 
may be a lurking disease. It may be a 
wandering son, whose way the father 
deplores, and whose doom he dreads. 
It may be a financial calamity, which 
has swept all away. But whatever the 
trouble, there is a message in the gospel 
to meet the case. There is a bright 
promise for the darkest day. God has 
not forgotten the troubled soul. He 
has remembered him in his will, saying, 
"Call upon me in the day of trouble, 
and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt 
glorify me." — Christian Advocate. 

Hope. (1400-1418) 

1400. In terrible agony a soldier lay 
dying in the hospital. A visitor asked 
him: "What Church are you of?" "Of 
the Church of Christ," he replied. "I 
mean of what persuasion are you?" 
then inquired the visitor. "Persuasion!"' 
said the dying man, as his eyes looked 



The Christian Life. 



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Hope. 



"heavenward, beaming with love to the 
Savior, "I am persuaded that neither 
death, nor life, nor angels, nor princi- 
palities, nor power, nor things present, 
not things to come, nor height, nor 
depth, nor any other creature, shall be 
able to separate me from the love of 
God which is in Christ Jesus." 

1401. When Alexander the Great set 

out from Macedon he made such 
lavish presents to his friends that one 
of them protested, saying; "But what 
are you leaving for yourself?" His 
memorable reply was, "My hopes." 

1102. Our hope is not hung upon such 
an untwisted thread as, "I imagine so," 
or "It is likely;" but the cable, the 
strong rope of our fastened anchor, is 
the oath and promise of him who is 
eternal verity: our salvation is fas- 
tened with God's own hand, and Christ's 
own strength, to the strong stake of 
God's unchangeable nature. — Ruther- 
ford. 

1403. They that know thy name will 
put their trust in thee. Trust rests on 
knowledge. It is the superstructure, not 
the foundation; it is the flower, not the 
stem. The abutment must precede the 
bridge, the root the rose, the wall the 
tower. "My faith is born of love, and 
my love is born of light, and my light 
is born of experience, and my experi- 
ence i- horn of nearness. These are the 
golden steps an which I mount to thee." 

1101. A minister once went from a 
town 'Into the backwoods to preach to 
the settlers, and found it necessary to 
return at night, when it was very dark. 
A backwoodsman provided 1 im with a 
torch of pitch pine wood. The minister, 
who had never seen anything like it, 
remarked, "It will soon burn out." "It 
will light you home." answered the 
other. "The wind may blow it out," 
said the preacher. "It will light you 
home," was again the answer. "But 
what if it should rain?" "It will light 
you home," was again the insistent an- 
swer. Contrary to the minister's fears, 
the little torch gave abundant light to 
his path all the way home. So the Lord, 
who is our light and our salvation, will 
never fail. 

1 I0.">. Tn a bitter January a schooner 
hound from I'cinandina for Demerara 
sprang a leak in heavy weather and 
settled in the sea till her decks were 
all awash. The captain's wife, lashed 
to the top of the deck house, kept watch 
for a sail. On the third night, falling 
asleep from exhaustion, she saw in a 
dream a great ship coming (o their res- 
cue. Awaking at daylight, she opened 
her eyes on the fulfillment of the vision. 



A towering mass of canvas stood up 
against the southern sky; a big ship 
sailing northword from far Cape Horn 
was bearing straight down upon the 
water-logged schooner. Approaching 
deliverance cast its shadow before; the 
shadow fell upon the sleeping woman; 
she came through her dream to the 
salvation as foretold. So runs the story. 
Whether true or not, it may introduce 
pictorially to the mind the moral certain- 
ty that humanity is to be saved by the 
coming true of its happiest dreams. 

HOG. A Frenchman saw a ragged 
pauper spend his last few cents on a 
lottery ticket, and asked him how he 
could commit such a folly. "In order 
to have something to hope for," he said. 
And from this point of view the outlay 
had the semblance of an excuse. It is 
literally hope which makes the world 
go round, and one of the hardest things 
which an educated man who opens his 
mouth about public affairs has to do, 
is to say anything to dampen it. — E. L. 
Godkin. 

1407. The man who carries a lan- 
tern in a dark night can have friends all 
around him, walking safely by the help 
of its rays, and be not defrauded. So 
he who has the God-given light of hope 
in his breast can help on many others in 
this world's darkness, not to his own 
loss, but to their precious gain. — 
Beecher. 

1408. Hope is one of the foremost 
j elements in human character. Garfield 
I said that our American life differs from 

European and Asiatic civilization in this, 
I that they, like the strata of the earth. 
I lie in layers that are comparatively 
I fixed and impenetrable; whereas, our 
American civilization is like the water 
of the sea — the drop that touches the 
sandy bottom today may sparkle from 
the crest of the topmost wave tomorrow. 

1 100. It is currently said that hope 
goes with youth, and lends to youth its 
wings of a butterfly; but I fancy that 
hope is the last nil'l given to man, and 
the only gift not given to youth. Youth is 
pre-eminently the period in which a 
man can be lyric, fanatical, poetic; 
but youth is the period in which a 
man can be hopeless. The end of every 
episode is the end of the world. But 
the power of hoping through every- 
thing, the knowledge that the soul sur- 
vives its adventures, that great inspira- 
tion comes to the mlddle-a^ed : Cod lias 
kept that good wine until now. It Is 
from the backs of the elderly gentle- 
men that the wings of the butterfly 
should burst. There is nothing that so 
mystifies the young as the consistent 



The Christian Life. 



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Hope. 



frivolity of the old. They have discov- 
ered their indestructibility. They are in 
their second and clearer childhood, and 
there is a meaning' in the merriment of 
their eyes. They have seen an end of 
the End of the World. — G. K. Chester- 
ton. 

1410. The air we breathe has much 
to do with health; in a relaxing atmos- 
phere it is difficult to work; in an at- 
mosphere of vitality it is easy to work. 
Men are stimulated or depressed by the 
atmosphere which envelopes those with 
whom they associate. We never meet 
some men without going away from 
them with our ideals a little blurred or 
our faith in them a little disturbed; we 
never part from others without a sense 
of increased hope. — Hamilton Wright 
Mabie. 

1411. It is said that Lake Geneva, at 
a point just below the castle of Chillon, 
is of unknown depth. And as that pure 
deep was ever near to the prisoner of 
Byron's song, while he drank the foul 
water of a dungeon, so the precious 
promises of Scripture are ever over 
against the prisoner of religious despair. 

1412. "Though shore or sea affords 
no pass 

There's still a starward way." 

1413. In the Pitti Palace, at Florence, 
are two pictures hanging side by side. 
One represents a stormy sea, with its 
wild waves and black clouds and fierce 
lightning flashing across the sky. In the 
waters a human face is seen, wearing 
an expression of the utmost agony and 
despair. The other picture also repre- 
sents a sea tossed by as fierce a storm, 
with as dark clouds; but out of the midst 
of the waves a rock rises, against which 
the water dashes in vain. In a cleft of 
the rock are some tufts of grass and 
green herbage, with sweet flowers, and 
in a sheltered place in the midst of 
these a dove is seen sitting calmly on 
her nest, quiet and undisturbed by the 
wild fury of the storm. The first pic- 
ture represents "Distress," and fitly sets 
forth the sorrow of the world, where all 
is helpless and despairing. The other is 
a beautiful representation of "Peace," 
fitly showing forth the sorrows of the 
Christian, no less severe, but in which 
he is kept in perfect repose, because he 
nestles in the bosom of God's unchang- 
ing love. 

1414. Some people ride all through 
the journey of life with their backs to 
the horses' heads. They are always 
looking into the past. They are forever 
talking about the good old times, and 
how different things were wnen they 
were young. There is no romance in | 



the world now, and no heroism. The 
very winters and summers are nothing 
to what they used to be. This brings a 
kind of paralyzing chill over the life, 
and petrifies the natural springs of joy 
that should be ever leaping vip to meet 
the fresh new mercies that the days keep 
bringing. — Brooke Herford. 

1415. A newsboy, thinly clad and 
drenched to the skin by the soaking 
ram, stood shivering in a doorway on a 

cold day in November. First one bare 
foot and then the other was lifted from 
the pavement for a moment and placed 
against his leg to get a little warmth. 
Every few minutes his shrill cry could 
be heard as he shouted, "Morning pa- 
pers! Morning papers!" 

A gentleman, well protected by oil- 
cloth and umbrella, in passing, stopped 
to buy a paper, and, noticing the boy's 
plight, said: "This kind of weather is 
pretty hard on you, my lad." 

Looking up with a cheery smile, he 
replied, "I don't mind this much, Mister. 
The sun will shine again." 

What a philosopher the boy was! 
How much better would it be if we all 
could learn to look at things from this 
standpoint. When the tasks come and 
the path of life is difficult, cheer up. 
Keep a bright face and a brave heart. 
"The sun will shine again." 

1416. The Christian's hope is well 
grounded. At the battle of Sadowa, 
July 3rd, 1866, when the pickets closed 
in the morning, Von Moltke saluted. King 
William and said, "To-day your majesty 
will win not only the battle, but the 
campaign. At noon it did 'not seem so. 
Prince Frederick Charles' corps were 
withering under the hottest artillery fire 
of this century save that at Gettysburg, 
just three years earlier to the hour. In 
a few minutes they must give way. 
Hark! what means this cheering on the 
left? New cannons boom, and the Aus- 
trian fire slackens. Ah! Von Moltke 
knows. The Crown Prince has arrived 
with his fresh corps. He has stormed 
the heights of Chlum; he enfilades the 
whole Austrian line; Benedek is beaten; 
on, on to Vienna; the war is ended! 

Brothers, let us away bravely, each to 
his place in Jehovah's hosts! Our Crown 
Prince, with fresh forces right from 
heaven, has reached the field. — E. Ben- 
jamin Andrews, D. D. 

1417. Napoleon once contemplated 
suicide. The Duke of Wellington, in 
despair of promotion, • determined to 
leave the army, and actually applied for 
some inferior government office. Never 
despair. 

1418. Could a more inspiring picture 



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Happiness. Peace. 



of a soul illumined by hope amid a life's 
dark shadows, be given, than that one in 
Milton's •■Letter To A Foreign Friend?" 
He wrote: "They charge mc with pov- 
erty, because I never desired to become 
rich dishonestly; they accuse me of 
blindness, because I have lost my eyes 
in the service of liberty; they tax me : 
with cowardice, and while I had the use 
of my eyes and my sword I never feared 
the boldest among them; finally, I am 
upbraided with deformity, while no one 
was more handsome in the age of 
beauty. I do not even complain of my 
want of sight; in the night with which 
I am surrounded the light of the divine 
presence shines with a more brilliant 
luster. God looks down upon me with 
tenderness and compassion, because I 
can see none but himself." 

Happiness. Peace. Contentment. 

(1419-1468) 

1419. A lady advertised for a young 
woman to act as her traveling compan- 
ion, closing the advertisement thus: 
"Christian wanted: cheerful, if possible." 
There is a serious flaw in the Christian- 
ity of people who are morose. Gladness 
is the Christian's birthright. 

1120. A little girl, with a quaint old 
face showing the too early care marks, 
always had a smile when she spoke of 
her teacher. When asked why she 
loved her so she said, "Because she's 
glad to me," her childish way of telling 
how that young teacher, out of the glad- 
ness of her own heart gave tiappiness, 
and a corresponding gladness that 
warmed the heart of the little one every 
time she remembered her. The trouble 
with so many of ns is, we have forgotten 
how to be just glad of the fact that we 
arc in God's beautiful world. — N. W. 
Advocate. 

1421. No one can get joy by merely 
asking for it. It is one of the ripest 
fruits of the Christian life. There is a 
clever trick in India called the mango- 
tri< k. A seed Is put in the ground and 
covered up, and after diverse incanta- 
tiens a full-blown mango-bush appears ! 
within fi\_e minutes. I never met any 
one who knew how the thing was done, 
but I never met any one who believed it 
to be anything else than a conjuring 
trick. Men may not know how fruits 
grow, but they do know that they cannot 
grow in an hour. Some lives have not 
even a stalk on which fruits could hang, 
even if they did grow in an hour. Some 
have never planted one sound seed of 
joy in all their lives; and others who 
may have planted a germ or two have 
lived so little In sunshine that they | 



never could come to maturity. — Drum- 
mond. 

1122. A lady walking with her hus- 
band, and seeing a carriage go by, said 
to him: "Look at the splendid carriage 

Judge H and his wife are driving 

about in. I only wish we could be so 
lucky." Up in the carriage the Judge's 
wife was saying to him: "I am getting 
positively ashamed of this old rig. 
Look how the people stand and look at 
us with contempt. If you do not wish 
to drive me to despair you must buy a 
new turnout." 

In each < ase the lack was only of a 
contented mind. 

A philosopher who was passing 
through a mart filled with articles of 
taste and luxury, we are told, made him- 
self perfectly happy with this simple 
yet sage remark: "Lord, how many 
things there are in the world of which 
Diogenes hath no need!" — Hallock. 

1123. One of Haydn's friends asked 
how it happened that his Church music 
was almost always of an animating, 
cheerful, and even festive quality. The 
great composer replied: "I cannot make 
it otherwise. I write according to the 
thoughts I feel. When I think upon 
God my heart is so full of joy that notes 
dance and leap, as it were, from my pen, 
and since God has given me a cheerful 
heart, it will be easily forgiven me that 
I serve him with a cheerful spirit." 

1121. A poor little street girl was 
taken sick one CJiristmas and carried to 
the hospital. While there she heard the 
story of Jesus coming into the world to 
save us. One day Little Broomstick 
(that was her street name) whispered 
to the nurse: "I'm havin' real good 
times here — ever such good times! S'pose 
I'll have to go 'way from here just as 
soon as I get well; but I'll take the good 
time along — some of it, anyhow. Did 
you know about Jesus behV born?" 

"Yes," replied the nurse; "I. know 
Sh-sh-sh! Don't talk any more." 

"You <liil? I thought you looked as if 
you didn't and I was going to tell you." 

"Why, how did I look?" asked the 
nurse, forgetting her own order in her 
curiosity. 

"Oh, just like most o' folks — kind o' 
glum. I shouldn't think you'd c\cr look 
glum if you knew about Jesus bcin' 
born." — Faith and Works. 

1 125. No Juggling with latitude and 
longitude will Itself produce your Inner 
Sunshine, and the same is true of all 
other manipulations of circumstance. 
Men wear out body and soul in their 
struggle for wealth and position, to find, 
often enough, when they have reached 
them, how infinitely duller they arc than 



The Christian Life. 



— 214 — 



Happiness. Peace. 



when they started. Napoleon at the 
height of his powers was called "the un- 
amusable." It was a saying of Bismarck 
that while he had known many a con- 
tented forester, he had never met a con- 
tented diplomat or minister of state. 
Creevey, in one of his gossiping vol- 
umes, speaking of a certain English no- 
bleman and his wife, says: "They are 
rich much beyond their desire of expen- 
diture; they have the most elevated rank 
of their country; I know of nothing to 
disturb their happiness, and yet they are 
apparently the most miserable people I 
ever saw." Sainte-Beuve points the 
same moral in his comparison of La 
Rochefoucauld and Vauvenargues, where 
the former, born into the first rank, 
dowered with great fortune, weighted 
down as it were with prosperities, 
"brings from the voyage of life only a 
bitter experience and a disdainful pessi- 
mism:" while the latter, poor and aways 
suffering, preserves through all "the 
equity of his judgment and the serenity 
of his soul." — Rev. J. Brierly, in Con- 
gregationalist. 

1426. In a public park in Manchester, 
England, is a statue to the memory of 
Joseph Brotherton, who represented 
that city in Parliament for many years. 
On it is this inscription: "My wealth 
consisted not in the abundance of my 
riches, but in the fewness of my wants." 
■ — Hallock. 

1427. Cheerfulness will not come 
either at the bidding of genius or of 
high mental gifts. To read the lives of 
the poets is to make one thankful for 
plain prose and obscurity. And the 
philosophers are not much better. Think 
of the glooms of Byron, and even of 
Tennyson! Carlyle had in many ways 
the first mind of his time, and — if, in- 
deed, we are to take his moanings seri- 
ously — his dog was, as a rule, a good 
deal the happier oi the two. Melancholy 
has, perhaps, never been more realistic- 
ally depicted, or from more terrible ex- 
perience of it, than by that wonderfully 
dowered spirit, the poet Gray. — Rev. J. 
Brierly. 

1428. "God meant it for good." Sam- 
uel Longfellow, the poet-clergyman, 
brother of Henry Wadsworth Longfel- 
low, once gave this prescription for "the 
blues": "Whatsoever it be that disor- 
ders, annoys, grieves you, makes life 
look dark, and your heart dumbly ache, 
or wets your eyes with bitter tears, look 
at it deeply; look at it in the thought of 
God and his purpose of good, and al- 
ready the pain of it will begin to bright- 
en." 

1429. Goethe had wealth and genius, 



yet he says he never experienced five 
weeks of genuine pleasure. Carlyle's 
mother wrote to him, "Oh, Thomas, be- 
come a Christian, and if you repent of it 
I will bear the blame forever." 

1430. George MacDonald once said to 
a large audience of the poorest of Lon- 
don. "It is not being poor that makes 
you unhappy. It isn't being rich, or 
even good that can make you happy. 
It's only knowing your Father that can 
make you that. You are little children 
hunting in the gutter, for things. Be- 
hind you is a King's Palace — finer than 
Buckingham. In it your Father is 
waiting for you. He is sending out his 
messengers to bid you come. But you 
won't listen. You keep on hunting in the 
gutter for things. They cannot make 
you happy without your Father. — Schuy- 
ler. 

1431. Let man beware how he com- 
plains of the disposition of circumstan- 
ces, for it is his own disposition he 
blames. If his looks curdle all hearts, 
let him not complain of a sour recep- 
tion. This was the pith of the inscrip- 
tion on the wall of the Swedish inn: 
"You will find at Trochate excellent 
bread, meat and wine; provided you 
bring them with you." — Thoreau. 

1432. "Ah, if the rich were as rich as 
the poor fancy riches!" exclaims Emer- 
son. It is well known that men do not 
feel happy in proportion to the amount 
of their possessions. A reporter asked 
Mr. Blaine what he considered the hap- 
piest period of his life. He said it was 
before the people became interested in 
him; before he was watched and fol- 
lowed and persecuted; when he was a 
plain young lawyer, happy over a five 
dollar case. 

1433. There is just one way to keep 
the sunlight from warping some kinds 
of boards. That is to put them down 
into some place where they will be in 
use every day and every hour. That 
will hold them firmly where they belong 
and keep them straight and smooth. So 
it is with you and me. Out of the 
place where God wants us to be, the 
very sunshine of his love will warp us 
and make us crooked and ugly. Service 
keeps us true and beautiful. It and it 
alone, brings true rest of heart. — E. L. 
Vincent, in Epworth Herald. 

1434. How hard it is to feel that the 
power of life is to be found inside,' not 
outside; in the heart and thoughts, not 
in the visible actions and show; in the 
living seed, not in the plant which has 
no root! How often do men cultivate 
the garden of their souls just the other 
way! How often do we try, and per- 



The Christian Life. 



— 215 — 



Happiness. Peace. 



severe in trying, to make a sort of neat 
show of outer good qualities, without 
anything within to correspond, just like 
children who plant blossoms without 
any roots in the ground to make a pretty 
show for the hour. It is only a poor 
sort of happiness that could ever come 
by caring very much about our own 
pleasure. We can only have the highest 
happiness, such as goes along with be- 
ing a great man, by having wide 
thoughts and much feeling for the rest 
of the world as well as ourselves. — 
George Eliot. 

1435. The habit of viewing things 
cheerfully, and of thinking about life 
hopefully, may be made to grow up in 
us like any other habit. — Samuel Smiles. 

1436. A missionary in central Wiscon- 
sin tells of a little hunchback woman of 
about forty, who has been a great suf- 
ferer all . of her life, and who thought 
that she had been a great sinner, and 
who also had a very bright conversion, 
and said, in almost her first testimony, 
with her face shining: "I have often 
asked God why he allowed me to be so 
misshapen and to suffer so, but he has 
never told me. He has told me, how- 
ever, that my sins, which were many, 
are all forgiven." 

1437. In one of the country towns in 
Northamptonshire, England, there is a 
graveyard, and on a small stone there is 
this inscription, after the name and 
date: "She was always pleasant." She 
had not been rich — the stone was small. 
The grave is in a retired part of the 
graveyard, so she could not have 
been in society, or a prominent wo- 
man, but "she was always pleasant" — 
"The Value of Cheerfulness." 

1 138. David Home, the deist, observed 
that all the devout persons he had ever 
met with, were melancholy. Bishop 
Home replied that this might very pos- 
sibly be: for in the first place it is most 
likely that he saw very few, his friends 
and acquaintances being of another sort; 
and secondly, the sight of him would 
make a devout man look melancholy at 
any time. 

I 139. A millionaire pays thousands for 
a nailery of paintings, and some poor 
boy or girl comes in, with open miml. 
poetic fancy, and carries away a treas- 
ure of beauty which perhaps even the 
owner himself never saw. A collector 
once bought at a public auction in Lon- 
don, for one hundred and fifty-seven 
guineas, an autograph of Shakespeare; 
but for nothing a school-boy can read 
and absorb the riches of Hamlet or Mac- 
beth or Julius Caesar. — Hallock. 

1110. An old man who evidently had 



the right sort of faith was asked: "You 
are on the shady side of seventy, I sup- 
pose?" "No," he replied, "I am on 
the sunny side, for I am on the side 
nearest to glory." 

It is said that the entrance of Charles 
Dickens into a room was like the sud- 
den kindling of a big Are, so genial was 
his disposition, so cheery was his 
presence. 

1141. Some people live looking within 
at their failures.. Some live looking 
around at their hindrances. Some live 
looking at their Saviour — they face the 
sunny south. — Mark Guy Pearse. 

1112. D'Aubigne tells how he and 
two friends, Frederick Monod and 
Charles Rieu, were detained at an inn in 
Kiel. He says: "We were studying the 
Epistle to the Ephesians, and had got 
to the end of the third chapter, where 
we read the last two verses — 'Now unto 
him who is able to do exceeding abun- 
dantly above all that we ask or think, 
according to the power that worketh in 
us, unto him be glory, etc' This ex- 
pression fell upon my soul as a revela- 
tion from God. 'He can do by his 
power.' I said to myself, 'above all that 
we ask, above all even that we think; 
nay, exceeding abundantly above all.' 
A full trust in Christ for the work to 
be done within my poor heart now 
filled my soul. We all three knelt down, 
and, although I had never fully confided 
my inward struggles to my friends, the 
prayer of Rieu was filled with such ad- 
mirable faith as he would have uttered 
had he known all my wants. When I 
arose, in that inn room at Kiel, I felt 
as if my 'wings were renewed as the 
wings of eagles.' From that time for- 
ward I comprehended that all my own 
efforts were of no avail; that Christ was 
able to do all by his 'power that work- 
eth in us,' and the habitual attitude of 
my soul was, to lie at the foot of the 
cross, crying to him 'Here am I, bound 
hand and foot, unable to move, unable 
to do the least thing to get away from 
the enemy who oppresses me. Do all 
thyself. I know that thou wilt do it. 
Thou wilt even do exceeding abundantly 
above all that I ask.' I was not disap- 
pointed: all my doubts were removed, 
my anguish quelled: and the Lord 'ex- 
tended to me peace as a river." 

1113. "To think that almost within 
reach of the arm," said Beecher, 
"separated from us by scarcely a 
hands-breadth. Is a realm where nil 
goodness springs up spontaneously, 

and without obstruction: wliere all 
the body's hindrances, as well as 
helps, shall be laid aside; where aches 
and pains and losses and troubles shall 



The Christian Life. 



— 216 — 



Happiness. Peace. 



be unknown; where lower temptations 
which take hold of us through the por- 
tals of the flesh shall be done away; and 
where everything that is gracious, and 
pure, and true, and beautiful in man- 
hood shall lift itself up as the plants in 
the tropics lift themselves toward the 
sun, that 'mortality might be swallowed 
up of life,' — to think of this is enough 
to wean one from the world. Who that 
does think of it does not find the 
thought full of joy and cheer and glad- 
ness?" 

1444. Cheerfulness is an antidote to 
sin. The gloomy and morose man is a 
more likely prey for the devil than the 
man of good cheer. It is in times of de- 
pression that the wild and delirious ex- 
citement of sin is especially attractive. 
The temptation to yield is terrible and 
subtle. 

1445. Pippa, of whom Browning says 
that "Pippa passes," is an empress de- 
ciding the destinies of men and women 
simply by the tremendous though un- 
conscious influence of her innocent 
cheerfulness. She is a little obscure 
Italian peasant girl. She goes to work 
almost sdl the days of the year in a 
noisy, stifling silk factory, in a small 
Italian town perched among the purple 
Apennines. It is New Year's Day. A 
whole day lies before her. She accepts 
the day as it comes to her from the very 
hands of a good God in whom she places 
a simple, girlish trust. With a merry 
heart she skips down the hillside arid 
into the valley, singing as she goes. She 
has the secret of perpetual cheerfulness. 
And all the valleys in their green depths 
and the hillsides on their sunny heights 
are musical with her songs. And all 
unconsciously that day, by the simple 
power of her cheerfulness, she arrests 
the murderer and seducer on the 
threshold of his sin. The man who is 
about to run away from his duty and 
his destiny, when he hears her mer- 
ry songs of hope and trust in God and in 
goodness, resumes his proper mission in 
the world. The cheerfulness of the in- 
nocent is, then, one of the great forces 
in the world which make for goodness, 
and therefore it is a religious duty. — 
"The Cheerful Life." 

1446. A certain heathen man had been 
a devout worshipper of idols, but his 
wife whom he truly loved died, leaving 
their little baby girl in his sole care. 
With this responsibility resting upon 
him he began to look about him for 
help. He noticed the children of the 
missionaries' school as they passed his 
booth day after day. He noticed, too, 
that their faces were brighter and hap- 
pier than the faces of the children who 



attended the government school. Their 
merry laughter gave him much pleas- 
ure. So he took his little girl and 
brought her to the missionaries, and 
asked them to take her and make her 
happy. We never know how much 
good we do when we just look happy. 

1447. Russell H. Conwell, in sounding 
a note of hopefulness some time ago, 
said: "Have you read that sweet story of 
Raphael, the greatest painter that ever 
lived, when in the middle of that won- 
derful painting of the Transfiguration, 
half completed upon the canvas, he sud- 
denly sat down and burst into tears and 
said: 'I am not a painter; I cannot com- 
plete it,' Poor Raphael! Oh, had he 
stopped then! If he had not then gone 
on, if he had not gathered himself up 
again, it would have been the complete 
submerging of the most wonderful gen- 
ius of the ages; but, like Peter, he 
shouted again; 'Lord, help me; I will 
try again; I will arise and go on again.' " 

1448. When Edward Payson was dy- 
ing he said: "If I had known twenty-five 
years ago what I know now I might 
have walked in the light of the new Je- 
rusalem all these years." He had just 
entered the Beulah Land experience. 
Many do not enter because, like him, 
they think that it is only to be obtained 
after death. But it is the same heaven 
in both worlds. The only difference is 
one of degree. 

1449. "Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage 
Patch" said; "I've made it a practice to 
put all my worries down in the bottom 
of my heart, then sit on the lid and 
smile." 

1450. Oliver Wendell Holmes said 
that much of the noblest work in life is 
done by ill-dressed, awkward, ungainly 
persons. Their glory is that they have 
cheerful souls, whose beauty rags can- 
not hide, nor awkwardness disfigure, nor 
ungainliness distort. — J. E. Harlow. 

1451. A friend thought to comfort a 
poor blind man by bewailing his sight- 
less condition — -el poor kind of comfort, 
surely — ; but added, "But you have the 
great consolation; you will soon be in 
heaven." The poor man, raising his 
sightless eyes, replied: "Soon in heaven, 
did you say? Why, I have been there 
these ten years!" — Hallock. 

1452. Contentment borrows lights from 
the future. The half starved voyagers 
can bear up manfully with the harbor in 
view. The belated Alpine traveler can 
cheerfully buffet the rain and tempest 
with the mountain refuge at hand or the 
radiance gleaning in the chatelet.' The 
heavenly voyager or wayfarer can sing 



The Christian Life. 



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Happiness. Peace. 



his "song in the night" with the joyous 
prospect of morning and of home. 

1453. It is told of Goethe that he kept 
two servants busy — one weaving gar-r 
lands for his head, the other keeping 
his garments clean. It is the Christian's 
privilege not only to live righteously — 
spotlessly — but joyously. 

1454. I think I can trace every scrap of 
sorrow in my life to simple unbelief. 
How could I be anything but quite hap- 
py if I believed always that all the past 
is forgiven, and all the present furnished 
with power, and all the future bright 
with hope, because of the same abiding 
facts, which do not change with my mood, 
do not crumble, because I totter and 
stagger at the promise through unbelief, 
but stand firm and clear with their peaks 
of pearl cleaving the air of eternity, and 
the bases of their hills rooted unfathom- 
ably in the Rock of God? — James 
Smetham. 

1455. Full joy does not exclude sor- 
row, but it is a joy so deep that no sor- 
row can get below it. — G. H. C. Mac- 
gregor. 

1 156. Is not making others happy the 
best happiness? — Amiel's Journal. 

1 157. There is no mystery about hap- 
piness whatever. Put in the right in- 
gredients, and it must come out. He 
that abideth in him will bring forth 
much fruit; and bringing forth much 
fruit is happiness. — Henry Drummond. 

1 158. A wealthy man who owns a 
country residence recently became dis- 
satisfied with it, and determined to have 
another, so he instructed an auctioneer 
famous for his descriptive powers to ad- 
vertise it in the papers for private sale, 
but to conceal the location, telling pur- 
chasers to apply at his office. In a few 
days the gentleman happened to see the 
advertisement, was pleased with the 
account of the place, showed it to his 
wife, and the two thought that it was 
just what they wanted, and that 
they would secure it at once. So he 
went to the office of the auctioneer and 
told him that the place he had adver- 
tised was such a one as he desired, and 
he would purchase it. The auctioneer 
burst into a laugh, and told him that 
that was the description of his own 
house where he was then living. He 
read the advertisement again, cogitated 
over the "grassy slopes," "beautiful vis- 
tas", "smooth lawn," etc., and broke out, 
"Is It possible? Well, make out my bill 
for advertising and expenses, for I 
wouldn't sell the place now for three 
times what It cost inc." 

1459. The surprise of life always 
comes in trading bow we have missed the 



things that have lain nearest us; how we 
have gone far away to seek that which 
was close by our side all the time. 
Upon how many old men has it come 
with a strange surprise that peace would 
come to rich or poor only with content- 
ment, and that they might as well have 
been content at the very beginning as at 
the veiy end of life! They have made a 
long journey for their treasure, and 
v\ hen at last they stoop to pick it up, lo: 
it is shining close beside the footprint 
which they left when they set out to 
travel in a circle. — Phillips Brooks. 

1460. If a merchant has diamonds to 
sell, he does not shut them up in a draw- 
er nor display them in a rough box. 
What he does is to put his jewels upon 
beds of satin, in cases of velvet, using 
every art to display their beauty. Your 
Christian principles ought to be rendered 
so attractive by your personality that 
those who know you will associate 
goodness with graciousness. — Emily 
Huntington Miller. 

1461. A missionary came among the 
Kiowa Indians in Oklahoma, and 
through an interpreter preached to them 
on "I will give you rest." There was an 
Indian woman whose heart was strange- 
ly stirred as she heard. The word "rest" 
kept ringing in her ears and sounding in 
her heart, and at the close of the service 
she came up to the missionary, and said, 
"Sir, did you say that this Jesus about 
whom you were talking could give rest?" 
The missionary, encouraged in heart, 
said, "Yes, he can give rest." "Do you 
think he can give me rest?" And then 
the poor woman told of the sorrows of 
her life, how the messenger of dea.th had 
come into her tepee and taken away 
first one child and then another, until 
she had been left desolate. She showed 
her hands, from which joints of her 
lingers had been chopped away as signs 
of mourning. As she told her tale she 
lifted up her mutilated hands, and with 
the tears streaming down her cheeks, she 
said: "Do you think be could give me 
rest?" The missionary told he)- the 
story of Jesus; and the old woman 
opened her heart to receive it, and she 
knew the meaning of the word "rest". I 
have been in her home; I have broken 
bread at her table; I have taken the 
communion at the hands of her husband, 
to-day a deacon in one of our churches 
in Oklahoma. — E. E. Chivers, D. D. 

1 162. No man ever yet said, "Now I 
Will sit down and be perfectly happy." 
Happiness does not come by seeking it, 
but it is an accompaniment of a certain 
condition of soul. The only happy man 
in the world Is he who seeks to be riKht, 
and docs not make happiness his cliiet 



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Patience. 



aim. He who seeks happiness as his 
chief object gets nothing, while he who 
seeks to be right gets that and happiness. 
— Christian Commonwealth. 

1463. Dr. G. Campbell Morgan tells of 
a man whose shop had been burned in 
the Chicago lire. He arrived at the 
ruins next morning carrying a table. He 
set this up amid the charred debris, and 
above it placed this optimistic sign, 
"Everything lost except wife, children 
and hope. Business will be resumed as 
usual tomorrow morning." 

The Christian's joy is like this; it rises 
superior to unfavorable circumstances; 
it has its sources in God himself. 

1464. "Yes, she's just sunshine in any 
community she's in." One woman was 
talking to another behind us as the cars 
sped over the Arizona desert, with its 
cactus and sage brush. "I knew her 
first when they lived in New Mexico, in 
a forlorn little settlement, where they 
had a very hard time, but where every- 
body loved her; and now they ar-~ in 
California. But it doesn't matter where 
she is, she is always just the same. Her 
husband is a man who struggles with a 
very bad temper, and invariably looks on 
the dark side of things, so she has al- 
ways had a heavy handicap at home. 
But it would surprise you to see how 
much she has changed her husband for 
the better in all these years, and how 
she smooths over the quarrels he feels 
it necessary to have with his neighbors 
wherever he goes." 

"How about her children," asked the 
other woman. "I hope they take after 
her." "There were two, but they are 
both dead. It was a life sorrow that 
went deep, but she is so victoriously 
sunny that, except for the tender way 
in which she mothers all the young peo- 
ple that come in her way, you would 
never think how lonely she is for those 
who have gone. She turns everything 
into sweetness, you see. She is the best 
Christian I know, and the 'joy of the 
Lord' isn't a figure of speech with her, 
as it is with most of us." 

That was all we heard, but it was 
something to be remembered long after 
the journey was ended. The brave soul 
that is like sunshine — we all have known 
such a one. 

1465. In the story of Rasselas, written 
long ago by Dr. Samuel Johnson, Ras- 
selas was a prince of Abyssinia who 
lived in a beautiful valley called Happi- 
ness. Notwithstanding the valley was 
beautiful and the conditions favorable 
for those who longed for happiness, the 
prince became restless, and longed to go 
abroad in search of something different. 
In spite of the remonstrances of his 



friends Rasselas took his sister and set 
out in search of happiness which would 
fully satisfy his mind. Through many 
lands he wandered, visiting many cities, 
everywhere inquiring for the happy peo- 
ple, but everywhere meeting the same 
spirit of restlessness and discontent. At 
last he said to his sister, "Let us go back 
to our own home in the valley of Happi- 
ness, for there is nothing better under 
the sun." 

We are slow to learn this lesson. 
There is no better place than this. The 
kingdom of heaven is at hand. What- 
ever your calling, whatever your lot, 
every day will be a good day if your 
heart is right with God. — Journal and 
Messenger. 

1466. A man once defined happiness 
thus: "A bit more than we've got." But 
unfortunately it is this "bit more" which 
causes a large part of the misery of the 
world; it is the will-of-the-wisp that we 
are forever chasing through life, mak- 
ing us discontented, unhappy, unsteady, 
and which robs us of much usefulness 
and culture and character and manhood 
■ — things that are really desirable to pos- 
sess. 

1467. There is a Persian story that the 
great king, being out of spirits, consult- 
ed his astrologers, and was told that 
happiness could be found by wearing the 
shirt of a perfectly happy man. The 
court and the homes of all the prosper- 
ous classes were searched in vain; no 
such man could be found. At last a 
common laborer was found to fulfill the 
conditions; he was absolutely happy, 
but, alas! the remedy was as far off as 
ever: the man had no shirt! 

1468. The remark of a child helped 
me to learn to complain and grumble 
as little as possible," said Dr. Burt. "I 
spent a few days with this child's father, 
a good man, but a chronic growler. We 
were all sitting in the parlor one night, 
when the question of food arose. The 
child, a little girl, told cleverly what 
each member of the household liked 
best. Finally it came to the father's 
turn to be described as to his favorite 
dish. "And what do I like, Nancy?" 
he said, laughingly. 

"You," said the little girl slowly — 
"well, you like most anything we haven't 
got." — Cincinnati Enquirer. 

Patience. (1469-1487) 

1469. Two great lawyers were engaged 
in a case involving tremendous issues. 

At a critical point one of the lawyers 
lost his patience and gave expression to 
discourteous remarks that required apol- 
ogies later. He weakened his ca.se and 



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Patience. 



caused the jury to think that he might 
be as weak in his arguments as he had 
been in his temper. His impatience cost 
him his case. 

1470. When Marsden and his co-la- 
borers landed in New Zealand, through 
the good offices of a native whose good 
will they had won in Australia, a cordial 
welcome was given them. Several hun- 
dred cannibals, almost naked, and fear- 
fully and wonderfully painted for the 
occasion met them, and greeted them by 
"dancing, shouting, and yelling in a 
fashion most bloodcurdling." This re- 
ception was not prophetic of a spiritual 
awakening. For more than a decade 
there was not a single convert. Another 
half decade went by and only one soul 
had been won for Christ. But then the 
showers began to fall, and ere long the 
floods of grace had risen high, and 
throngs were saved. 

1471. Patience under abuse. When 
Dr. Lyman Beeclier was asked why he 
didn't reply to some anonymous letter 
writer who attacked him, he said that 
"when he was a young man he was 
crossing a field one evening with a pile 
of books in his arms, when he suddenly 
met a small animal and hurled at it sev- 
eral volumes, resulting in so bad a 
smell that he had decided ever after 
during his life to let such animals 
alone." 

1 172. James Gilmonr labored in Mon- 
golia for 21 years and had for his har- 
vest just one doubtful sheaf. Mark 
Mongolia today. Henry Martyn toiled 
to little purpose, seemingly, among the 
Persians, Keith Falconer sowed the good 
seed on a stony ground among the Arabs. 
MacKenzie was the first missionary to 
step ashore on the soil of Korea. He 
broke up a little patch of ground, and 
lived just long enough to scatter a hand- 
ful of grain. Witness Korea today. The 
Presbyterians alone have over 300 
churches there. — McLeod. 

1173. "We do not hear," says George 
Eliot, "that Mcmnon's statue Rave forth 
its melody at all under the rushing of 
the mightiest wind, or in response to any 
other influence, divine or human, than 
certain short-lived sunbeams of the 
morning; and we must learn to accom- 
modate ourselves to the discovery that 
some of those cunningly fashioned In- 
struments called human souls have only 
a very limited range of music, and will 
not vibrate in the least under a touch 
that fills others with tremulous rapture 
and quivering agony." — Rev. Frank 
Johnson. 

1171. The grandest engineering 
achievement of our time was inaugurat- 



ed by Royalty amid flying banners and 
universal congratulations; but the archi- 
tect of that gigantic bridge which spans 
the Firtli of Forth never lived to see its 
completion. — Kelly. 

1475. I wonder if every admirer of 
Bret Harte knows how serious were the 
obstacles in the way of the success of 
his first and really most famous story, 
"The Luck of Roaring Camp." The lady 
proof-reader on the Overland Monthly, 
of which Harte was editor, raised her 
voice against the admission of the story 
into the pages of the magazine, while 
the publisher himself had grave doubts 
as to the wisdom of allowing the story 
to appear in his publication. But at 
last he decided to have his wife read the 
story in manuscript, and she was de- 
lighted with it, so much so, indeed, that 
Mr. Carmany at once decided to allow 
the "Luck" to appear in the "Overland." 
And so it was published, and its advent 
made not only the "Overland" famous, 
but gave its young editor a reputation as 
the Dickens of America. — G. N. Lawson. 

1476. Patience is a prime requisite in 
spiritual development. The patience of 
God is written in all the world. Science 
in these latter days has opened up the 
long ages in which God was building the 
world, as though to emphasize for us in 
this feverish, impatient period that the 
beauty and goodness of this world can 
only be secured by patience like his. "A 
single coal-seam six inches thick, says one, 
"contains more vegetable matter than 
a thousand years could possibly grow. 
The coal period alone counts up among 
hundreds of thousands of years." God 
is inimitably patient. We must learn to 
be like him in this respect. 

Someone says: "We can make the 
clock strike before the hour by putting 
our hands to it. but it will strike wrong." 
We can tear the rosebud open before the 
time when it would naturally open, but 
we destroy the beauty of the rose. So 
we spoil many a gift or blessing which 
God is preparing for us by our own 
eager haste. He would weave all our 
lives into patterns of loveliness. . He 
has a perfect plan for each. It is only 
when we refuse to work according to 
his plan that we mar the web. Stop 
meddling with the threads of life as 
they come from the Lord's hands. Everj 
time you interfere you make a Haw. 
Keep your hands off and let God weave 

as he pleases. 

1177. The Chinese tell of one of their 
countrymen, u student, who. disheart- 
ened by the difficulties in his way. threw 
down his book in despair, when seeing a 
woman rubbing a crowbar mi a stone, 
he inquired the reason, and was told that 



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Humility. 



she wanted a needle, and thought she 
would rub down a crowbar till she got 
it small enough. Provoked by this ex- 
ample of patience to "try again," he re- 
sumed his studies, and became one of 
the foremost scholars of the empire. — 
Nixon Waterman. 

1478. Charles Lamb, writing of his 
cousin James, said; "It is pleasant to 
hear him discourse of patience — extoll- 
ing it as the truest wisdom — and to see 
him during the last seven minutes that 
his dinner is getting ready. Nature 
never ran up in all her haste a mora 
restless piece of workmanship than when 
she moulded this impetuous cousin — and 
art never turned out a more elaborate 
orator than he can display himself to 
be, upon his favorite topic of the ad- 
vantages of quiet, and contentedness in 
the. state, whatever it may be, that we 
are placed in." 

1479. Patience means the readiness to 
wait God's time without doubting God's 
truth. — Arthur T. Hadley. 

1480. There is great danger in impa- 
tience, and commonly great sin also. 
"Whosoever is out of patience is out of 
possession of his soul. Men must not 
turn bees, and kill themselves in sting- 
ing others." — Lord Bacon. 

1481. "Bear with yourself in correct- 
ing faults as you would with others." 
So wrote Fenelon two hundred years ago. 
Nor is there even in "The Imitation of 
Christ" a caution more helpful to our 
poor, weak nature. When a man's tem- 
per gets the better of him, so that he 
explodes in anger, as soon as he begins 
to recover from it he is apt to go to the 
other extreme and be in a rage with 
himself, which may satisfy his sense of 
justice, but does not help him to be a 
better man. 

1482. Be patient with your friends. 

They are neither omniscient nor omnipo- 
tent. They can not see your heart, and 
they misunderstand you. They do not 
know what is best for you, and may se- 
lect what is worst. Their arms are 
short, and they may not be able to reach 
what you ask. What if also they lack 
purity of purpose or tenacity of affec- 
tion; do not you also lack these graces? 
Patience is your refuge. Endure, and 
in enduring conquer them, and if not 
them, then at least yourself. Above all, 
be patient with your beloved. Love is 
the best thing on earth, but it is to be 
handled tenderly, and impatience is a 
nurse that kills it. 

1483. How disturbed and distressed 
and anxious Christian people are about 
their growth in grace! Now, the moment 
you give that over into Christ's care — 



the moment you see that you are being 
changed — that anxiety passes away. 
You see that it must follow by an inev- 
itable process and by a natural law if 
you fulfill the simple condition. — Drum- 
mond. 

1484. Kepler exclaimed reverently, in 
the moment of his great discovery, "O 
God, I think thy thoughts after thee!" 
Later he said: "If the Almighty could 
wait six thousand years before the laws 
of his universe were discovered, I can 
wait a thousand years until they are 
believed." It was the certainty of the 
vision' from the mountain-top. 

1485. Perseverance is more prevailing 
than violence, and many things which 
cannot be overcome when they are to- 
gether, yield themselves up when taken 
little by little. — Plutarch. 

1486. The most important work upon 
the famous Eddystone is not visible, 
even at low tide. For a few hours each 
day patient workmen labored, anchoring 
to the rocks those immovable blocks on 
which rises and rests that symmetrical 
cone that Smeaton "built. That work 
was slow and is now unseen; yet, but 
for that work, there would be no "Laus 
Deo," graven on the face of that beacon 
which still stands, after 130 years, off 
Ramhead, "to give light and to save life." 
It was not the quick explosion at Hell 
Gate that cleared that channel; but the 
long under-water toil of miners who 
wrought out of sight and hearing. — Dr. 
A. T. Pierson. 

1487. The first fourteen years at Ta- 
hiti passed without one convert or sign 

of success; yet on the work of those 
fourteen years rose the structure of 
Polynesian missions! There were nearly 
fifty years of fruitless toil among the 
Telugus before the "Lone Star" at On- 
gole blazed forth like the sun; but then 
in one year there were ten thousand 
converts, and the Lone Star became a 
constellation. Isaiah's barren ministry 
prepared the way for Paul's fruitful 
evangelism. Captain Allen Gardiner's 
death at Tierra del Fuego was the burial 
of a seed that in the next generation 
bore such fruit that even Charles Dar- 
w"n declared that he "could not have 
believed that all the missionaries in the 
world" could have wrought such results. 
God leaves none of his faithful servants 
to spend their strength for naught. Our 
work is his work; it is from him, for 
him, with him. — Missionary Review. 

Humility. (1488-1505) 

1488. False humility. In a convent 
near Rome there was a nun who seemed 
to have rare gifts of inspiration and 



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— 221 - 



Humflity. 



prophecy, and her abbess had reported 
to the pope wonderful stories of her 
power. Philip Meri, a man of rare dis- 
cernment, visited the pope, and hearing 
about the nun, volunteered to find out 
the truth of the reports. "He threw 
himself on his mule, all travel-stained 
as he was, and hastened through the 
mud and mire to the distant convent. 
He told the abbess the wishes of His 
Holiness, and begged her to summon the 
nun without delay. The nun was sent 
for, and as soon as she came into the 
apartment. Philip stretched out his leg, 
all bespattered with mud, and desired 
her to draw off his boots. The young 
nun, who had become the obect of much 
attention and respect, drew back with 
anger, and refused the office. Philip ran 
out of doors, mounted his mule and re- 
turned instantly to the pope: "Give 
yourself no uneasiness, Holy Father, any 
longer; here is no miracle, for here is no 
humility.' " 

1489. Lowell, in his poem, "Dara," 
tells the story of a shepherd ruler in a 
humble place under an ancient king of 
Persia, who, because of his reputation 
for wisdom and justice, was exalted to 
be the ruler of a province. In that high- 
er station he ruled with his former sim- 
plicity and faithfulness. It was ob- 
served that wherever he traveled he 
carried with him a mysterious chest: 
and the envious and jealous gave it out, 
and the rumor reached the ears of the 
king, that Dara was gathering into that 
chest gold and jewels representing great 
wealth wrung from the people or kept 
back from the revenues of the king. 
The king suddenly visited Dara and in 
great wrath commanded him to open the 
chest into which no one had been per- 
mitted to look. When the lock was 
turned the astonished king saw that 
the chest contained nothing save 
tin- rode vestments of a peasant, 
and Dara declared that he had carried 
these simple reminders of his former 
humble life in all his journeys of ruler- 
shlp, that he might keep his soul true 
and unstained in his high office, 
breathing ever the mountain air of his 
youth and the freedom of his former 
obscurity. He said to the king: 
"For ruling wisely I should have small 
skill 

Were I not lord of simple Dara still; 
That scepter kept, I could not lose my 
way." 

And the king, amazed and touched by 
this evidence of simple Integrity and 
absence or pride added two other pro- 
vinces io Dara's sway. 

1 100. Tn all ages the happiest souls 
have been those that have lived in little 



cottages, where love dwelt, while the 
inmates have trained a few vines over 
the window, who have had a few friends, 
who have loved a few books and each 
day have enjoyed a little simple music, 
and on Saturday night have knelt to 
pray the Cottar's prayer, and have slept 
the sleep of innocence and integrity, and 
have wakened to love and worship and 
pray. 

1491. One who had beeen listening 
while a bright girl announced most am- 
bitious aspirations and purposes for her 
own life, answered gently: "You may be 
right, dear child, but do not forget that 
"the singing birds build low." 

1492 ; \ colporteur writes that he was 
once in an out-of-the-way country town 
where Bismarck had a country house, 
He was told that anyone might go to 
Bismarck's house to evening prayers. He 
went, and found a spacious room filled 
with farmers, keepers and villagers. 
Soon the great man entered, and, nod- 
ding affably to one and another whom 
he recognized, walked to the reading 
desk and opened the Bible. Glancing 
over the company, his quick eye de- 
tected the presence of a stranger, and 
he turned and asked someone near who 
the newcomer was. Being told, he said, 

"I understand we have a Bible man 
with us tonight. I want him to come 
here and conduct the service." The 
stranger protested that he had come to 
listen, and could not think of displacing 
his highness. "Highness, nonsense," 
said the prince. "We are in the pres- 
ence of God, and in his sight what dif- 
ference is there? We are all sinners, 
and he regards us all in the same light. 
Come and lead the service." 

1193. To have a great surgeon like 
Dr. McBurney probe and wash a loath- 
some wound, to have a great minister 
like Phillips Brooks hold your hand 
and bathe your brow in a surgical o^"r- 
ation, to have General Grai.t spring 
from his carriage, pick you out of the 
wheel that broke your leg when you 
tried to climb up and shake his hand, 
and then hold you in his arms until the 
doctor came (as he did once), is to be 
exalted into humility. — C. E. World. 

1101. There is a legend of a man so 
much beloved of the angels for his 
saintliness that they asked God to be- 
stow upon him some new power. They 
were permitted to ask him to make the 
choice of a gift. He said he was con- 
tent and wanted nothing. But on be- 
ing urged to make some request, he 
asked for the power to do a great deal 
of ^oo(l in (lie world without knowing 
It. Ever ufterward his shadow, when 



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Humility. 



it fell behind him where he could 
not see it, had wondrous healing power; 
but when it was cast before him, where 
he could see it, it had no such power. 

1495. The consciousness of personal 
faults should make every one charitable 
and tender. "I never ask their crimes, 
for we have all come short," said Eliza- 
beth Fry to some one curious about a 
prisoner's offense. "Commonly," it has 
been observed, "the best people are the 
most kind and gentle, and they are the 
most apt to blame others who deserve 
worse themselves." 

1496. And know that pride, 
Howe'er disguised in his own majesty, 
Is littleness; that he who feels contempt 
For any living thing, hath faculties 
Which he has never used; that thought 

with him 
Is in its infancy. — Wordsworth. 

1497. Where have you been, my bro- 
ther, 

For I missed you from the street? 

I have been away for a night and a day, 

On the Lord God's Judgment Seat. 

And what did you find, my brother, 
When your judging there was done? 
Weeds in my garden, dust in my doors, 
And my roses dead in the sun. 

And the lesson I brought back with 
me 

Like silence from above, 
That upon God's throne there is room 
alone 

For the Lord whose heart is Love." 

1498. Michael Angelo, when a young 
man, wrote in a letter to his father as 
follows: "It is enough to have bread 
and to live in the faith of Christ, even 
as I do here, for I live humbly, neither 
do I care for the life or honors of this 
world." 

1499. A young clergyman who was 

sent to a modest country church, as he 
looked out over his poorly clad, illiter- 
ate audience, could not help saying to 
himself, "Dear me, what a dreadful 
thing to have to bury my talents here 
for any great length of time!" At the 
close of the sermon, an old deacon made 
a prayer. He asked the Lord that this 
inexperienced and unprofitable young 
minister might improve and become 
so proficient that in time he would be 
worthy of remaining as the permanent 
pastor of the church. 

1500. At the coronation of Edward 
VI, when the swords of the three king- 
doms were carried before him, he ob- 
served that one was still wanting, and 
called for the Bible. "That," said he, 
"is the sword of the Spirit, and ought 
in all right to govern us, who use them 
for the people's safety, by God's ap- 



pointment. Without that sword we can 
do nothing: from that, we are what we 
are this day. Under that we ought to 
live, to fight, to govern the people, and 
to perform all our affairs. From that 
alone we obtain all power, virtue, grace, 
salvation, and whatever we have of di- 
vine strength." Such indeed was Ed- 
ward's regard for religion, and his hu- 
mility, that it was usual to compare 
him to Josiah; and he had also ac- 
quired the characteristic appellation of 
"Edward the Saint." 

1501. George Muller once remarked to 
me that he foresaw that Mr. Moody was 
to be greatly used of God, because in 
his first visits to England he came to 
see him at Bristol, and exhibited such 
singular docility and humility. But it 
was not the humility of diffidence or 
morbid self-distrust. He was not lack- 
ing in a proper self-confidence, nor did 
he shrink, like Moses, from any work to 
which God called, or hesitate to appro- 
priate a promise of God. His humility 
was that of dependence on God. He 
had learned that it is "not by might, nor 
by power," but by the Spirit of God, 
that all great results are secured, and 
he constantly urged men to be filled 
with the Spirit. — A. T. Pierson, D. D. 

1502. Many a poor man makes a 
bright Christian. God keeps him hum- 
ble that he may dwell in his heart, and 
that the beams of his grace may shine 
in his heart. See yon evening star — 
how bright it shines, how pure and 
steady are its rays; but look! it is lower 
in the heavens than those stars which 
sparkle with a restless twinkling in the 
higher regions of the skies. God keeps 
you low that you may shine bright. — 
Salter. 

1503. When the poet Longfellow vis- 
ited England he was invited by the 
queen to Windsor Castle and royally en- 
tertained, yet when asked, on his return, 
what honor had most pleased him, he 
replied that an English hod-carrier had 
asked him as he was waiting in his car- 
riage at Harrow, if he were the author 
of "The Voices of the Night," and then 
had asked permission to shake hands 
with him. "His modesty was perfect," 
said Oliver Wendell Holmes, "he ac- 
cepted praise as he would have accepted 
any other pleasant gift — glad of it as 
an expression of good will, but without 
personal elation. — Tarbell. 

1504. When General Washington had 
closed his campaign in the French and 
Indian war, and become a member of 
the House of Burgesses, the Speaker 
was directed by the House to return a 
vote of thanks to him for his services in 



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Chastening. Adversity. 



saving- the colony from danger. As soon 
as Washington took his seat, the Speak- 
er arose and delivered an address of 
thanks, praising him for his ability and 
bravery, so that the young hero was 
quite confounded. He rose to return 
his thanks; but such was his confusion 
that he could not give distinct utterance 
to a single syllable. He blushed, stam- 
mered and trembled for a second, when 
the Speaker relieved him, saying, "Sit 
down, Mr. Washington; your modesty 
is equal to your valor, and that sur- 
passes the power of any language that 
I possess." 

1505. It was told of David Livingstone 
that so great was his humility that he 
never read or preserved any words o£ 
praise lest they might awaken self- 
complacency and pride; and Carey, in 
his splendid humility said; "When I am 
gone speak not of William Carey but 
of William Carey's Savior." 

Chastening. Affliction. Adversity 

(1506-1596) 

1506. During Dr. Payson's last illness 

a friend, coming into his room, re- 
marked sympathetically, "Well, doctor, 
I am sorry to see you lying here on your 
back." 

"Do you know why God puts us on 
our back, at times?" said Dr. Payson, 
smiling. "No," was the answer." "In 
order that we may look upward." 

1507. The crosses which we make for 
ourselves by a restless anxiety as to the 
future are not the crosses that come 
from God. We show want of faith in 
him by our false wisdom, wishing to 
forestall his arrangements, and strugg- 
ling to supplement his providence by our 
own providence. Let us shut our eyes, 
then, to that which God hides from us, 
and keeps in reserve in the treasures of 
his deep counsels. Let us worship with- 
out seeing; let us be silent; let us abide 
in peace. — Fenelon. 

1508. In the great iron foundries, in 
making Bessemer steel, the process of 
purification is watched through a spec- 
troscope, in which the changing colors 
ot the Barnes show exactly when the 
metal is perfectly ready for Its uses. 
When the flame becomes a certain precise 
shade of color then the great crucible is 
tilted and the metal poured Into 
moulds. So the great Divine Refiner, 
the loving Christ, sits down by the cru- 
cible of our discipline and chastening, 
watches Intently to see when the fire 
has done its work; and when this Is 
reached, the metal is removed from the 
flames. Not a pang, a pain, or a sorrow 



that is not necessary to our purifying, 
will he permit. 

1509. The home and mill of a poor 
man were washed away by floods. As 

he stood on the bank after the water 
had subsided he was heartbroken and 
discouraged, for all his worldly posses- 
sions were gone, as he thought. How- 
ever, he chanced to see something bright 
on the bank washed bare by the flood, 
and said to himself, "It looks like gold." 
He examined it. It was gold, and lie was 
rich. 

1510. "Christians might avoid much 
trouble and inconvenience," says Dr. 
Payson, "if they would only believe 
what they profess — that God is able to 
make them happy without anything else. 
They imagine, if such and such a dear 
friend were to die, or such and such 
blessings to be removed, they should be 
miserable; but God can make them a 
thousand times happier without them. To 
mention my own case — God has been 
depriving me of one blessing after an- 
other; but, as every one was removed, 
he has come in and filled up its place: 
and now, when I am a cripple and not 
able to move, I am happier than I ever 
was in my life before, or ever ex- 
pected to be; and if I had believed this 
twenty years ago, I might have been 
spared much anxiety. 

1511. The eternal stars come out as 
soon as it is dark enough. — Carlyle. 

1512. Eagles tear their eyries to 
pieces and push the young eaglets over 
the edge of the precipice that they may 
learn to fly. 

1513. Life is made up of details; of 
little things; whoever attempts to shirk 
them will fail. It is disagreeable to 
spend a large portion of one's time on 
the dry, uninteresting items of the rou- 
tine of business. They are tedious. But 
no great success was ever built up with- 
out close and careful attention to the 
little principles upon which success is 
built. 

1514. God has not given man a bet- 
ter helper heavenward than pain. Suf- 
fering has led the obdurate to the gates 
of glory, and caused them to knock 
cften and loud for entrance. It is a 
hammer on the flinty heart, a sanctffler, 
a polisher of rough natures and the 
best teacher of good manners. How- 
gentle the voice of coarse natures be- 
comes under its ministry! How refined 
hard creatures can be made! How moist 
dry eyes become! — The Presbyterian. 

1515. Tf T an> asked what is the reme- 
dy for the deeper 80ITOW8 of the human 

heart — what a man should chiefly look 



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— 224 — 



Chastening. Adversity. 



to as the power that is to enable him 
manfully to confront his afflictions — I 
must point to something which in a 
well-known hymn is called "The Old, 
Old Story," told of in an old, old Book, 
and taught with an old, old teaching, 
which is the greatest and best gift ever 
given to mankind. — Gladstone. 

1516. A few miles inland from Ka- 
lapapa, India, is the leper village of Ka- 
lawao, which may safely be pronounced 
one of the most horrible spots on all the 
earth, the home of hideous disease and 
slow-coming death, with which science, 
in despair, has ceased to grapple; a 
community of doomed beings socially 
dead, whose only duty it is to perish: 
wifeless husbands and husbandless wives, 
children without parents and parents 
without children, men and women who 
have "no more a portion in anything 
that is done under the sun," and con- 
demned to watch the repulsive steps by 
which each of their doomed fellows pass- 
es to a loathsome death, knowing that 
by the same they too must pass. — "Lep- 
rosy and Its Story." 

1517. Because we cannot see just what 
God is saving us from, we vent our fool- 
ish reproaches; if we could see this we 
would often kneel down and thank God 
for certain trials as the richest of his 
mercies. 

1518. God keeps a school for his chil- 
dren here on earth; and one of his best 
teachers is named Disappointment,. He 
is a rough teacher but his tuition is 
worth all it costs. — Cuyler. 

I had been ruined had I not been 
ruined. — Themistocles. 

1519. A noted teacher of music said 
of his most promising pupil: "She lacks 
soul, and she will have to suffer before 
she can get it. If only something would 
break her heart she would be the great- 
est singer in Europe." — "Trade Winds." 

1520. The best way to meet sorrow is 
to rise above it. "I have stood," said 
Henry Ward Beecher, "upon Mount 
Holyoke when I heard the thunder be- 
low; and I have seen men traveling up 
the side and making haste to get out of 
the storm. I, standing higher than 
they, escaped both the rain and the 
wind, and the pelting thunder, and they, 
going up through the storm, got on the 
top, and were also free from it." 

1521. Uninterrupted sunshine makes a 
desert. Earth's forests and gardens are 
daughters of the clouds. The sun is 
beautiful and joy-giving, but the clouds 
are a necessity also. Cloudless skies 
mean barrenness. So, in out* lives, the 
cloudless life is the fruitless life. The 



fruitage that gladdens human lives is 
the offspring of sorrow and pain. Power 
to help and bless springs from contact 
with trouble and from stern Appolyon- 
wrestle. Weariness and woe bend be- 
neath burdens of blessing. The days that 
are dark and dreary are not the days 
that are lost. They are arches leading 
to greater light beyond. — Zion's Herald. 

1522. Dean Stanley, in his "Historical 
Memorials of Canterbury," relates a lit- 
tle-known anecdote of the Black Prince, 
who fought his first battle at Crecy when 
he was sixteen. His father, Edward III., 
clothed him in black armor in the morn- 
ing, and gave him command of a part of 
the army. He himself stood during the 
day on the top of a windmill watching 
the battle, and when in agony of soul he 
saw the lad wounded and borne back, he 
would not go to his relief, but said: "Let 
the child win his spurs, and let the day 
be his."- When the field was won, he led 
his son rejoicing through the heaps of 
dead and wounded seen by the light of 
smoldering fires, and said, "What think 
you of a battle, boy? Is it an agreeable 
game ?" 

1523. Success and suffering are vitally 
and organically linked. If you succeed 
without suffering, it is because some one 
else has suffered before you; if you suf- 
fer without succeeding, 'it is that some 
one else may succeed after you. — Edward 
Judson, D. D. 

1524. One who had seen a friend pass- 
ing through a long season of pain with 
sustained joy, which often broke into 
song, said: "Now I know that there is a 
reality in the religion of Christ. My 
friend never could have endured her suf- 
fering as she did, if she had not been 
divinely helped." — J. R. Miller. 

1525. Old Thomas Puller, who had ex- 
perience in England's civil war, says 
quaintly: "I have observed that towns 
which have been casually burnt have 
been built again more beautiful than be- 
fore; mud walls, afterwards made of 
stone; and roofs, formerly but thatched, 
afterwards advanced to be tiled." 

1526. A pupil of Dr. Arnold, of Rugby, 
that wise teacher, once complained to 
him of certain lessons, which were dif- 
ficult and of which he could not see the 
use. Dr. Arnold put his arm about the 
boy and said, "I cannot make you under- 
stand now of what use these things will 
be to you, but you know that I am your 
friend. Well, as your friend, who knows 
what you are going to need when you 
are older, I want to tell you to learn 
these lessons." The boy went away sat- 
isfied, without further explanations, be- 
cause he trusted his teacher. It would 



The Christian Life. 



— 225 — 



Chastening. Adversity. 



help all of us in life's great school if we 
recalled, when the Great Teacher lays 
his commands on us, he knows what we 
need and asks us to obey them for our 
good; or, when we are placed in strange 
situations, hard with drudgery, that he 
assigned these to us. — Lutheran Obser- 
ver. 

1527. Many flowers cannot grow where 
are the feet of the runner and the strife 
of the combatants. The first thing done 
to make an arena for wrestlers is to 
take away the turf and the daisies, then 
to beat the soil down hard and fiat. 
And so our lives get flattened, stripped 
of their beauty and fragrance, because 
they are not meant to be wrestling 
grounds. There come to every life that 
is worth living hours of sacrifice when 
duty can only be clone at the cost of a 
bleeding heart. Every man that is not 
the devil's servant has to carry a cross, 
and to be fastened to it, if he will do 
his Master's work. Eesides which cru- 
cifixion in service, there are all the other 
common sorrows storming in upon us, 
so that sometimes it is as much as a 
man can do not to be swept away by the 
current, but to keep his footing in mid- 
channel. — Alexander Maclaren, D. D. 

1528. The worst part of martyrdom id 

not the last agonizing moment: it is the 
wearing daily steadfastness. There are 
many Christians who have the weight of 
some deep, incommunicable grief press- 
ing, cold as ice, upon their hearts. To 
bear that cheerfully and manfully Is to 
be a martyr. There is many a Christian 
bereaved and stricken in the best hopes 
of life. For such a one to say quietly, 
'Father, not as I will, but as thou wilt," 
is to be a martyr. — G. W. Robertson, D.D. 

1529. A minister visiting a once active 
Christian, said, "I little expected to see 
you so patient; it must be a great trial 
to one who has been so active as you to 
lie here so long doing nothing." "Not 
at all, sir; not at all," she said. "When 
I was well I used to hear the Lord say 
to me day by day, 'Hetty go here, Hetty, 
go there; Betty do this: Hetty do that'; 
and I used to do it as well as I could; and 
now I hear him say every day, "Betty 
stay here and keep still." 

1530. "Hunger Is the teacher of the 
arts and the bestower of invention," said 
a Latin poet, and the story of the Inven- 
tion of the revolving inkstand illustrates 
the proverb. Cain, a poor Scotch stu- 
dent at Aberdeen, was desperately 
pinched for cash. One night he sat 
down, determined to Invent something 
before he went to bed that would bring 
him money. Having to tilt his Inkstand 
to get sufficient ink, the thought of a 

15 Prac. 111. 



barrel inkstand that would tilt itself 
struck him. He made the patterns, and 
went with them the next morning to a 
manufacturer named Perry, who gave 
him ten pounds for the invention, with 
a promise of more should it succeed. 
He put it on the market as Perry's Bar- 
rel, and it sold so successfully that he 
sent Bain subsequently, $5 00. 

1531. A most wonderful degree of per- 
fection has been reached in the manu- 
facture of fine wire. Although steel rails 
are selling at twenty dollars or so a ton, 
this price for steel furnishes no cri- 
terion for the price paid for the fine 
wires used in hair springs and delicate in- 
struments used by dentists for extracting 
nerves from teeth. These last represent a 
cost of about $1,500,000 per ton. Thus the 
process, hard and fiery, by which this 
change was wrought has increased the 
value more than one hundred thousand 
fold. 

1532. I remember, years ago, standing 
on the bridge over the Harlem, looking 
at a vessel passing up the stream, when 
a friend at my side said, "I can recall 
the time when no such boat could have 
come up this river." "Why not?" I 
asked? "Because," he replied, "the 
channel was not deep enough." "And 
what deepened it?" I asked. "Blasting," 
was the laconic answer. When we ask 
God to give us the power to bear the 
sufferings of others (the real meaning 
of sympathy), we may not see at first 
that this glory of usefulness can only 
come as the Master's came, through suf- 
fering. The capacity of the river for 
bearing its large vessels was made 
greater only by blasting. — Margaret Bot- 
tome. 

1533. Dr. Moon of Brighton, England, 
at the very height of all his mental 
powers and acquisitions, became totally 
blind. At first there was a constant re- 
bellion against God. "What are all my 
acquisitions, what are all my powers 
worth now, when I am shut up here and 
the whole world shut out?" But Dr. 
Moon began to ask himself if it was 
possible that he might help the blind 
men to read the Word of God; and, while 
his ohm eye- were sightless, be Invented 

the Moon System or alphabet: and that 
has gone now into twenty different coun- 
tries, and has assimilated to itself the 
languages of those countries, and from 
three to four millions of blind people all 
over the world are reading the Word of 
God In their native tongues because Dr. 
Moon's eyes became blind under the 
providence of God. Trouble was sent 
that he might help other people out of 
trouble. 

1534. Lieutenant Maury rendered in- 



The Christian Life. 



— 226 — 



Chastening. Adversity. 



valuable service to the sea-going nations 
of the earth, but would perhaps never 
have taken up the work for which his 
name is noted, had it not been for an 
accident that crippled him, and made it 
impossible for him to continue his career 
on the ocean. This is the way it came 
about: For many years every sea captain 
was compelled to keep a log-book, in 
which he jotted down every day all facts 
of interest in his sailings, giving the di- 
rection of the wind and the currents, and 
other similar information. When the 
log-book was full, it was sent to Wash- 
ington and stowed away among the rec- 
ords of the navigation department. 
Young Lieutenant Maury, after he had 
been crippled, and so incapacitated for 
sea duty in the navy, went to Washing- 
ton, got out the old log-books from the 
Navigation Bureau, assorted the data 
from every book and assigned all the in- 
formation to its respective block on the 
ocean map which he was drafting. Thus 
he discovered the "rivers in the ocean" 
and the rivers in the air, making charts 
by which the sailing time was reduced 
from twenty-five to seventy-five per cent, 
and the expenses and perils were greatly 
reduced. 

At that time it took sailing vessels 
leaving New York or like distant ports 
from forty-five to sixty days to reach the 
equator. Lieutenant Maury went before 
the Board of Trade in New York, and 
made the startling statement that the 
trip could be made in eighteen or twenty 
days. The Board, however, was very 
conservative and refused to entertain the 
proposition, but dismissed the young 
man, who, tired, disheartened and hun- 
gry, went across the street to get his 
lunch at an eating-house. There a brave, 
clear-headed young sea captain came to 
him and said: 'Young man, I heard your 
statements to the Board of Trade, and 
they impressed me as true. I own a good 
ship which is loading to cross the equa- 
tor. Send me your charts; I will sail 
by them, and we will test the matter." 
The lieutenant thanked him and sent the 
charts, and, sailing by them, the captain 
in his good ship crossed the line in some 
twenty days. — Missionary Review. 

1535. Some one having asked Mr. 
Gladstone the secret of his remarkable 
activity, he replied with a story. There 
was once a road leading out of London 
on which more horses died than any 
other, and inquiry revealed the fact that 
it was perfectly level. Consequently the 
animals in traveling over it used only 
one set of muscles. In his own life the 
hills of difficulty he had been com- 
pelled to climb had developed all of his 
powers, and prolonged his vigor. 



1536. Like the passengers through the 
tunneled Alps, from the dark and the 
cold and the stifling air emerging on the 
broad, light-flooded plains of Lombardy, 
it is often by a way which they know 
not, gloomy and underground, that the 
convoy is carried which God's Spirit is 
bringing to the wealthy place. 

1537. When I was a boy my mother 
used to send me out of doors to get a 
birch stick to whip me with, when I had 
to be punished. At first I used to stand 
off from the rod as far as I could. But 
I soon found that the whipping hurt me 
more that way than any other; and so 
I went as near to my mother as I could, 
and found she could not strike me so 
hard. And so when God chastens us 
let us kiss the rod, and draw as near to 
him as we can. 

1538. Poverty may keep one down for 
a time; but if he is the true metal, he 
will rise. Jay Gould was a poverty- 
stricken surveyor. George W. Childs 
was a bookseller's errand boy, at a sal- 
ary of four dollars a month. John Wan- 
amaker started business on a salary of a 
dollar and a quarter a week. Andrew 
Carnegie began life on a weekly salary 
of three dollars. Abraham Lincoln was 
a miserably poor farmer's son. Andrew 
Johnson was a tailor's apprentice boy, 
and learned to read after he was mar- 
ried. 

1539. If we could but see it, believe it, 
act .upon it, the worries, the petty an- 
noyances, the gains, the pleasures, the 
things that we count hindrances, the 
wrongs and disappointments — these are 
all helps, the hands that shape us, if we 
will, in God's own image. These are our 
opportunities for courage, trust, endur- 
ance; for hope, for love which makes us 
like God. There are no hindrances to 
holiness outside us, they are all within; 
and if Christ dwells within us, reigning 
there, then all things outside are helps, 
and cannot be • otherwise. — Mark Guy 
Pearse. 

1540. We are here for the develop- 
ment of our spiritual nature. The web 

of our years is made of dark and sunny 
threads. The interwoven joy and sor- 
row, the losses and gains, the triumphs 
and failures, — all go to the building up 
of a finer, sweeter, more inspiring hu- 
manity. Now that is the only view of 
life that stands the test of reflection. 
Life is worth living if we want to make 
it so. Far deeper than the day's events 
is the life of the spirit, a life that can 
be lived with high aims, with generous 
sympathies, and in the ever-deepening 
conviction that we are set here by God 
for a purpose; that with his aid we can 



The Christian Life. 



— 227 — 



Chastening. Adversity. 



live nobly, as disciples of Christ and as 
those who hope for another and more 
beautiful life hereafter. — Rev. George 
Latimer. 

1541. The Great Eastern had three 
hundred tons of barnacles scraped off 
her. How oftentimes Christian people are 
hindered in their progress by barnacles. 
And sometimes when God takes away a 
man's property it assists his progress; 
we sometimes need over-hauling, and an 
order conies from the admirality for the 
removal of the barnacles. — Spurgeon. 

1542. Many a mother, when she sees, 
hears, or reads how some other mother 
bore herself in quiet, humble resignation 
when husband or child was taken away, 
is astounded and ready to say, "How 
could she! I could not give up husband 
or child in that way; I have not grace 
enough to do it." Very likely she has 
not, and why? because she does not need 
it. When bereavement and sorrow- 
come, grace will be given to suffer in 
resignation. When the trial comes, 
Christ will be at hand to help us meet it. 
• 1543. There are three ascending de- 
grees of faith manifested in breaking 
through hindrances. The paralytic broke 
through the hindrance of external 
things: blind Bartimaeus, through the 
hindrance opposed by his fellow-men; 
the Canaanitish woman through hin- 
drances from Christ himself. — Arch- 
bishop Trench. 

1544. On the morning of her execu- 
ton, Lady Jane Grey wrote a letter in 
Greek to her sister on the blank leaf of 
a Testament in the same language, and 
in her note-book three sentences in 
Greek, Latin, and English, of which the 
last is as follows: "If my faults de- 
served punishment, my youth, at least, 
and my Imprudence, were worthy of 
excuse. God and posterity will show 
me faYor." Fuller >aj> of her: "She 
had the innocence of childhood, the 
beauty of youth, the solidity of middle, 
the gravity of old age, and all at 
eighteen: the bust of a princess, the 
learning of a clerk, the life of a saint, 
yel the death of a malefactor, for her 
parents' offences!" 

15 15. No man can long stand the 
test of being let alone. To remain un- 
disturbed too long means to sink or 
travel in a rut. And the person who is 
In a rut seldom knows it. Therefore 
the Lord arranges that we shall he 
jolted out; and it is good for us that 
we should, though it is seldom pleasant 
at the time. The difference between 
people Is that some grumblingly com- 
plain at the disturbance, and try to 
crawl back into the rut as quickly as 



possible, while others have the good 
sense to shake themselves together, rub 
their eyes, rejoice at the jolt that got 
them onto new ground, and then try to 
stay there. Which do you do? 

1546. Our trials are more real to 
God than they are to us. This is the 
working of infinite sympathies in the 
heart of a loving Creator. All that af- 
flicts men here is one dull, dead weight 
of woe unless it is lifted and upborne 
by God. — Phelps. 

1547. There is no easy way to glory. 
Tribulation is God's threshing, not to 
harm us or to destroy us, but to sepa- 
rate what is heavenly and spiritual in 
us from what is earthly and fleshly. 
Nothing less than blows of pain will do 
this. The evil clings so to the holy 
that only the heavy flail of suffering 
can produce the separation. Perfec- 
tion of character never can be attained 
save through suffering. — Maclaren. 

1548. I want to be able to go through 
the valley of the shadow, saying, "Thy 
rod and thy staff they comfort me;" 
singing: 

"My hope is built on nothing less 
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness. 

On Christ the solid rock I stand — - 
All other ground is sinking sand." 

"How much did he leave?" was the 
question asked, as two friends turned 
aside from the grave of a wealthy man. 
"He left it all." was the reply. Did he 
not leave it all? I can see him as he 
goes down to the river brink, his arms 
laden with riches, his head crowned with 
worldly honor, only to realize that .he 
has saved his life and now must forever 
lose it, and to tremble with fear. 

On the other hand, there is no break 
to the Christian when parting from this 
world, He knows whom lie has believed. 
In the midst of trouble, trials, on his 
deathbed, he can trust. — .Mills. 

1549. It is a characteristic of our dis- 
cipline under troubles that they come in 
clusters; they move like the stars In 
constellation. They sweep upon us like 
the waves of the sea; one goes over our 
head, and we lift our face dripping; anil 
another buries us, and we gasp a third 
and a fourth deluge us, and drowning 
seems Inevitable. So true Is this that 
we have made a proverb of it, and say, 
"Misfortunes seldom come singly", or in 
more general language, "It never rains 
but it pours." 

1550. Aaron Burr was one of the most 
Intellectual Americans and one of the 
most debased, says a recent writer. He 
is said to have been the most brilliant 
student that ever studied in the College 



The Christian Life. 



— 228 — 



Chastening. Adversity. 



of New Jersey at Princeton, but he lived 
a sinful, selfish life and died a miserable 
death. Lord Byron had the most bril- 
liant brain of any man of his genera- 
tion; it seemed to be able to shoot off 
sparks of fire without an effort; and yet 
this brilliant man, who was known 
throughout the world when he was thir- 
ty, was a decrepit, prematurely old man 
at thirty-six, and spent the last days of 
his life in writing words like these: 
"My days are in the yellow leaf, 

The fruit, the flower of life are gone; 
The worm, the canker, and the grief 

Are mine alone." 

Unsanctined affliction is hell on earth. 

1551. Serving Christ faithfully even 
amid trials. A man in this country who 
has won a multitude of souls to Christ, 
when he first confessed Christ was in 
utter darkness, and he stayed there for 
three weeks. Yet all that time he was 
endeavoring to do the will of God and 
was openly confessing him. The pastor 
invited those who wanted to join the 
church to meet the committee, and when 
the committee met, this man appeared 
before them and said, "Gentlemen, it is 
as black as night; it is dark all around 
me. But I have set myself to do the 
will of God." They said to him, "Sup- 
pose it stays dark, what are you going 
to do?" He replied, "I am going on to 
do the best I can in serving Christ." 

1552. "I have never known any human 
experience of pain or sin that could not 
be the gate of heaven. Mind, I don't say 
it always is; but it can be. Has that 
ever occurred to you?" "I can't say 
that it has," the doctor confessed. "O 
you're young yet," Dr. Lavender said, 
encouragingly. — Margaret Deland. 

1553. In the anti-foreign outbreaks in 
China in 1900 a mob of infuriated Box- 
ers destroyed an American mission sta- 
tion only to discover that the missionar- 
ies proposed to rebuild on a still larger 
scale. As the new structures arose above 
the ruins of the old there were many 
angry threats of destruction, but the 
counsel of one wise man prevailed. 
"Listen to me," he said. "Let us not do 
this. At first the Christians built but 
one story; now they are building two 
stories; if we destroy again they will 
build to the sky." 

1554. "One thing has come to me 
through this sorrow which is a true 
blessing", said a Christian woman who, 
for the first time in her peaceful life, 
had suffered a sudden and great afflic- 
tion. "I am like a person who has 
learned a new language. Before this, 
I could enter into the joys of others, but 
I had no words of comprehension for 



their sorrows. I pitied, but I did not 
understand. But now , when I meet 
those who suffer, it is not pity, but the 
fellowship of their sufferings, that I 
feel — and they feel it, too. I can help 
where before I was unable to reach or 
appreciate the need of the soul at all. 
So, through all my own pain, I can gain 
this comfort, and feel that God is teach- 
ing me needed lessons of sympathy and 
knowledge." 

1555. Tis sorrow builds the shining 
ladder up, 

Whose golden rounds are our calamities, 
Whereon our firm feet planting, nearer 
God 

The spirit climbs, and hath its eyes un- 
sealed. — James Russell Lowell. 

1556. It is sometimes necessary for 
God to strip us of every vestige of self- 
assurance before he can come to our 
relief. In like manner he seems to try 
our patience in order that he may dis- 
tinguish between an empty impulse and 
a fixed determination, on our part, to 
secure the blessing. The testing process 
is not to acquaint himself with our true 
state, but to convince us of our sincerity. 

1557. No suffering of body or mind is 
an evil which drives you closer to Christ; 
and which leads you to lean more heav- 
ily on him. 

1558. Earth's garden spots — the places 
where the air is most balmy and the 
skies most sunny, where the ground 
brings forth abundantly with but little 
cultivation, and food can be had for the 
plucking — would seem at first thought 
to be the most desirable places in which 
to live. So much of time, toil and wor- 
ry might be saved in such a paradise. 
But ease brings degeneracy, and these 
places where the soil is richest and the 
climate kindest do not produce the high- 
est type of manhood. The place where 
nature simply opens her hand and pours 
out her bounty with no demand for an 
equivalent labor, is not the one where 
man develops in intellect or enterprise. 

1559. We all have seen the blighting 
influence of uninterrupted prosperity. 
The heart of the man who has never 
known the mellowing power of affliction 
is as sterile as a desert. The sands of 
that desert, like the placer mines of 
California may be full of gold; but in 
them no flowers bloom and no trees 
grow to furnish shade or fruit. But 
when a man has experienced the holy 
ministry of sorrows, when disappoint- 
ment and bereavement have come upon 
him like the storm that seems sent only 
to darken, to beat down and to destroy, 
and when after it has passed by the sun 
shines again, O how sweet is the shining! 
— -The Interior. 



The Christian Life. 



— 229 — 



Chastening. Adversity. 



1560. Chastening widens experience, 
deepens sympathy, enlarges the range of 
friendship, invigorates character, throws 
the soul back upon God in firmer trust 
and does a work for the soul so noble 
that, if its own character alone be re- 
garded, the divine love behind it and 
pervading it becomes evident. Blessed 
are they who no longer heed to be thus 
assured, because their own hearts have 
learned the truth and rest upon it. 

1561. I was in a foundry yard; great 
piles of iron, all ready for the melting, 
were gathered there. 1 noticed one heap 
of columns, broken, bent, split, shattered. 
I went into the foundry. They were 
"tapping' the furnace, and the molten 
metal flowed out in one stream of fire, 
sending up a sputter of sparks whiter 
than the stars. I knew those broken 
columns would some day be cast into 
the furnace, softened melted, to run out 
in a stream of fire, and be moulded 
again in tall, shapely pillars. In no 
other way could they be of use. They 
must be melted. That very afternoon 
I saw a mother all bent and broken by 
affliction. She had parted with an only 
child. I pitied that mother. How 
keenly her Saviour felt for her! And 
yet perhaps the only way to reach some 
elements in that mother's character, 
and change them, was through affliction. 
The character was not worthless; far 
from it. It only needed melting. 

1562. You cannot be a man and live 
a man's life without coming into this 
world where sin is and where you must 
be tried. That great temptation that 
come- swaggering up and frightening 
you so. has got the best part of your 
Character held under his brawny arm, 
You cannot get it without wrestling 
with him and forcing it away from him. 
Ask yourself what you would have been 
if you had never been tempted and own 
what a blessed thing the educating 
power of temptation is. — Phillips Brooks. 

1563. Here stands a young fellow 
who. I ; i \ 1 1 1 ^ a rich father, has never 
been obliged to exert himself, and, in the 
carelecs unconcern of his easy life, he 
ia a good example of the jovial fresh- 
ness of youth. But there is very little 
about him to interest us. But ten, 
twenty, lorty years pass. He has taken 
a part in the stern work of life. He has 
had his conflicts; his reverses. Care has 
chiseled finer lines in his brow. Conflict 
has given a firmer set to his lips. Trou- 
ble has touched his glance with a mel- 
lower pathos, lie is a handsomer man 
than he was at twenty. His character 
is matured. His nature is expanded. 
And it is only through his Struggles and 
trials that this has been brought about. 



1564. It is when we have passed 
through the bitterness of temptation, 
wrestling with evil and sore beset, vic- 
torious only through the grace of Christ, 
that we are ready to be helpers of others 
in temptation. It is only when we have 
known sorrow, when we have been com- 
forted and helped to endure, that we are 
fitted to become comforters of others in 
sorrow.— J. R. Miller, D. D. 

1565. Many a great artist mixed his 
first colors with tears. Heroic John 
Todd, of Pittsfield, when he footed it to 
New Haven to enter college, was com- 
pelled to sleep through a cold night un- 
der a bush by the roadside from sheer 
lack of money to pay for his lodgings. 
If he had lost heart then, the New 
England pulpit would have lost the 
sturdiest Puritan of these modern days. 

1566. In the shop of some large dia- 
mond dealer will be seen great machin- 
ery and much power, and all brought to 
bear on what seems to be but a small 
piece of glass. One might be sure of 
the value of that transparent morsel if 
he woidd but look around and see what 
skill, labor and expense are being de- 
voted to it. Let this be remembered 
when the believer is on God's wheel that 
cuts and polishes. — "The Truth About 
Grace." 

1567. Ten thousand men and women 
lined the shore at Atlantic City, and rent 
the air with tumultuous cheers as Cap- 
tain Mark Casio, lashed to the wheel of 
his fishing schooner, and his brave com- 
panions rode out on a wild sea to rescue 
sixty-nine people from tne doomed 
Clyde Liner, Cherokee, stranded on the 
Brigantine shoals. It was magnificent 
heroism because that little company rode 
out before the storm-wind to what 
seemed certain death. Had the sea 
been quiet, there would have been no 
cheers. The roar of the storm-wind is 
the tumult of conflict and struggle. It 
is the shout of God as he makes pigmies 
into giants; weak, tempted, struggling 
men and women into heroes. — Dr. James 
I. Vance. 

156S. The more i be marble wastes 
The more the statue grows. 

J569. "Airs. "Wiggs" wisely says — 
"There's always lots of oil cr folks you 
kin be sorry fcr 'slid of yerself." 

ir>7(). Remember the old Persian pro- 
verb, "This, too, will pass." It is as 
true as it is beautiful and comforting. 

1571. God never speaks to us so ten- 
derly as in the hour of suffering and of 
chastisement. We all know that rain 
sometimes means just as great a help 
to a sheaf of wheat as a day of sunshine. 



The Christian Life. 



— 230 — 



Chastening. Adversity. 



We know that midnight is necessary to 
unroll the crimson secret of a red rose. 
We know that no angel was ever made 
out of a marble statue, by mere love, 
that always a man has to lift a hammer 
and chisel and make the chips fly. We 
know that the men who have been the 
greatest in the history of the Christian 
Church have - been the men who have 
suffered most. If we call the roll of the 
great men of history, we will find that 
they were all heart-broken; they all had 
their lives in some way destroyed 
through suffering and trouble and were 
made perfect through trouble. — N. D. 
Hillis. 

1572. The sorrow that is meant to 
bring us nearer to God may be in vain. 

The same circumstances may produce 
opposite effects. I dare say there are 
people who will read these words who 
have been made hard and sullen and 
bitter and paralyzed for good work be- 
cause they have some heavy burden to 
carry, or some wound or ache that life 
can never heal. Ah, brother, we are 
often like shipwrecked crews of whom 
some are driven by the danger to their 
knees and some are driven to the 
spirit casks. Take care that you 
do not waste your sorrows; that 
you do not let the precious gifts of 
disappointment, pain, loss, loneliness, ill- 
health or similar afflictions that come 
in your daily life, mar you instead of 
mending you. See that they send you 
nearer to God. 

1573. Dr. Thomas Arnold of Rugby, 

once wrote: "I must conclude with a 
more delightful subject, my most dear 
and blessed sister. I never saw a more 
perfect instance of the spirit of power 
and of love and of a sound mind; intense 
love, almost to the annihilation of self- 
ishness, — a daily martyrdom for twenty 
years, during which she adhered to her 
early formed resolution of never talking 
about herself; thoughtful about the 
very pins and ribbons of my wife's dress, 
about the making of a doll's cap for a 
child; but of herself save only as re- 
garded her ripening in all goodness, 
wholly thoughtless; enjoying everything 
lovely, graceful, beautiful, high-minded, 
whether in God's works or man's, with 
the keenest relish; inheriting the earth 
to the very fulness of the promise, 
though never leaving her crib nor 
changing her posture; and preserved 
through the very valley of the shadow 
of death from all fear or impatience, or 
from every cloud of impaired reason 
which might mar the beauty of Christ's 
glorious work." 

1574. The duration of sunshine in the 
various countries of Europe was recently 



discussed at a scientific meeting. It was 
shown that Spain stands at the head of 
the list, having on the average 3,000 
hours of sunshine per year, while Italy 
has 2,300 hours. Germany comes next 
with 1,700 and England with 1,400. 

1575. There is a great deal of persecu- 
tion still going on in the world. In 
every city there are works and shops 
where any one making a decided pro- 
fession of Christianity has to run the 
gauntlet of ridicule and annoyance; and 
there are homes, too, in which, under 
the safe cover of what ought to be ten- 
der relationships, the stabs of aversion 
and malignity are dealt in the dark. — 
James Stalker. 

1576. Never shrink from deep devo- 
tion because you fear its trials or its 
sacrifices. Paul, in martrydom was un- 
speakably happier than God's half- 
hearted servants. — W. R. Huntington. 

1577. Where Christ brings his cross 
he brings his presence, and where he is 
none are desolate and there is no room 
for despair. — Elizabeth Barrett Brown- 
ing. 

1578. In the mind of Jesus, the cross 
is not a particular misfortune, but the 

measure of suffering implied in every 
act of love and self-denial; this is the 
sense in which it is the very instrument 
of redemption. — Auguste Sabatier. 

1579. Luther Burbank, is said to have 
grown a cactus without spines. It is an 
especially good food for goats and sheep. 
The Lord has always turned the thorny 
experiences of life into the best of food 
for his sheep. 

1580. Rightly understood these ma- 
terial things with which we build ap- 
parently are but the scaffolding upon 
which we build really. We care not in 
building for the preservation of the 
scaffolding after the building is finished. 
In fact its preservation would only mar 
the beauty of the building. We use the 
scaffolding in order to transfer into the 
building itself the ideals that we are 
working out, and then we dispose of the 
scaffolding. I make you this proposi- 
tion: You can find no legitimate or pro- 
per calling, profession, or vocation in 
which you can engage that you may not 
build upon the foundation Christ in such 
a manner that the building will be eter- 
nal. 

1581. Grand character is by its very 
nature the product of probationary dis- 
cipline. The man must grow into it, by 
thinking grand ideas and believing 
grand principles. He must encounter 
and master trials, which, in the Divine 
decree, are grand opportunities. One 



The Christian Life. 



— 231 — 



Chastening. Adversity. 



auxiliary to his ascension into moral 
sympathy with God is the strain put 
upon faith by encounter with the mys- 
teries of evil and the shocks of suffer- 
ing. — Austin Phelps. 

1582. Saved by suffering, not saved 
from it ; that is the law of life revealed 
in Christ. If the spiritual force of 
character in you is to be strong, it must 
enter into conflict with an antagonist. 
Suffering, then, in some of its forms, 
must be introduced, the appointed min- 
ister, the great assayist, to put the 
genuineness of faith to the proof, and 
purify it of its dross. — Bishop Hunting- 
ton. 

1583. More than one pastor has been 
tried in the fire for the profit of his flock. 

"Six weeks of painful, dangerous sickness 
did more for me than six months in a 
theological seminary", said a sagacious 
minister. The model minister in Rome 
wrote to his son Timothy: "Therefore I 
endure all things for the elect's sake, 
that they also may obtain the salvation 
which is in Christ Jesus." 

1584. Matthew Arnold had a brother- 
in-law, Mr. Cropper, who lived in Liv- 
erpool, and attended Sefton Park 
Church, where Dr. John 'Watson ("Ian 
Maclaren") ministered. Visiting Mr. 
Cropper, Mr. Arnold accompanied him 
to church one Sunday morning, which 
proved to be the last Sunday on earth 
for the distinguished poet. Dr. Watson 
preached on "The Shadow of the Cross:" 
and the congregation afterwards sang 
the familiar hymn, "When I survey the 
wondrous cross." 

At lunch that clay Mr. Arnold referred 
to the hymn, which he said he consid- 
ered the finest in the English language. 
Appreciative reference was also made to 
the sermon; and the poet mentioned es- 
pecially an illustration which the 
preacher had drawn from the Riviera 
earthquake. "In one village," said Dr. 
Watson, "the huge crucifix above the 
altar, with a part of the chancel, re- 
mained unshaken amid the ruins, and 
round the cross the people sheltered." 

:"Ves", remarked Arnold in speaking 
of tbr.s, "the cross remains, and in the 
straits of the soul makes its ancient ap- 
peal". — W. J. Hoyt, D. D. 

1585. Tlx- wise man. therefore) 
whether he be the patient or the at- 
tendant, will deal with disease' as with 
a thing which, while in Itself evil, af- 
fords an opportunity for gaining vast 
and \arious advantages. He will regard 
the sick-chamber as a school where by 
God's grace one may learn great lessons, 
as a battle-field where by God's help one 
may win great triumphs, as a garden 



where by God's gift one may gather the 
sweet flowers, and partake of the pre- 
cious fruits of peace and righteousness. 
— Samuel Lane Loomis. 

1586. There is a story told of a young 
girl who lived in a beautiful homo, 

where the touch of want never came. 
So full of gladness was her life, that 
nothing seemed wanting to perfect it. 
By and by sickness laid her low. and 
while life was spared, she was many 
months an invalid. It was then the 
comforts of God's word really became 
her own. Promises, beautiful before, 
but meaningless to her, now flashed be- 
fore her, bearing such wondrous peace 
and comfort. "I am learning a beauti- 
ful lesson," said she; "that God is able 
to supply all my need. I only knew him 
in part before." So she left the sick- 
room a new creature in Christ, conse- 
crated anew to his service. The diamond 
unpolished, possesses little beauty; it is 
only after it has left the workman's 
hand that eyes are drawn and centered 
upon it. — Du Bois. 

1587. We have read, somewhere, of a 
battle against cannibals gained by the 
use of tacks. They had taken posses- 
sion of a whaling-vessel, and bound the 
man who was left in care of it. The 
crew, on returning, saw the situation, 
and scattered upon the deck of the ves- 
sel a lot of tacks, which penetrated the 
bare feet of the savages, and sent them 
howling into the sea. They were ready 
to meet lance and sword, but they could 
not overcome the tacks on the floor. 
We brace ourselves up against great ca- 
lamities. The little tacks of life, scat- 
tered along our way, piercing our feet 
and giving us pain, are hard to bear. 
Really, it is easier to dispose of those 
great questions which cover the world 
than it is to meet and successfully over- 
come the little worries which present 
themselves day by day. — Christian Her- 
ald. 

1588. The clouds ye so much dread, 
Are big with mercy, and shall break 
In blessings on your head. 

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense. 
But trust him for his grace; 
Behind a frowning providence, 
lie hides a smiling lace. 

1580. God has many ways of iisjntr 
disease. H is frequently employed as 
a corrective and preventive of sin. By 

sickness evil men are often restrained 
from plunging deeper and deeper Into 
Iniquity; by sickness they are brought 
to a sense of their own weakness and 
helplessness, their dependence upon God, 
and their guilt before him, and thus 
they are led to repentance. Sickness 



The Christian Life. 



— 232 



Unity. 



sometimes serves to win us away from 
the love of the world, to relax our grasp 
on earthly possessions, that we are prone 
to hold with too tight a grip, in order 
that our hands may be free to receive 
the spiritual and eternal treasures. It 
comes to remind us of the shortness of 
life, to give us timely warning of our 
approaching end, that we may make 
ready for our great change. It also 
furnishes opportunities for the devel- 
opment of some of the highest moral 
and spiritual qualities that are known 
among modern men. All progress in 
the history of the world has come in the 
course of the struggle with difficulties 
and as the best part of the rewards of 
victory. "When the struggle ceases, 
when difficulties are put out of the way, 
and the path of life grows smooth and 
plain, so that no effort is required for 
walking therein, then progress ceases 
and decadence is close at hand. — Mon- 
day Club Sermons. 

1590. How ought a Christian to deal 
with sickness? He will be following the 
example of our Lord if he deals with it 
as an enemy; a thing to be avoided, a 
thing to be overcome, a thing to be cast 
out. It is the part of a Christian to 
take every precaution to keep the door 
of the temple securely barred against 
the invasion of this foe. Any intemper- 
ance in eating or drinking, in work or 
play; any neglect of food, sleep or exer- 
cise; any foolish exposure of the person 
which puts a strain on the vital forces 
and invites disease is worse than a mis- 
take. It involves contempt alike for 
one's own nature and for the law of God. 

1591. Trial brings man face to face 
with God — God and he touch; he feels 
that he is standing outside the earth, 
with nothing between him and the Eter- 
nal Infinite. Oh, there is something in 
the sickbed, and the aching heart and 
the restlessness and languor of shattered 
health, and the sorrow of affections 
withered, and the cold, lonely feeling of 
utter rawness of heart which is felt 
when God strikes home in earnest, that 
forces a man to feel what is real and 
what is not. — P. W. Robertson. 

1592. God keeps a school for his chil- 
dren here on earth; and one of his best 
teachers is Disappointment. My friend, 
when you and I reach our Father's 
house, we shall look back and see that 
the sharp-voiced, rough-visaged teacher, 
Disappointment, was one of the best 
guides to train us for it. He gave us 
hard lessons. Dear, old, rough-handed 
teacher! We will build a monument to 
thee yet, and crown it with garlands, and 
inscribe on it: Blessed be the memory of 
Disappointment. — Cuyler. 



1593. Is it not obvious that future 
crises of moral peril will be met and 
mastered with most secure and concen- 
trated virtue, by those who have been 
schooled into moral repose by events 
which have given a shock to their whole 
moral being? — Austin Phelps. 

1594. The immediate object of God's 
discipline is to form character; to create 
and develop love, trust, and obedience; 
to uproot evil dispositions; to break down 
self-will and self-independence. The 
ultimate end of it is the service and 
blessedness of heaven. — James Orr, D.D. 

1595. The children of a certain family, 
during its prosperity, were left in the 
nursery in charge of servants. When 
adversity came, the servants were dis- 
charged and the parents lived with the 
little ones. One evening, when the fa- 
ther had returned home after a day of 
anxiety and business worry, his little 
girl clambered on his knee, and, twining 
her arms around his neck, said: "Father, 
don't get rich again. You did not come 
into the nursery when you were rich, 
but now we can come round you, and 
get on your knee and kiss you. Don't 
get rich again, father. " — Success. 

1596. A faithful Christian lay on his 
dying bed. To his minister he said, 
"Why do I suffer so? Is this punish- 
ment?" For reply the minister told of 
a visit he had paid to a great flower 
show at Mannheim on the upper Rhine, 
where were displayed millions of flowers 
in endless profusion of color, fragrance 
and beauty, and that among them all 
the gems of beauty, the most highly 
prized, were the Alpine flowers, the chil- 
dren of winter and the storm, and these 
were perfected in their beauty by the 
struggle with stern and savage nature. 
The dying man took in the thought and 
grew in submission to the "good and 
acceptable and perfect will of God" — 
"The Truth About Grace." 

Christian Unity. (1597-1609) 

1597. Near a certain South African 
town stands a Wesleyan missionary sta- 
tion, and near it an Anglican monastery. 

Between the two there is little or no 
communication. The old African king 
who resides there is a heathen. Two of 
his princely sons are Christians and are 
anxious for their father's conversion; but 
he sticks to his heathenism. Speaking 
to a visitor the old king said: "My sons 
want me to be baptized. I say to them, 
'Christians, here,' pointing to the Wes- 
leyan station, 'and Christians there,' 
pointing to the Anglican monks. Chris- 
tians there won't speak to Christians 
here. When one of them has converted 

I 



The Christian Life. 



— 233 



Unity. 



the other, it will be time to come to me." 
The application is not far to seek. — 
Evangelical Messenger. 

1598. I was in a little town some time 
ago, when one night as I came out of 
the meeting, I saw another building 
where the people were coming out. I 
said to a friend, "Have you got two 
churches here?". "Oh yes." "How do 
you get on?" "Oh, we get on very well." 
"I am glad to hear that. Was your 
brother minister at the meeting?" "Oh 
no, we don't have anything to do with 
each other. We find that is the best 
way" And they called that "getting on 
very well." 

1599. A Boston paper inadvertently 
spoke of "interdenominational comedy" 
instead of "interdenominational comity." 
There have been aspects of the relations 
of different denominations with one an- 
other which have suggested comedy 
rather than comity. 

1600. It was concerning the author of 
"Rock of Ages" that John Wesley wrote 
in 1770: "Mr. Augustus Toplady I know 
well; but I do not fight with chimney- 
sweepers. He is too dirty a writer for 
me to meddle with; I should only foul 
my fingers." He also referred to him as 
a "lively coxcomb." Toplady paid his 
respects to Wesley in a similar strain. 
He wondered whether there was more 
of the "insidious" than of "the acid" in 
the make-up of his opponent; spoke of 
the latter as "hatching blasphemy;;' said 
that his forehead was "impervious to a 
blush;" and that he had penned "a 
known, willful, palpable lie to the pub- 
lic." 

YVhitefield as well as Toplady, as 
everybody knows, taught the doctrine of 
Election, and Telford's "Life of John 
Wesley" informs us how he and the 
Wesleys split over that rock. On one 
occasion, about 1740, Whitefield 
"preached the absolute decrees in the 
most peremptory and offensive manner. 
Some thousands of people were present, 
and Charles Wesley sat beside him. The 
rapture "as .soon complete. — George F. 
Green in The Outlook. 

1601. T was walking in a beautiful 
grove, the trees were some distance 
apart and the trunks were straight and 
rugge<l. nut as they ascended higher 
the branches came closer together, and 
still higher the twigs and branches inter- 
laced and formed a beautiful canopy. I 
said to myself, our Churches resemble 
these trees; the trunks near the earth 
stand stiffly and rudely apart; the more 
nearly toward heaven they ascend, the 
closer and closer they come together, 
until they form one beautiful canopy, un- 



der which the sons of men enjoy both 
shelter and happiness. — Bishop Simpson. 

1602. When the tide is out, you may 
have noticed, as you ramble among the 
rocks, little pools with little fish in them. 
But when the rising ocean begins to lip 
over the margin of the lurking-place, 
one pool joins another, their various 
tenants meet, and, by and by, in the 
place of their little patch of standing 
water, they have the ocean's boundless 
fields to roam in. When the tide is out 
— when religion is low — the faithful are 
often insulated; here a few and there a 
few. They forget for a time that there 
is a vast expanse of ocean rising — every 
ripple brings it nearer; a mightier com- 
munion, even the communion of saints, 
which is to engulf all minor considera- 
tions. — "Times of Refreshing." 

1603. Bigotry erects insurmountable 
walls. Antiochus Epiphanes. when he 
had captured Jerusalem, offered swine's 
flesh on the altar and sprinkled the tem- 
ple with the blood — an offence for which 
the Jews would never be reconciled to 
him; and the Emperor Hadrian, anx- 
iously wishing to drive away the miser- 
able remnant who still sought the Hope 
of Israel amid the ruins of the con- 
quered city, when he found all other 
means unavailing, accomplished his pur- 
pose by erecting the statue of a marble 
hog on the principle gate. The frantic 
devotees fled from the holy city, as if at 
length they deemed their cause to be 
desperate, since God had permitted so 
great a pollution. — Jamieson. 

1601. A slave-holder had committed 
the care of one of his teams to a faith- 
ful slave for some years; at last one of 
the horses sickened and died. While 
the slave was burying the faithful ani- 
mal, the other horse came across the 
field and stood by. watching the opera- 
tion as a silent mourner. 

The master said to the slave, "I be- 
lieve Dick loved Billy." Instantly the 
slave replied, '? 'Course he did, massa; 
why, they pulled together for twenty 
years!" It is the pulling; together of the 
various Christian forces against the 
common enemy and for a common cause 
that will unite the hearts of the follow- 
ers of the Master. — J. W. Kapp, D. D. 

1605. "We have been two in white, lei 
us he one in red," was the word sent by 
Ridley to Hooper, who. n s preachi i . 
had disputed regarding the color of ec- 
clesiastical vestments, but who were 
during the English Reformation, thrown 
Into prison and awaiting execution. — 
Truth. 

1606. A man snt unmoved during a 
sermon which made the rest shed tears. 



The Christian Life. 



-234 — 



Brotherly Love. 



He afterwards explained his indifference 
by saying; He "belonged to another 
parish." 

1607. Every regiment in Britain has 
two sets of colors: the regimental flag, 
and the Queen's colors; the former dif- 
ferent in each regiment, and bearing the 
names of all the battlefields where the 
regiment has been engaged; but the 
Queen's colors are the same in all the 
regiments. — Arthur T. Pierson, D. D. 

1608. When I was in the army before 
Fort Hudson, I remember that night 
after night when our camp-fires were 
built, we boys used to sit around them 
and discuss various matters, and some- 
times we lost our tempers. But one 
night, in the midst of the discussion, 
there broke upon us that awful startling 
sound which once heard is never for- 
gotten. Away off on the right it began, 
but it rolled in a thundering, awful echo, 
until it chilled our hearts. It was the 
long roll, and every man was on his 
feet, and every man shook hands with 
his comrade and said: "Forgive me." 
When we were idle, we could afford to 
dispute; but now there is work to do, 
it found us brothers. — Hepworth. 

1609. An old Scotch woman was walk- 
ing to church with her family. The 
Auld Kirk minister rode past at a tre- 
mendous rate, and the old lady said to her 
children: "Siccan a wey to be ridin', and 
this the Sawbath day. Aweel, aweel, a 
gude man is marciful to his beast." 
Shortly afterwards her own minister 
rode past as furiously, and the worthy 
old wife cried: "Ah, there he goes! The 
Lord bless him, puir man! His heart's 
in his wark, an' he's eager to be at it." 
— Boston Journal. 

Brotherly Love. (1610-1642) 

1610. Prof. Martin G. Brumbaugh, 
LL. D., in "The Making of a Teacher," 
gives an illustration of love , as the con- 
trolling factor of a teacher's work. In 
Louisiana he met a teacher who had 
won the commendation of her superin- 
tendent by her good work. Returning 
the next year he missed her, and upon 
inquiry he found the young woman had 
died. The cause of her death was told 
by one who loved her. She taught a 
rural school far back in the pine woods. 
Her school-house had neither door nor 
windows. The children sat on cross- 
sections of trees set on end. The teacher 
had no chair, no stove, no protection 
from inclement weather. One day in 
February, a severe gulf-storm, damp and 
cold and penetrating, swept over the 
State. Her half-clothed children suf- 
fered from the cold. Without a mo- 



ment's hesitation she stood in the' open 
doorway, her face to the pupils, her 
back to the cold, that she might in some 
degree shelter the children. Her love 
for them cost her life. Pneumonia was 
contracted, and in less than a week she 
was laid to rest in a bower of roses, 
carried by those who loved her and for 
whom she had given the highest expres- 
sion of love — her life. 

1611. Abraham Lincoln, on visiting a 
military hospital, stood at the bedside 
of a Vermont boy of about sixteen years 
of age who was mortally wounded. Tak- 
ing the dying boy's thin, white hand in 
his own, the President said in a tender 
tone, "Well, my poor boy, what can I 
do for you?" The young fellow looked 
up into the President's kindly face and 
asked, "Won't you write to my mother 
for me?" "That I will," answered Mr. 
Lincoln. When it was finished he rose, 
saying, "I will post this as soon as I get 
back to my office. Now, is there any- 
thing else I can do for you?" The boy 
looked up appealingly to the President. 
"Won't you stay with me?" he asked, 
"I do want to hold on to your hand." 
Mr. Lincoln at once perceived the lad's 
meaning. The appeal was too strong 
for him to resist, so he sat down by his 
side and took hold of his hand. For 
two hours the President sat there pa- 
tiently as though he had been the boy's 
father. When the end came he bent 
over and folded the thin hands over his 
breast. As he did so he burst into tears. 
With what confidence we may go to 
Jesus in our distresses, for he not only 
has greater sympathy, but infinite wis- 
dom and power! 

1612. On the Kansas prairie a farmer 
took a claim and put up a small, rough 
cabin for his family. But sickness soon 
came upon him and all winter long he 
suffered. In the spring he died. What 
would become of his wife and her three 
little children? After the doctor's bill 
was paid she had no money left with 
which to pay for help and she had no 
relatives to whom she could appeal for 
aid. Unless a crop was raised she could 
not hold her claim. One morning she 
looked out of her window and saw her 
fields alive with men and boys and 
teams. From near and far they had 
come, and soon they were busily at work 
with their plows and harrows and corn- 
planters. When night came eighty acres 
were planted with corn, and with a 
promise that they would come again and 
harvest her crop the tired workers drove 
merrily away. — Tarbell. 

1613. The brotherhood of the races, 

now and then disputed, is without con- 
troversy a tenet of the Christian Church. 



— 235 — 



Brotherly Love. 



Sometimes, however, like other com- 
monwealths, the Church, from lethargy 
or passion, or other discreditable reason, 
permits her statutes to be broken and 
even her fundamental law to be set at 
naught. The doctrine of brotherhood 
has ample advocacy, though not abound- 
ing in illustration. The kinship of the 
human family is the burden of the song 
of the communist; is the holiday ritual 
of the capitalist. It is the probable re- 
sult of the studies of the ethnologist; is 
the prophecy, at least, of comparative 
philology: It colors the argument of 
the statesman and it is the eloquence of 
the orator. It is the creed of the cler- 
gyman and the unction or the preacher. 
It is the implication of diplomacy and 
the only possible nexus of the races. It 
is the communion of saints. 

101 J. True brotherliness shows an in- 
terest in the spiritual welfare of others. 
Harlan Page had a fixed rule never to 
be with any one for a few minutes with- 
out saying something to do that person 
good. Probably many seeds of truth 
which he scattered came to nothing; but 
many others took root and sprouted. 
He came early to church one evening, 
and found a stranger sitting there wait- 
ing for the service. He politely spoke 
to him and in a few frank, kind words 
urged the stranger to accept the Savior. 
That brief talk was the means of the 
man's conversion; he said that "Chris- 
tians had always kept him at arm's 
length" before. 

1615. Kant, at the age of eighty said: 
"I have not yet lost my feeling for hu- 
manity.'' The rough Admiral Nelson, 
dying, said to his friend: "Kiss me. 
Hardy." When Father Taylor, of the 
Sailors' Bethel was tossing in pain, 
somebody tried to comfort him by say- 
ing: "You'll soon be with the angels." 
He answered petulantly: "I don't want 
angels, I want folks." 

1610. When Louis Agassiz was a hoy 
in Switzerland! he and his little brother 
one day thought they would cross a fro- 
zen lake and join their father. The 
mother, anxiously watched them from a 
window till at length they came to a 
crack in the ice more than a foot wide. 
Her heart failed her. She thought, 
"Louis can get over it well enough, but 
the little fellow will try to do so and 
will fall In. They were too far away 
to hear her call. As she watched In an 
agony of fear she saw Louis gel down 
on the Ice, his fect on one side of the 
Crack and hU hands on the other, like 
a bridge, and his little brother crept 
OTer him to the other side. So may 
brother bridge life's dangerous and dif- 
ficult places for brother. — .Myers. 



161". Ruskin said: "Supposing the 
master of a manufactory saw it right, 
or were by any chance obliged, to place 
Ms son in the position of an ordinary 
workman; as he would then treat his 
son, he is bound always to treat every 
one of his men." 

1618. A man must not choose his 
neighbor; he must take the neighbor 
that God sends him. In him, whoever 
he be, lies hidden or revealed a beautiful 
brother. The neighbor is just the man 
who is next to you at the moment. This 
love of our neighbor is the only door 
out of the dungeon of self. — George 
Macdonald. 

1619. The Romans asserted sovereign- 
ty over all other races. The fact that a 
tribe lived on the bank of a river on 
the other side of which the Romans had 
settled, made it's members "rivals", for 
the word means dwellers on opposite 
sides of a stream. — Trench. 

1620. To the Greek the word "human- 
ity", as a term for the wide brotherhood 
of all races, was unknown. All races, 
except his own were "barbarians." — 
Geikie. 

1621. The young man was brought up 
in a Christian home, hut was fascinated 
by cards, and began to follow the career 
of a professional card-player. He visited 
various parts of the world, and met with 
phenomenal success as a gambler every- 
where. In a certain foreign city a 
stranger approached him and asked the 
privilege of playing with him. They 
entered a gambling house and began 
playing, with the understanding that 
they should play till one or the 
other was "broke". The stranger 
steadily lost, till all he had was 
gone. He went out and borrowed $2000, 
and returned and lost that. He again 
went out, and committed suicide. Hear- 
ing the report of the pistol, he surmised 
what had occurred, and went out into 
the garden where the stranger had gone. 
He found his opponent lying dead with 
a pistol beside him. In his pocket were 
found letters, and the photograph of a 
woman. (>nr hero recognized the pic- 
ture as that of his own mother, and the 
letters were from the mother to the dead 
son. The two gamblers were brothers. 
They had not seen each other for years, 
and their meeting at the card-table re- 
sulted In the suicide of one of them. 
This sad event resulted in the reforma- 
tion of the surviving brother. 

1622. "A woman in my district, who 
has but one bed took in a poor woman 
and her child the other day", said the 
mis- binary. 

"Dear me," said a friend, Increduons- 



The Christian Life. 



— 236 — 



Brotherly Love. 



ly. "But really it is different you know. 
When one has a nice house, one likes to 
— don't smile! I suppose this woman — 
well, it is easier to give when you have 
not very much, now is it not?" It is 
easier to give when one has suffered 
oneself and knows what it means." 

1623. Christ gave a new meaning to 
love. "Amor" had come to mean lust. 
For this reason caritas ("charity") was 
used in 1 Cor. 13. 

1624. During a miners' strike in Colo- 
rado, President Sloeum, of Colorado 
College, went into the mining district, 
and passed the sentries who were posted 
along the canon, and gained access to 
the leaders of the armed bands of min- 
ers, who were awaiting attack. He was 
received very kindly and after he told 
them that he came upon a mission of 
peace, they granted him permission to 
speak to the men; and several hundred 
men were gathered before him with an- 
gry looks, evidently seeking an oppor- 
tunity to vent their rage upon the first 
person who should try to thwart their 
will. Rifles and revolvers were pointed 
at the speaker as he commenced to say 
in the gentlest possible manner that he 
had come there on an errand of peace, 
as their friend and because he loved 
them; when one of the leaders cried 
out, "Boys, this man is our friend." And 
almost instantly the guns dropped, and 
the ears of the men were opened to lis- 
ten to his plea. And not only that, but 
they gladly responded to his proposition, 
as did also the operators, and the strike 
was ended. — Mills. 

1625. There is a Jewish story of 
two brothers whose farms lay side by 
side. On a certain night, after the gath- 
ering of the harvest, one of them said to 
his wife, "My brother is a lonely man, 
who has neither wife nor children; I will 
go out and carry some of my sheaves 
into his field." It happened that on the 
same night, the other said, "My brother 
has wife and children, and needs the 
harvest more than I; I will carry some 
of my sheaves into his field." So, the 
next morning, their respective heaps 
were unchanged. And thus it happened 
night after night, until at length, one 
moonlight night, the brothers, with their 
arms full of sheaves, met midway face 
to face. On that spot the temple was 
built, because it was esteemed to be the 
place where earth was nearest heaven. 

1626. Christian love is the only kind 
of love in which there is no rivalry, no 
jealousy. There is jealousy among the 
lovers of art; there is jealousy among 
the lovers of song; there is jealousy 
among the lovers of beauty. The glory 
of natural love is its monopoly, its power 



to say: "It is mine." But the glory of 
Christian love is its refusal of monopoly. 

The spiritual artist — the man v/ho paints 
Christ in his soul — wants no solitary 
niche in the temple of fame. He would 
not like to hear any one say: "He is the 
first of his profession; there is not one 
that can hold the candle with him." He 
would be very sad to be distinguished 
in his profession of Christ, marked out 
as a solitary figure. The gladdest mo-' 
ment to him will always be the moment 
when the cry is heard, "Thy brother is 
coming up the ladder also; thy brother 
will share the inheritance with thee." — 
George Matheson. 

1627. One of the most conspicuous 
examples of those who go forth to feed 
the multitude, are the deaconesses in our 
American cities. "Whatever help is 
needed, material or spiritual, they are 
at hand to aid. One poor woman said 
to the deaconess, '"You bring God to me. 
When you are gone long, I don't seem to 
think much about him and then you 
comes and talks to me till it seems like 
e's right here." A deaconess, planning 
an outing with her mothers' club was 
besought by a tired looking woman: 
"Oh, don't have it earlier than the mid- 
dle of June. It'll be the only treat I'll 
have and after that's over the rest of 
the summer will seem so long with noth- 
ing to look forward to." 

1628. A deaconess, one day walking 
down the street with a rose in her hand, 
saw the eyes of a poor woman follow 
her hungrily. The deaconess gave the 
flower to the outcast. Three months 
after this, the deaconess went to call on 
the woman, now sick unto death. From 
beneath her pillow the old creature drew 
the skeleton of the rose saying: "I often 
look at it, and it makes me think of 
home." 

1629. Lillian W. Betts in her "Leaven 
in a Great City" tells the following an- 
ecdote illustrative of the ease with which 
we may touch the heart of many of 
God's needy children. A woman of 
sixty, a member of the mother's club in 
a large city, came one night to the club 
leader with money which she had been 
saving for a year and asked if she could 
not have a birthday party. The wo- 
man's husband appeared later and of- 
fered five dollars toward the expense. 
The leaders of the club planned every- 
thing with the utmost care, and the first 
birthday party of the woman of sixty 
was celebrated with great success and 
much delight. When the birthday cake, 
a gift from her husband, lit by the 
many candles, was placed in front of 
her, her joy knew no bounds. Her tears 
fell fast. Raising her hands and face 



— 237 — 



Brotherly Love. 



heavenward, she said solemnly, "O, God, 
what have I done that you should be so 
good to me?" The volume of her life 
was opened. A cake with a few shining 
candles a few friends with their little 
offerings and the wishes of a few chil- 
dren, and to one woman God had 
reached out of his high heaven and se- 
lected her as the special object of his 
care and love. — Missionary Comments. 

1630. In Victoria I was anxious to go 
down a gold mine. The very name and 
sound of the thing was enough to fill the 
imagination with all sorts of wonders, 
so I put on the rough dress of the miner, 
and lit my candle, and went down for 
some hundreds of feet underground. 
Then, the thick darkness only slightly 
disturbed by our candles, we splashed 
along through the pools that filled the 
tramways and stooped through low and 
narrow passages, until we came to the 
place where the men were at work. 
Here and there between the darker rock 
ran a line of white quartz, just like a 
vein of marble. Not a sign or trace of 
gold glistened in the candle-light; not 
a single particle of the precious metal 
gleamed anywhere. The gold was in 
the quartz, but invisible. To me there 
was no sign, no possibility of gold. I 
sighed, and said, "So this is a gold mine; 
water dripping from above; muddy pud- 
dles underfoot, with roof and sides of 
bare rock." Yet the expert knew it. 
and saw in it the treasure, and from 
here there went the flashing gold. 

What a poor thing is this humanity! 
So commonplace, so dull; so stupid and 
mean; so cruel and bad. How hard it 
is to find in many people any promise of 
any goodness, any possibility of any 
worth. Eut God bends over us, and dis- 
cerns these possibilities for good. What 
God sees In men, human love can dis- 
( over also. — I'earse. 

1631. Bishop Polk or Louisiana, a 
slaveholder 1 y inheritance, but a faith- 
ful pastor to his slaves, said to one of 
them who was dying; "Tom, is there 
anything else 1 can do for you?" "Yes, 
Master," he said, "if vou will only lie 
down by me on the bed and put your 
amis around my neck and let mo put 
my arms around your neck, as we used 
to when wc were boys, I could die more 
easily!" He granted the request at 
once and the old negro died in the good 
Bishop's embrace. 

16S2, A man staying over night at an 
inn, was asked b.v the landlord where 
he came from, and what kind of neigh- 
bors he had. To the latter question he 
replied: "Oh, I had very disagreeable 
neighbors. I could not K<-t along with 
them at all." "You will find -just the 



same sort of neighbors where you are 
going," answered the innkeeper. An- 
other man from the same town, and 
bound for the same place as the other, 
was asked the same question. He said: 
"I had very good neighbors; they were 
kind and agreeable." "You will find 
j^our new neighbors just the same," said 
the landlord. Being asked by the first 
man how that could be, he replied that 
the secret of good or bad neighbors lay 
in the man himself more than in his 
neighbors. 

1633. A good man of my acquaintance 

died very suddenly, and when it came to 
settling up the estate it was found that, 
while with his presence and work he 
was able to get a living for his family 
out of his equity in the business, with 
him gone there was nothing left. All 
the children were grown up and able to 
support themselves, with the exception 
of one young man who had two years 
yet to spend in the medical college be- 
fore he would be able to take up his 
profession as a physician. It seemed at 
first that he must drop out and work his 
way for awhile, saving up money to go 
on. 

But just then a man came to the 
front, who said: "Some years ago I was 
in a hard place and needed a friend very 
much. Jus{ at the critical time your 
father stepped into the breach, and in 
the gentlest, cheeriest way helped me 
out. I said then if I ever had a chance 
I should pay that kindness back. Now 
is my chance. You go right along to 
the medical school and finish your 
course, and I will take care of the bills. 
You can charge it up to your father's 
kindness account." He who sows a kind 
deed may be sure that it is a long-lived, 
hardy crop, and certain to bring in its 
harvest by and by. — Banks. 

1631. Lincoln was engaged as one of 
the counsel in the famous "Harvester 
Case" of McCormick vs. Manning. He 
had expected to try the case, but Edwin 
M. Stanton was selected to succeed him, 
and to take command of affairs. "What 
does that long armed creature expect 
to do in this case?" he whispered con- 
temptuously to a colleague. What he 
did was to give Stanton his carefully 
prepared notes and papers, and retire 
to a subordinate position. And such was 
the magnanimity of Abraham Lincoln 
that a few years later he called Stantnn 
into his presidential cabinet. — Spare Mo- 
ments. 

i<;::.->. A man once got up in a love feast 
and told how he had lost his wile and 
all his children and had felt as calm and 
serene through It as if nothing had hap- 
pened, not feeling a- pang, shielded as he 



The Christian Life. 



— 238 — 



Brotherly Love. 



believed by divine grace. When he 
ended the sensible preacher said: 
"Brother! go right home, and down on 
your knees and never get up till you are 
a different man. You have the stoniest 
heart I ever saw. Instead of being a 
saint you are hardly good enough to be 
a decent sinner. If you had a human 
heart such trouble ought to melt it as in 
the fire. Don't ever tell such a story 
again." God is not displeased with us 
for loving those whom he gives us. He 
commands us to love them. — Kelly. 

1636. Christ, the same yesterday and 
to-day, would still seek the lost, but he 
must do it now on our feet. He would 
still minister, but he must do it with our 
hands. He would still warn and com- 
fort and encourage and instruct, but he 
must do it with our lips. If we refuse 
to perform these offices for him, what 
right have we to call ourselves members 
of his body, in vital union with him? . . . 
Moreover, Christ teaches that the needs 
of men are his needs; that he is in the 
world hungry, naked, sick, in prison. If 
we wish to serve him, how can we do it 
better than in the person of those with 
whom he identifies himself? Self-giving 
is the law of Christian living; . . . self- 
denial for the sake of others is Christ- 
like, Godlike. — Josiah Strong, D. D. 

1637. The brotherhood of man is 
something more than a beautiful senti- 
ment; it becomes a stern and almost ap- 
palling fact when a gaunt pestilence be- 
gins to stalk at noonday. What have 
we in common with the filthy lowermost 
classes in India, residing near the -mouth 
of the Ganges? Is it anything to us 
what sort of life the outcasts in Teheran, 
Persia, lead? Why should we bother our 
brains or hearts over the lack of sani- 
tary regulations in the interior of Rus- 
sia, leagues away from railways, in 
towns where no European or American 
tourist ever wanders? "What's Hecuba 
to him or he to Hecuba," when Hecuba 
lives in squalor and filth and rags, an 
outcast Jewess in Russia, and he is a 
railroad magnate residing on Murray 
Hill in New York? But how the pesti- 
lence answers that question, and with 
what emphasis it repeats the words of 
Paul, "and hath made of one blood all 
nations of men for to dwell on all the 
face of the earth!" Once there was 
elation and rejoicing in this country that 
whereas we had a tremendous wheat 
crop, the crop in Russia was a failure, 
and we have been counting up the mil- 
lions that we made out of Russia's mis- 
fortune. Suppose we wait till the chap- 
ter is finished. The failure of the Rus- 
sian wheat crop meant famine; famine 
prepared the way for pestilence; pesti- 



lence later overleaped national boun- 
daries and began its march in Europe. 
Unless it can be stayed, it means disor- 
dered industries, a collapse for a shorter 
or longer period in commerce, a greatly 
diminished demand for American pro- 
ducts, and, possibly, devastation of 
homes and demoralization of industries 
in our own land. In the long run will 
we lose or gain by the failure of the 
Russian wheat crop? Throwing aside 
all sentiment, all moral and religious 
considerations, all philanthropic feelings, 
is it not terribly true that the vilest, 
sorest-eyed sinner begging for back- 
sheesh in the far Orient, without appar- 
ently one ray of intelligence to disturb 
his complacency in the midst of slime 
and vermin, has a direct connection 
with every other member of the human 
race, and in self-defence, it becomes our 
business, if possible, to improve his con- 
dition and enlighten his mind, or that of 
his child? We have heard a good many 
sermons on the brotherhood of man, 
but when the cholera gets to preaching 
who can withstand its awful eloquence? 

1638. Man's inhumanity to man. Cras- 

sus, after the revolt of Spartacus, cruci- 
fied 10,000 slaves at one time. Augustus, 
for a political offence, delivered 30,000 
to their masters, to be executed. Trojan 
made 10,000 fight in the amphitheatre, 
for amusement, the slaughter lasting 12 3 
days. 

1639. When the German Theologian, 

Nitzsch, had passed his eightieth year, 
he had repeated paralytic shocks, which 
all but separated him from the outside 
world, without, however, injuring the 
intellect that had been one of the strong- 
est of his day. Among his last words to 
his old friend, Tweslen, were these; — 
"I can no longer hear, or see, or work; 
I can only love." — Dr. Ker's "History of 
Preaching." 

1640. A great German defined the dif- 
ference between Socialism and Chris- 
tianity in a very clever epigram: — So- 
cialism says, "What is thine is mine." 
Christianity says, "What is mine is 
thine." The difference is infinite. But 
the epigram needs correction. Chris- 
tianity really teaches us to say, "What 
seems thine is not thine, what seems 
mine .is not mine; whatever thou hast 
belongs to God, and whatever I have 
belongs to God; you and I must use what 
we have according to God's will." — Dr. 
R. W. Dale. 

1641. A woman once visited an insti- 
tution where homeless and friendless 
children found refuge, and looked over 
the little waifs that were gathered there. 
Among them she found a child to whom 
her heart went out, and said, 



The Christian Life. 



— 239 — 



Forgiving Others. 



'•This is the child I want for my own." 

"He is not for adoption" said the per- 
son in charge. 

One day she came again with tears 
and said, 

"Why can I not have the child I 
want ?" 

They told her then the story of the 
child, and of the utter depravity of its 
parents. There was bad blood in the 
child, and it would be a terrible risk to 
take such a child as that. The woman 
went away sorrowful, but after three or 
four days she returned and said, '"I have 
come for my baby. If you think he 
will be more likely to be a good boy and 
man with my mother love, and brought 
up in a Christian home, give him to me. 
God will take care of the rest." 

Her love prevailed. They gave the 
ill-born waif into her hands. She took 
him to her heart. Years have passed 
since then. Love has prevailed and 
conquered, and the little helpless hope- 
less waif she took to her home has grown 
up to manhood a faithful, honored 
Christian gentleman. There is a mighty 
power in love. 

Forgiving Others. (1642-1667) 

1642. Gunner Stevenson was a mem- 
ber of the "Legion of Strangers" in the 
Boer army. He was brutally insulted by 
a big German officer, and compelled to 
fight a duel. "When the word "Fire!" 
was given his antagonist's weapon rang 
out, and Stevenson was unhurt, with a 
bullet still in his gun. His insulter was 
at his mercy. He saw him kneeling on 
the ground begging for mercy. The 
German had fired and missed. Steven- 
son raised his rifle, and aimed at the 
squirming wretch but in a moment he 
dropped it to "carry", opened the breech, 
and jerked the cartridge on to the grass 
at Ills feet. That magnanimous act won 
for him more than if he had sent the 
bullet through his enemy's heart. — C. E. 
World. 

1(113. A State's prison chaplain told 
about a girl whose father had been 
murdered by a man awaiting death in 
the prison. The little girl was mother- 
less, and the father had been everything 
to her. When he had died from Injur- 
ies received from the man who wanted 
to rob him, the child in an agony of 
grief cried: "The wicked man! I hate 
him!" 

She repeated this for several days, un- 
til praying the Lord's Prayer one morn- 
ing, she stopped at the petition, "Forgive 
u~ mil- debt-.." 

For days she wrestled with the an- 
guish of her heart, and then she went 
to the warden, and asked to be admitted 



to the cell. She stood before him, and 
with trembling voice, not trusting her- 
self to look into his face, she said: "I 
forgive you! I forgive you, as I hope to 
be forgiven!" The criminal, whom 
nothing had moved up to this time gave 
way to tears, confessed his crime, sent 
for the chaplain, and asked for his 
prayers. The child had "gained" the 
wicked man by her forgiving spirit. 

1644. A noted evangelist told of a 
woman who was under deep conviction. 
She said she was willing to give up all 
sins but one; she could not forgive a 
woman who had wronged her. I said, 
"You will have to give that up." She 
said, "If you knew what that was you 
would not ask me to do it." "I do not 
ask you to do it," I said — "God asks you 
you to do it. There is no other way for 
you." She said, "I can't forgive that 
injury." I said, "Does it make you a 
truer, happier woman?" "No," she said, 
"it makes me miserable." I said, "Let 
us kneel down and tell that to God." 
We knelt together in prayer, and after 
I had prayed I asked her to pray; and 
she told the Lord that if she could she 
would forgive this injury, and that she 
would like to get the bitterness out of 
her heart. And you know what the 
Lord did: He opened the flood-gates of 
his infinite love and poured his forgiv- 
ing spirit through her heart. And when 
we rose up she said she would go out 
and write a letter to this friend and 
forgive her heartily; and almost imme- 
diately she came into the liberty and 
beauty and peace of a child of God. 

1645. A young girl was persecuted in 

her godless home because she was a 
Christian. Quietly, bravely, patiently she 
bore it. rejoicing that she was a partaker 
of Christ's sufferings. But the struggle 
was soon ended, the pain over. When 
they came to robe her for the grave they 
found written on a paper sewed inside 
her dress, "He opened not his mouth." 

1616. An evangelist told how lie met 
six persons within ten days, who were 
being kept out of the kingdom of God 
because they were unwilling to forgive 
those who had wronged them. 

1617. Why did Chris! say that the 
man that forgave his enemy should be 
forgiven, and the man that would not 
forgive his enemy should never be for- 
given? There is one test by which God 
and our fellow-men and we ourselves 
can know whether we are Christians or 
not, and it is the same test. But here 
we are face to face with this fact, that 
tiii — Is the test thai God gives by 

which he can tell whether We are Chris- 
tians or not, and It Is whether we have 



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Forgiving Others. 



love to our fellow-men who have in- 
jured us. — Mills. 

1648. In "The Bonnie Briar Bush", 
Lachlan Campbell, the stern, exacting 
Scot, received his penitent daughter to 
his home (which had been as a tomb, 
ever after her departure to a life of 
shame) and proudly walked with her 
again to the village kirk. And what is 
finer than this? "He brought over the 
Bible and opened it at the family regis- 
ter where his daughter's name had been 
erased; then he laid it down before 
Flora, and bowed his head on the bed. 
"Will you ever be able to forgive your 
father?" "Give me the pen, Marget;" 
and Flora wrote for a minute, but Lach- 
lan never moved. When he lifted his 
head, this was what he read in a vacant 
space: 

"Flora Campbell. 
Missed April, 1873. 
Found September, 1873. 
Her father fell on her neck and kissed 
her." And this, "There are fifty words 
for darling" (in the Gaelic), "and my 
father will be calling me every one that 
night I came home." 

That is not all fiction either. It is the 
simple, beautiful narrative of human 
frailty and human love never failing and 
but faintly typifying that of the All- 
Father. — Monday Club Sermons. 

1649. The slave of a great eastern po- 
tentate, a Mohammedan in the seventh 
century, had carelessly dropped a dish 
of scalding broth on his master. Falling 
at his feet, the frightened servant re- 
peated a verse of the Koran, "Paradise 
is for those who command their anger". 
"I am not angry," the master said. "And 
for those who pardon offenses." "I par- 
don your offense." "And for those who 
return good for evil." "I give you lib- 
erty and four hundred pieces of silver!" 
— Detroit News Tribune. 

1650. During the Russo-Japanese War, 
Colonel Jokoka was captured by the 
Russians when about to blow up a 
bridge on the Manchurian railway. He 
accepted his death penalty without a 
murmur. "I became a Christian when 
a boy," he said "and now it is permitted 
me to do the first truly Christian act of 
my life. I wish to give a thousand ru- 
bles, to the Russian Red Cross, to be 
used for our wounded enemies." The 
Russian commandant was deeply moved, 
and remonstrated with him, suggesting 
that he give the money to the Japanese 
Red Cross work or to his family, but the 
Japanese colonel was firm in his purpose 
that it should be used for his enemies, 
and the commandant accepted the mon- 
ey. When asked what final request he 
had to make before his execution, 



Colonel Jokoka asked to see a chaplain, 
and the Russian regimental pope was 
sent for, as there was no Protestant min- 
ister in camp. He asked the priest to 
read the Sermon on the Mount. When 
these words were reached, "If ye love 
them that love you, what reward have 
ye? do not even the publicans the same? 
And if ye salute your brethren only, 
what do ye more than others?" the pris- 
oner closed his Japanese Bible, in which 
he had been following the reader, and 
after a few moments of silent prayer re- 
ceived the fatal bullets. — Teachers' Guide. 

1651. A minister once said to an in- 
quirer who would not forgive an injury: 

"You can never, never be forgiven un- 
less you can forgive this injury." "Then 
I can never be forgiven", she said; and 
the tears came into her eyes and rolled 
down her cheeks as she sat there. "Many 
a time after that have I seen that wo- 
man sitting in the congregation, and 
I could look down through those great 
open windows into her soul, and I have 
seen a picture of a soul in hell." 

1652. When Madame Sontag began 
her musical career she was hissed off 
the stage at Vienna by the friends of her 
rival, Amelia Steininger, who had al- 
ready begun to decline through her dis- 
sipation. Years passed on, and one day 
Madame Sontag, in her glory, was rid- 
ing through the streets of Berlin, when 
she saw a little child leading a blind wo- 
man, and she said, "Come here, my little 
child, come here. Who is that you are 
leading by the hand?" And the little 
child replied, "That's my mother, that's 
Amelia Steininger. She used to be a 
great singer, but she lost her voice, and 
she cried so much about it that she lost 
her eyesight." "Give my love to her," 
said Madame Sontag, "and tell her an 
old acquaintance will call on her this 
afternoon.' The next week in Berlin a 
vast assemblage gathered at a benefit 
for that poor blind woman, and it was 
said that Sontag sang that night as she 
had never sung before. And she took 
a skilled oculist, who in vain tried to 
give eyesight to the poor blind woman. 
Until the day of Amelia Steininger's 
death Madame Sontag took care of her, 
and her daughter after her. That was 
what the queen of song did for her 
enemy. 

1653. Two New England merchants, 

who lived across the street from each 
other, had not spoken for years, because 
of a business quarrel. One day one of 
them, influenced by the Holy Spirit, went 
across and knocked at a side door. The 
other called "Come in". When he went 
in the other said, "Why, what in the 
world are you doing here?" He told him 



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Forgiving Others. 



that he had come to ask forgiveness. 
The other was melted at once, and said, 
'•I was in the wrong." He asked "What 
led you to come over?" The friend 
said; "The Holy Spirit." He then asked 
his visitor to pray with him and the 
visit led to his finding Christ. 

1654. A well-known evangelist was 
conducting union meetings in one of our 
large cities, and all denominations were 
working together for the salvation of 
souls. One day one of the workers re- 
marked to another: "I am sure that the 
churches of this city are to see such an 
ingathering as they have never seen be- 
fore." "How so?" asked the other. "I 
am sure we have had greater preachers 
than Mr. among us." 

"That is probably true," said the first 
speaker. "But let me tell you why I I 
believe there is to be a great ingather- ' 
ing. This morning just as I finished my . 
breakfast my door-bell was rung by a 
lady whom I had not seen for months. 
She came to me because she fancied she 
had injured me Jong ago, and because 
she wished me to tell her that I had 
forgiven her. I had harbored no re- 
sentment; — indeed, I had forgotten the 
matter altogether until it was recalled 
to my mind, and I told her so. "But 
I had not," she said, with streaming 
eyes. "And when, last night, the evan- 
gelist said that perhaps our sins and 
wrong feelings were the hindrances that 
lay between some soul and Christ, I 
determined not to live another day with- 
out hearing you say, 'I forgive you.' " 

"I tell you," went on the speaker, 
"when Christian hearts are thus quick- 
ened, sinners will surely be reached and 
saved. Watch, and see If I am not 
right." The prediction was justified. 
Within the next month a wave of reli- 
gious Interest had overswept the entire 
city, and thousands of persons had been 
added to the churches. 

1655. Probably nothing exhibits the 
supreme felicity and worth of friendship 
quite so much as the toleration of faults 
which are not simply aggressions, but 
deficiencies in those we love, which often 
are seen in a way to try our sensibili- 
ties. Certain it is that no one renders 
a friend quite so good a service or more 
clearly demonstrates the value of his 
friendship as when in a kindly and gen- 
erous way, without wounding his friend's 
feelings, lie shows that friend a fault,' 
which may be regarded simply as a 
blemish upon an otherwise beautiful 
picture. 

1656. The late Dr. M. D. Hoge, of 
Richmond, Va., told of two Christian 
men who "foil out." One hoard that the 
other was talking about him, and he 

10 Prac. 111. 



went to him and said: "Will you be kind 
enough to tell me my faults to my face, 
that I may profit by your Christian can- 
dor, and try to get rid of them ?" "Yes, 
sir," replied the other, "I will do it." 

They went aside and the former said: 
"Before you commence telling what you 
think wrong in me, will you please bow 
down with me, and let us pray over it, 
that my eyes may be opened to see my 
faults as you will tell them? You lead 
in the prayer." 

It was done, and when the prayer was 
over, the man who had sought the inter- 
view said: "Now proceed with what you 
have to complain of in me." But the 
other replied: "After praying over it, it 
looks so little that it is not worth talking 
about. The truth is, I feel now that in 
going around talking against you, I have 
been serving the devil myself, and I 
have need that you pray for me, and for- 
give me the wrong I have done you." — 
Religious Herald. 

1657. So forgiving was Cranmer, Arch- 
bishop of Canterbury, and so careful to 
return good for evil, that it became a 
common saying, "Do my lord of Canter- 
bury an ill turn, and you may be sure 
to have him your friend while lie liveth." 

1658. Arrived at the stake, John Huss, 
falling on his knees, prayed fervently, 
chanted in a clear voice the fifty-first 
Psalm and cried, "Lord Jesus, I would 
endure with humility this death for the 
cause of thy holy Gospel — pardon all 
my enemies. 

1659. There is a false forgiveness 
which speaks in this wise: '"I will deal 
him one more blow and then forgive 
him." "I will forgive, but I will not 
forget." "I will forgive him, but he 
would better not do so again." True 
forgiveness is unreserved and promptly 
extended. It does not keep the suppli- 
ant kneeling in the snow all through a 
bitter winter's night at the gate of the 
Vatican, as the Pope did Hom y of Ger- 
many, but even while the prodigal is a 
great way off it sees him, runs, and falls 
on his neck, and kisses him. — Bennett. 

1660. When Savonarola was burned nt 

the stake, after life had become extinct, 
by some peculiar action of the boat upon 
the muscles, his arm was raised up as 
though in silent benediction upon bis 
persecutors. Upon which, though just 
before they were rejoicing over his 
death, they were filled with sorrow, and 
fell on their 1 ntes, praying for pardon. 

1661. Once in the olden time, and In 
a far-off country, there lived a suinily 
man, who, because of his constant char- 
ities and his kindness to all who were In 
any kind of need, was called John the 



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Forgiving Others. 



Almsgiver. He was bishop of Alexan- 
dria, and was continually sought after 
for his wise counsel and his sympathy. 
On one occasion a nobleman desired to 
speak with him, and when admitted into 
his presence poured out an angry tale 
of one who had grievously offended him. 
"That man," he cried passionately, "has 
so deeply injured me that I can never 
forgive him — no, never!" 

The bishop heard him in silence, and 
after a pause said it was his hour of 
prayer. Would he go with him into the 
chapel ? The nobleman complied, and, 
following him, they knelt down together. 
Then the bishop began to repeat aloud 
the Lord's Prayer, his companion say- 
ing it after him. When he got to the 
petition, "Forgive us our trespasses as 
we also forgive those who trespass 
against us," he paused, and the noble- 
man not heeding, went on with the 
words alone. Finding his voice was 
alone, he, too, stopped, and there was a 
solemn silence. Then the message sent by 
God's grace flashed like lightning 
through his mind. He was calm; his an- 
ger was gone; and, rising from his knees, 
he hurried to the man who had offended 
him, and there, on the spot, forgave him 
freely. — The Banner. 

1662. The lesson of the forgiveness of 
wrongs is not an easy one to learn. Es- 
pecially when the injury or offense is re- 
peated over and over again, it is hard to 
maintain the forgiving spirit. Peter 
thought forgiving seven times would cer- 
tainly exhaust the requirement, but Je- 
sus said, "Not seven times, but seventy 
times seven," that is, without taking any 
note of the number of times. Forgive- 
ness is to be a fountain of love in the 
heart, a fountain which is inexhaustible. 
Forgiveness is not a matter that is mere- 
ly desirable — it is essential. When God 
has forgiven us we must be forgiving to 
others; otherwise His forgiveness of us 
will be withdrawn. 

1663. John the Almsgiver had remon- 
strated with the Governor of Alexandria 

for some oppression of the poor, and 
the governor, resenting his interference, 
had dismissed him with anger and bitter 
words. John was deeply pained, and all 
day long grieved over the hasty temper 
of one whom he believed to be a Chris- 
tian. The evening hour came on; then 
he took a strip of parchment and sent 
it to the governor, after writing on it 
the simple words, "The sun is setting," 
leaving them to carry their own sugges- 
tions with them. Again God sent the 
message home — we feel sure that prayer 
had winged it — and the governor, rush- 
ing to his friend with open arms, did not 
"let the sun go down upon his wrath." 



1664. He lost his pardon simply be- 
cause when he was forgiven he would 
not forgive. He had no penitence with 
which to meet pardon, and no godly 
sorrow with which to respond to 
proffered mercy. 

This is the story as we find it in the 
"Richmond Register:" "A man named 
Samuel Holmes, in Frankfort jail un- 
dergoing punishment for murder, re- 
ceived a visit from his old schoolfellow 
Lucien Young. The Kentucky Legisla- 
ture recorded some years ago its appre- 
ciation of Young's bravery in rescuing 
several lives from a wrecked vessel; and 
when Young, moved by Holmes' condi- 
tion, made an appeal to Governor Black- 
burn for his pardon, the governor, re- 
membering his brave action, relented, 
and signed the pardon for his sake. 
With the document in his pocket, Young 
hastened back to the prison to tell the 
good news to his friend. Before telling 
him, however, that he had come to 
make him a free man, Young com- 
menced a conversation, and, after talk- 
ing awhile upon other subjects, finally 
said, 'Sam, if you were turned loose and 
fully pardoned, what would be the first 
thing you would do?' The convict very 
quickly responded, 'I would go to Lan- 
caster and kill Judge Owsley and a man 
who was a witness against me.' Young 
uttered not a word, but turned mourn- 
fully away, went outside the prison walls, 
took the pardon from his pocket, and 
tore it into fragments." 

1665. When the Dauphin of France, 
Louis XVII., was a child, he was torn 
from the arms of his mother in the 
French Revolution, and was imprisoned 
in the temple. He was put in charge of 
Simon, a violent and brutal Jacobin, 
who indirectly tried to murder him by 
cruelty. He left him, to languish in a 
cell, without amusement, employment or 
exercise. The boy had no fresh air, 
little water, and coarse food flung into 
the half opened door. He could not 
even wash himself, his bed was unmade 
for six months, and for more than a 
year his clothes were not changed. The 
child was by this reduced to the borders 
of imbecility. Yet when there seemed 
to be a counter-revolution, which seemed 
likely to put him again on the throne, 
his brutal jailor, with a satanic leer at 
him, said, "What would you do with me 
if you found yourself on the throne?" 
"I would pardon you," was the angelic 
answer. Even the jailor showed signs 
of being touched by the divine pathos of 
such an answer. 

1666. An autograph album, in the pos- 
session of a Swedish count, contains 
three memorable verses, by which their 
authors, eminent statesmen, expressed 



The Christian Life. 



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Kindness. Sympathy. Tact. 



their views on the philosophy of human 
intercourse. Guizot. at the age of 80 
years wrote: '"During my long life I have 
learned two wise lessons; one is, to for- 
give much; the other, to forget nothing." 
Under these words is the sentence of 
Thiers, another aged French statesman: 
•'I have found that a little forgetting 
does not harm the sincerity of the for- 
giveness any." There was an empty 
space on the page yet, which Bismarck 
filled out thus: "During my life I have 
learned to forget much and to have 
much forgiven me." 

1667. Jaliilo. a Xew Hebrides chief, 

shot another chief because he had de- 
clared himself a Christian. Fortunately 
the wound did not prove fatal. The man 
was taken to the missionary hospital for 
treatment, where he listened daily to the 
story of Christ. A few months after 
this shooting affair, Jahilo was wounded 
by a chief named Seoul. He was ten- 
derly cared for by the native Christians 
and the missionaries, and soon gave evi- 
dence of a changed life. Hearing that 
Seoul was very ill, Jaliilo obeyed the 
Bible injunction. "Love your enemies," 
and at once visited him. Seoul was dis- 
mayed, and in great fear chided the 
Christians who were with Jahilo. "Why 
have you brought him?" he said. "I 
have no pigs now with which to make 
peace with him, and why does he come 
when he knows I am ill?" "You do not 
need to make peace with me," replied 
Jahilo tenderly. "Jesus has made me at 
peace. I have come to ten you to go 
to the mission hospital to learn about 
Jesus and to get made better, and come 
back and lead your people to the wor- 
ship." Seoul went, and in two weeks 
was quite well. 

Kindness. Sympathy. Tact. 

(1668-1773) 

1668. Sympathy provides a congenial 
atmosphere for bringing out the best 
things of which we arc capable. Dr. 
Jowett tells how, when Ian Maclaren 
was in his first pastorate in Edinburgh 
he was assistant to a man who chilled 
his young colleague with negative coun- 
sels'and with the cold anrl blighting at- 
mosphere of constant criticism. The 
young fellow began to feel that the 
ministry was not his appointed sphere, 
and he almost decided to abandon it. 
Then there came a call to the secluded 
ministry of Glenalmond. The atmos- 
phere became genial and inviting. The 
young preacher gUll Stumbled in his 
speech, and was often awkward in bis 
delivery. But mark how nn old High- 
lander spake to him alter a more than 



usually difficult morning, "If you are 
a-getting fast for a word or a thought, 
just give out a psalm and we'll sing it, 
for we are all a-Ioving you and praying 
for you."' And that atmosphere made 
John Watson a preacher. 

1669. After one of the battles of our 
Civil War, a member of the government 
ambulance corps was moving among the 
wounded on the field, assisting in their 
removal. He came to a dying Southern 
soldier, too far gone for hope through 
removal. As he stooped over the dying 
man, with a kindly word, the parching 
lips asked for water. The lips were 
tenderly moistened. 

"Thank you! Now please lay my cap 
over my face and let me die!" 

As this service was rendered lovingly, 
there came another call from the dying 
man: 

"Will you please tell me your name, 
my friend?" 

"Why, of course I will; but why do 
you ask it?" 

"Oh, so I can pray God through all 
eternity to bless you for giving me that 
water!" 

1670. A poor Arab going through the 
desert met with a sparkling spring. Ac- 
customed to brackish water, a draught 
from this sweet well in the wilderness 
seemed, to his simple mind, a present 
fit to offer the Caliph. So he filled his 
leathern bottle, and after a weary tramp, 
laid his humble gift at his sovereign's 
feet. The monarch, with a magnanimi- 
ty that may put many a Christian to 
blush, called for a cup, and filling it, 
drank freely: and with a smile thanked 
the Arab and presented him with a re- 
ward. The courtiers pressed eagerly 
around for a draught of the wonderful 
water which was regarded as worthy 
such a princely acknowledgment. To 
their surprise the Caliph forbade them 
to tou<h a drop. Then, after the sim- 
ple-hearted giver left the royal presence, 
with a new spring of joy welling tip in 
his heart, the monarch thus explained 
the motive for his prohibition: " During 
this long journey the water in this leath- 
ern bottle has become impure- and dis- 
tasteful; but it was an offering of love, 
and as such I accepted it with pleasure. 
I feared, however, that, If I allowed an- 
other to taste of it he would not conceal 
Ids disgust. Therefore it was that I 
forbade you to partake, lest the heart 
of the poor man should be wounded." — 
Pierson. 

1671. "If T had my life to live over 
again", said Hoi-ace Bnshnell, in bis r>M 
age, "there Is one thing I would not do 

I would DOl ptwh." 

1672. "Just slick it down anywhere. 



The Christian Life. 



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Kindness. Sympathy. Tact. 



It will grow." The lady handed a bit of 
a plant to the neighbor. I watched the 
progress of the plant, and saw it days af- 
terward when its pure flowers opened 
their eyes to look up into the face of the 
sun, and its perfume made the air' all 
about rich as breezes from Arabia. 
Stick down kindly deeds. The soil may 
seem cold and uncongenial. That does 
not matter so much as that we do our 
part. Seeds wafted by the wind have 
laid on the dry bosom of the desert for 
years and then, when some gentle show- 
er passed that way, have sprung up to 
brighten and cheer the waste places for 
a while. — E. L. Vincent in Epworth 
Herald. 

1673. I went to Music Hall about 
eight, and saw an audience of quite two 
thousand people — the place jammed, and 
two hundred and fifty clergymen and 
bishops on the platform. Cold shud- 
ders ran down my back. However, I 
knew my subject or thought I did, and 
I was going to speak without notes — ■ 
something I have never done since. My 
turn came after Father Benson, of Ox- 
ford. The whole place looked black to 
to me; I got up, stammered and sput- 
tered for five or six minutes — my time 
was twenty-five minutes — and sat down. 
I am not exaggerating this; I did not say 
one clear sentence that would parse in 
that time. I sat down in darkness and 
the meeting went on. At last people 
began to go, then men began to leave 
the platform: I did not know a soul. I 
sat there utterly cast down — a lonely 
youth indeed. All at once a large hand 
was laid on my shoulder, and a big, kind 
voice said, "Mr. Rainsford, will you 
preach for me in Trinity Church next 
Sunday morning?" That was my first 
meeting with Phillips Brooks. Was it 
any wonder I loved him? — W. S. Rains- 
ford. 

1674. One day a beautiful girl who 
was deeply interested in charitable work 
came to the Reformatory and asked to 
see the women prisoners. The superin- 
tendent himself took her among them 
where they were at work. She wore a 
red rose in her hair, and the minute the 
women saw her "Maggie the Terror", as 
she was called, a woman more dreaded 
by the other women in the institution 
than any other, attracted the visitor's at- 
tention. Suddenly the girl walked over 
to Maggie, and, taking the rose from her 
hair, handed it to her. Maggie looked 
worried and then smiled, and, though 
the superintendent had known her for 
years, for the first time he heard her 
say, "God bless you." That little deed 
of consecrated tactfulness changed her 
life. 

Maggie is now a faithful servant in the 



home of the young woman who handed 
her the rose. — Ram's Horn. 

1675. Many men have come into pub- 
licity through their courteous manner.-. 

The two representatives of the Russian 
government who came to this country 
to inspect our locomotive-works were 
paid scant attention by the large manu- 
facturers. Ross Winans, however, whose 
plant was small, but whose manners 
were large, received them cordially and 
explained how his plant is run. His 
guests were captivated by his gracious- 
ness, and in a year or two the Czar in- 
vited him to transfer his labors to Rus- 
sia. He did so, and in a short time his 
income reached one hundred thousand 
dollars a year. — The Circle. 

1676. A prisoner in a Southern prison 
during our Civil War, was offered an 
opportunity of exchange three times, and 
declined in favor of sick fellow prison- 
ers. The fourth opportunity came to 
him. He had been trying to win a com- 
rade for Christ, but the man repelled 
him saying, "I don't believe in that re- 
ligion, I see no evidences of it." For the 
fourth time he relinquished his oppor- 
tunity of freedom, this time in favor of 
this scoffer, and by his kindness and 
Christlike sacrifice, he broke down the 
man's opposition, and won him at last. 

1677. They tell a story of a judge in 
Aleppo. He had but one eye. A person 
was condemned to prison, as he thought 
unjustly. He rose before the judge, and 
said, "O, one-eyed judge, I am impris- 
oned here on a false accusation; and I 
tell you, O, one-eyed judge, that this 
man who has testified against me has 
received a bribe; and O, one-eyed judge, 
if I do not get justice, I will report this 
case to the Pasha; and if the Pasha 
does not do me justice, O, one-eyed 
judge, I will report him to the Sultan 
himself." The judge rose from his seat 
in a rage and said, "Take the man back 
to prison. I won't hear him plead be- 
fore me and call me forever a one- 
eyed judge." Tactlessness lost the man 
his case. 

1678. An old man who, late in life, was 
obliged to earn his living with his vio- 
lin, one morning found himself too fee- 
ble to play. As he sat by the roadside 
weeping, a gentleman approached him 
and said, "My friend, you are old and 
feeble; give me your violin." The stran- 
ger played the most exquisite music, and 
the crowd gathered and threw coins in- 
to the old man's hat until it was full. 
Then he gave him back his violin and 
went away. "Who was it?" they whis- 
pered. '"That is the great violinist, 
Bucher," saicl they who knew him. He 
had taken the sorrowful man's place and 



Ti'e Christian Life. 



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Kindness. Sympathy. Tact. 



assumed his burden and accepted his 
poverty and earned his livelihood. So 
Christ comes to us in the midst of our 
troubles, "and across the strings of his 
own broken heart he strikes a strain for 
us that wins for us the attention of hea- 
ven." He bears our sins, our sicknesses, 
our sorrows. — Sunday School Illustrator. 

1679. Athens had an altar to Pity but 
that altar had no worshippers. A recent 
traveler says that there are no ruins of 
hospitals or asylums at Pompeii. Phil- 
anthropy was kindled by Christ. 

1080. A friend of mine who had a 
proposition to place before the public 
asked me to recommend some one to 
handle it for him. He had $20,000 to 
expend on a "flyer", and wanted a bright 
advertising man, a man with ideas to 
inaugurate and carry out the details of 
an extensive publicity campaign. It was 
a matter of some importance, and I 
made careful inquiries for the proper 
man. The result of my inquiries pointed 
to a young man connected with one of 
the leading agencies of Chicago as the 
man for the job. He was said to be 
clean, alert, and had made a good record 
on a similar proposition. I accordingly 
called at the oflice of the agency, and 
after due process of red-tape was al- 
lowed to go to his stall, where I paused 
at the open door. The young man was 
dictating to a stenographer. I handed 
him my card with the remark: "I see 
you are busy now. I have a proposition 
to go over with you and will call again." 

Imagine my surprise when, after 
glancing at my card, he briskly rattled 
off this: "I don't want you to call again. 
I am always busy. Put your proposition 
in writing and mail it to me." 

"Thank you, I do not care to put my 
proposition in writing," I smiled back at 
him. It was getting positively funny. 

"Well, do as you like. I was just 
giving you a little sound advice — see?" 

"All right, I'll put it in writing." And 
I bade the young man good-morning. 

The next day he received a letter stat- 
ing that he had been recommended to 
me to take charge of a $20,000 adver- 
tising campaign, but. Binding that he was 
too busy t<> take the matter up. I had 
been compelled) to my meat regret, to 
place the business elsewhere. I hope 
the jolt did him good, for I am told he 
has some real brains. — It. A. Haste in 
Harper's Weekly. 

1081. "Wait a moment," said the sec- 
ond party to the conversation; "I will go 
n nd call Jones." "Call Jones?" ex- 
claimed the first party In amazement: 
"why should you call him?" "Because 
you were just about to make a disparag- 
ing remark about him, and I think it no 



more than fair that he should have a 
chance to hear it, unless you intended to 
repeat it to him." 

1082. An incident is told in the life of 
Xavier, the great missionary. He had 

had a very busy day, so crowded with 
those who sought comfort and help that 
he could no longer stand the pressure 
and strain. Weary and exhausted he 
sank upon his bed, saying to his attend- 
ant,'"! cannot see another soul. I must 
sleep. If I don't, I will die. No matter 
who comes, don't wake me; I must 
sleep." In a few moments Xavier was 
seen beckoning to the attendant, and 
saying, in a solemn tone as of one who 
had seen a holy vision. "I made a mis- 
take. I made a mistake. If a little 
child comes, waken me." Surely he 
was right, in the light of Christ's words. 
In the home, in the class, in our treat- 
ment of each other, what comfort and 
strength in the care of children would 
be ours if we remembered these words. 

1083. Sydney Smith said, "I have been 
making a calculation; if I make one 
person happy every day for ten years. I 
shall have made 3050 persons happy; 
that is I shall have brightened a small 
town by my contribution to the fund of 
general joy." 

1081. "I do not like to go to your 
church,'' said a woman occasional at- 
tendant whom I visited in her country 
home. I thought our members excep- 
tionally informal and cordial to each 
oilier and to strangers. "Not I, be sure 
of that; I never speak to anybody that 
does not speak to me first I" So, unwit- 
tingly, she had disclosed her disinclina- 
tion to approaches, and betrayed that 
the trouble was with herself and not 
the unusually friendly membership. 
Advances must come from two direc- 
tions, though perhaps not to just the 
same extent. Hand then meets hand, 
heart greets heart. 

1085. A boy of our parish went to the 
city a few years ago, decided on a 
church home, attended one Sabbath, 
"was not spoken to," began running 
around after a "welcome," and ended by 
saying he would not likely find welcome 
anywhere. This in a city! Standing on 
his dignity among strangers! "Did you 
seek the pastor and tell him you were 
in the city to stay, and wished that 
church for a church home?" "No." 
"Tell any usher?" "No." Attend 
young people's religious services 
and make your purpose known?" 
"No." Being written this, the minister 
addressed Immediately called at the 
young man's place of business, notilied 
his young people, and our boy had a 
welcome he wondered at. 



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Kindness. Sympathy. Tact. 



1686. During the famine in India some 
of the widows living in one of the rescue 
homes agreed to live more cheaply in 
order to rescue some of the poor starv- 
ing waifs. One girl widow of about 
fourteen adopted a scrawny babe. The 
other widows twitted her on its "mon- 
key-face." She replied: "To adopt a 
nice and pretty child is good but to take 
an ugly one is love." 

1687. One beautiful evening we en- 
tered the Golden Gate and dropped an- 
chor in San Francisco's wonderful har- 
bor. How we welcomed a quiet bed! 
The next day we boarded the first train 
to speed across the country. To my 
dismay, I could secure no Pullman 
berth for the tedious ride. Woe is me! 
I wandered up and down the aisle at 
my wit's end. But to my surprise a 
friendly passenger approached and said: 
"Share my berth, will you not, — for two 
are better than one?" How many of us 
would have put Christ's words to such a 
practical application as this? 

1688. Once upon a time, so I have 
heard, some earnest women went to en- 
deavor to reclaim one whose feet had 
wandered far from the paths of recti- 
tude. They found her, young and hand- 
some, robed in costly attire, and living 
in costly style. They reasoned with her, 
they prayed with her. She smiled cold- 
ly and repelled them. She grew only 
more hard, more distant, more defiant, 
until one woman with a heart, overflow- 
ing with love and sympathy, impulsively 
pushing aside the others, ran to the side 
of the erring one, and throwing her arms 
warmly about her, burst into convulsive 
weeping upon her shoulder. "Oh," she 
sobbed, as soon as she was able to speak, 
"to think that she was once some moth- 
er's dear little girl, and as sweet and 
pure and innocent as my little Theo- 
dora!" That loving, impulsive move- 
ment, that warm, close holding embrace, 
those tender, pitiful words, accomplished 
what all else had failed to do. True 
heart-love had won. — Illustrated Chris- 
tian Weekly. 

1689. Mr. J. M. Barrie, has a little 
heroine in one of his short stories who 
gives to a certain beggar out of the 
largeness of her own happiness, and who 
goes out of her way when she is very 
happy to hear a coin jingle in his cup. 
Pleasure can never make anybody 
selfish when out of it springs this im- 
pulse to fill somebody else's cup of hap- 
piness. We pass this way but once, and 
so many opportunities to gladden and 
brighten other people's lives disappear 
with the summer. It is' only the little 
kindnesses that one can do that really 
abide; it is only the people one associates 



with some little kindness that one is sure 
to recall in one's retrospect of a summer. 
— The Christian Advocate. 

1090. The soldier that runs away for- 
feits his life by the law of war. In one 

of the great battles in which Napier 
was commanding, one of the British 
soldiers was overcome by fear. His 
heart quaked, and he saw a chance to 
drop out of the line and run for the rear. 
So he started; but he was caught by 
some of his fellow-soldiers and they 
were about to shoot him. Just then 
Napier came up. The battle was al- 
ready won at that time, so the great 
general had an opportunity to stop and 
consider the case. The soldiers told him 
about this poor fellow who was running 
away, and that they were going to shoot 
him. "No," said the general, "give him 
another chance." And he ordered that 
when the fight began again, this man 
should be put in the front rank to have 
an opportunity to retrieve his good 
name and show that, after all, at heart 
he was a brave man and a loyal soldier. 
And so he proved himself to be, not only 
in that battle, but ever after. — Frank T. 
Bayley. 

1691. Discouragement often comes to 
honest souls trying to live the best they 
can, in the thought that they are doing 
so little good in the world. Trifles un- 
noted by us may be links in the chain 
of some great purpose. In 17 97, Wil- 
liam Godwin wrote The Inquirer, a col- 
lection of revolutionary essays on morals 
and politics. This book influenced 
Thomas Mai thus to write his Essay on 
Population, published in 1798. Mai thus' 
book suggested to Charles Darwin a 
point of view upon which he devoted 
many years of his life, resulting, in 1859, 
in the publication of The Origin of Spe- 
cies. These were but three links of in- 
fluence extending over sixty years. It 
might be possible to trace this genealo- 
ogy of influence back from Godwin, 
through generation and generation, to 
the word or act of some shepherd in 
early Britain, watching his flock upon 
the hills, living his quiet life, and dying 
with the thought that he had done noth- 
ing to help the world. 

1692. Few men with such large inter- 
ests on their hands ever find so much 
time for "the little kindnesses that most 
leave undone, or despise," as did Phillips 
Brooks. Perhaps his biographer reveals 
the secret when he says, "One of his 
characteristics was to be ready for duty, 
and to make his preparations some time 
in advance." 

1693. A Southerner told the following 
story: "It was a hot July day in 1864, 
and General Grant was after us. Our 



The Christian I i'e. 



247 — 



Kindness. Sympathy. Tact. 



men had hurriedly dug rifle-pits to pro- 
tect themselves from the Federal sharp- 
shooters, and dead and dying Feds were 
lying up to the very edge of those pits. 
In one of the pits was an ungainly, raw 
boy, green as grass. "We never paid 
much attention to him, one way or an- 
other. 

"The wounded had been lying for 
hours unattended before the pits, and 
the sun was getting hotter and hotter. 
They were suffering horribly from pain 
and thirst. Not fifteen feet away, out- 
side the rifle-pit, lay a mortally wounded 
officer who was our enemy. As the heat 
grew more intolerable, this officer's cries 
for water increased. He was evidently 
dying hard. At last, with tears flooding 
his grimy face, the raw recruit cried out: 

"I can't stand it no longer, boys! I'm 
goin' to take that poor feller my can- 
teen." 

"For answer to this foolhardy speech 
one of us stuck a cap on a ramrod and 
hoisted it above the pit. Instantly it was 
pierced by a dozen bullets. And all the 
while we could hear the officer's moans: 
Water! water! Just one drop, for God's 
sake, somebody! Only one drop!" 

"The tender-hearted boy could stand 
the appeal no longer. He gave a des- 
perate leap over the embankment, and 
once on the other side, threw himself 
flat on the ground and crawled toward 
his dying foe. He could not get close 
to him because of the terrible fire, but 
he broke a sumac bush, tied to the stick 
his precious canteen, and landed it in 
the sufferer's trembling hands. 

"Yon never heard such gratitude in 
your life. Perhaps there was never any 
iike it before. The officer was for giving 
him his gold watch. But this the boy 
would not allow. He only smiled hap- 
pily, and returned as he had gone, 
crawling amid a hailstorm of bullets. 
When he reached the edge of the pit he 
called out to his comrades to clear the 
way for him, and with a mighty leap 
he was among us once more. He was 
not even scratched. 

"How could you do It?" I asked in a 
whisper later when the crack of the 
rifles ceased for a moment. 

"It was something my mother used to 
say: 'I was thirsty and ye gave 
me drink.' She read It to me out 
of the Bible. When I heard that man 
crying for water T renumbered it. 
The words stood still In my head. I 
couldn't get rid of 'em. So I thought 
they meant me — and I went. That's all." 

1694. IVever lose a chance ol saying a 
kind word. As CoHlngwood never saw 
a vacant place in his estate but he took 
an acorn out of his pocket and popped 
It in, so deal with your compliments 



through life. An acorn costs nothing, 
but it may sprout into a prodigious bit 
of timber. — Thackeray. 

1695. Some years ago an elderly lady 

living in a city not far from New York 
invited her servant girl to accompany 
her to church. The kindness of the la- 
dy, together with the preaching of the 
Gospel to which she was compelled to 
listen, persuaded the girl to accept 
Christ. Not many weeks passed before 
she in turn was the means of leading 
another girl to the Master; both united 
with the church. This second girl went 
to Germany for a visit, and on her re- 
turn voyage met a young woman and 
her brother whose destination was the 
city in which she lived. She cultivated 
their acquaintance, and was the means 
of leading botli to Christ. The brother 
married into a Christian family, and the 
sister also married, bringing her hus- 
band with her into the fellowship of the 
church. Every member of this group 
of persons — the elderly lady, the two 
servant girls, the brother and sister, and 
the sister's husband, are still faithful 
and aggressive workers of the same 
church, and through their earnest per- 
sonal efforts others also have been led 
to Jesus. — Sunday School Journal. 

1696. When the English steamer Stel- 
la was wrecked in the Casquet rocks, 
twelve women were put into a boat, which 
the storm whirled away into the waters 
without a man to steer it, and without 
an oar which the women could use. All 
they could do was to sit still in the boat, 
and let the wind and waves carry them 
whither they would. 

They passed a terrible night, not 
knowing to what fate destiny was con- 
ducting them. Very cold and wet, they 
must have been quite overcome but for 
the courage, presence of mind, and mus- 
ical gifts of one of their number. This 
one was .Miss Marguerite Williams, a 
contralto singer of much ability, well 
known as a singer in oratorios. 

At the risk of mining her voice. Miss 
Williams began to sing to her compan- 
ions. Through the greater part of the 
night her voice rang over the waters. 
She sang as much of certain well-known 
oratorios as she could, particularly the 
contralto songs of "The Messiah" and 
"Elijah", and several hymns. Her voice 
and the sacred words Inspired the wo- 
men in the boat to endure their suffer- 
ings. 

At about four o'clock in the morning, 
while it was still dark, a small craft, 
which had been sent out to try to rescue 
some of the floating victims of the wreck, 
coming to a pause In the Waters, heard a 
woman's strong voice some distance 



V 



The Christian Life. — 248 



away. It seemed to be lifted in 'song. 
The men on the little steam craft lis- 
tened, and to their astonishment heard 
the words, "Oh, rest in the Lord," borne 
through the darkness. They steered in 
its direction, and before long came in 
sight of the boat containing the twelve 
women, and they were taken aboard. 

If it had not been for Miss Williams' 
singing they would not have been ob- 
served, and very likely would have drift- 
ed on to death, as so many other victims 
of the wreck did. 

1697. A child was playing in one of 

the streets of Glasgow, when a heavy 
wagon suddenly swung round the corner, 
and, at the risk of her life, a woman 
darted into the road and snatched the 
little one from .under the horses' feet. 
A gentleman who saw the brave act 
asked her if it was her child. "Na," re- 
plied the woman, "but it's somebody's 
bairn." That woman touched the very 
heart of the subject. If we would bear 
in mind that God created all men, and 
that Christ died for them, we would take 
far greater interest in all men, even those 
we do not know or love, and be willing 
to deny ourselves for their sake, as the 
Good Samaritan did. — Caley. 

1698. A certain boy matriculated in 
one of the universities of the South. He 

was poorly clad. When this boy paid 
his board, tuition and the price of sec- 
ond-hand books he had just five dollars 
left. At the end of the fourth year he 
took the "A. B." degree, and the next 
year the "A. M." degree. His poor, 
old, widowed mother sold one of 
the plow horses to carry him through 
the fifth year. But at the end of that 
year he sat up among the graduates 
dressed in his plain brown linen coat and 
pants and no vest. But he was the 
honor graduate, and at the head of the 
class. When a beautiful gold medal 
was handed to him, he stepped from the 
rostrum and walked straight to the back 
of the room, where, right by the door, 
sat a homely old woman in black, and 
tied the blue ribbon with the great glit- 
tering medal around her neck. She 
buried her wrinkled face in her old, 
drawn hands, and wept like a child. It 
seemed the applause would never die 
away. And now he has a high position 
at $6,000 a year, his mother sits happily 
in the gloamings of a beyond, and the 
picture of her noble son hangs on the 
wall of his Alma Mater. 

1699. A Christian lady pleaded with 
a poor, sinful girl, who had got away 
from her mother's God, to come to Jesus 
for paidon and peace. Suddenly the 
girl turned upon her. 



Kindness. Sympathy. Tact. 



'And have you been to him?" she 
asked. 

"Yes, indeed, I have," was the reply. 

"And has he given you rest?" 

"He has. Oh, thank God, he has. He 
is my Saviour and Friend." 

"Then put your arms about me and 
try to take me with you to him," mur- 
mured the girl. "It would be easier to 
go with one who has been before." 

It was the secret of success. Many 
will resent an attempt to draw them out 
of evil courses who will be won by that 
"touch of nature which makes the whole 
world kin." Let it be rather, "Come 
thou with us and we will do thee good." 
Another was rescued as . she exclaimed, 
"I don't care what becomes of me!" by 
a gentle touch on the arm and the loving 
words of a stranger, who overheard and 
understood, "But I do." 

It will be well to remember that Christ 
himself was "touched with a feeling of 
our infirmities" — the word used in the 
original meaning sympathy. — Christian 
Work. 

1700. "There! I was just dying for a 
word of praise!" laughed a woman in 
answer to a compliment on some bit of 
work she had been doing. "Not much — 
not very much; just enough to keep me 
going!" To one who has ever known 
the sweetness of loving appreciation, 
there is no hunger like the lack of it. 
Let this knowledge make us a little ten- 
der, a little quick to notice, a little gen- 
erous and outspoken in our admirations. 
It is such an easy way of helping. — 
Wellspring. 

1701. I believe that love is the secret 
of the world: it is like the philosopher's 
stone they used to look for, and almost 
as hard to find, but when one finds it, 
it turns everything to gold. Without 
love man is a brute, and nothing but a 
brute; with love he draws near to God. 
When everything else falls away love 
will endure, because it can not die while 
there is any life, if it is true love, for it 
is immortal. — Rider Haggard. 

1702. Humor at the expense of an- 
other is mere brutality. That was a fine 
tribute which Senator Hoar paid to his 
late friend, Senator Davis, "No spark 
from him was ever a cinder in the eye 
of his friend." 

1703. Courtesy is love in trifles, and 
where love is not, though its counterfeits 
may abound, courtesy itself is not. 
"Love doth not behave itself unseemly," 
neither in the home, nor toward them 
that serve us, nor to the poor, nor in any 
wise. Let us, then, think no more of 
courtesy as a trifle, nor number it with 
the "minor morals" of life; rather let us 
believe that its true place is "with the 



The Christian Life. 



— 249 — 



Kindness. Sympathy. Tact. 



great fortes of character that ennoble 
and redeem the world." — Rev. George 
Jackson. 

1704. After the death of the son 
of the present Queen Alexandra, she 

passed most of her time at Sandringham. 
The only thing which seemed to arouse 
her interest was some case of sorrow or 
bereavement which she could alleviate. 

As the princess was walking one morn- 
ing she met an old woman toiling along 
the road to Wolferton Station with a 
heavy load of packages on her back. 

"Why are you carrying those things 
yourself? It is too much for you," said 
the princess. 

"But it cannot be helped, ma'am" was 
the tearful reply; "my poor be/ Jack 
used to carry them for me; but he is 
dead, and I must do it myself, or starve." 

After speaking some kindly words of 
sympathy the princess passed on. A few 
days later a trim little donkey cart was 
sent to the old woman's cottage by the 
royal lady who too had lost a son, and 
found solace in ministering to the ne- 
cessities of one similarly bereft. Our 
royal Lord has passed over the path and 
through the sorrows that fall to our lot. 

1705. A pastor had preached an elo- 
quent sermon about heaven. A wealthy 
member of his church met him the next 
day, and said: "Doctor, you told us a 
great many grand and beautiful things 
about heaven yesterday, but you didn't 
tell us where it is." 

"Ah," said the pastor, "I am glad of 
the opportunity of doing so this morning. 
I have just come from the hilltop yon- 
der. Ip that cottage there is a member 
or our church. She is sick in bed with 
fever. Her two little children are sick 
in the other bed, and she has not a bit 
of coal or a stick of wood, or flour, or 
sugar, or any bread. 

"Now, if you will go down-town, and 
buy fifty doflars' worth of things — nice 
provisions — and send them to her, and 
then go and say: My sister, I have 
brought you these provisions in the name 
of our Lord and Savior;' ask lor a Bible, 
and read the twenty-third Psalm, and 
then get down on your knees and pray, 
wmi will sec heaven before you get 
through." — Herald and Presbyter. 

1700. Civility costs nothing, and is 

often productive of good results. Here 
is an instance. A local doctor of medi- 
cine at Hath, England, had a legacy of 
$20,000 ami a comfortable bouse, left 
him by a lady who was only known to 
him by his once offering her a seat in 
his carriage. 

1707. Dr. Talmage in a sermon on 
■'Meanness and infidelity." recalls that 
Sir Walter Scott's "Old Mortality", chisel 



in hand, went through the land to cut 
out into plainer letters the half-obliter- 
ated inscriptions on the tombstones, and 
it was a beautiful mission. But these 
infidel iconoclasts are spending their 
lives with hammer and chisel trying to 
cut out from the tombstones of our dead 
all the story of resurrection and heaven. 
They are the iconoclasts of every village 
graveyard, and of every city cemetery, 
and of Westminster Abbey. Instead of 
Christian consolation for the dying, a 
freezing sneer; instead of prayer, a gri- 
mace; instead of Paul's triumphant de- 
fiance of death, a going out you know 
not where, to stop you know not when, 
to do you know not what — that is infi- 
delity. 

1708. When that great physician. Sir 
James Simpson, received his baronetcy, 
numerous letters of congratulation 
poured in from all parts of the world. 
Perhaps some had envied him his well- 
won honors, and no doubt many must 
have thought him one of the happiest of 
men but at the very time his heart was 
broken by a great sorrow. The shadow 
of death had fallen on him, and he 
sighed out to a friend — 

"I receive many letters of congratu- 
lation. I have more need of letters of 
condolence." 

And this is no isolated case. Is there 
any lot in which there is no crook? Is 
there any cup in which there is no 
wormwood ? 

1709. "He that plants thorns should 
never go barefooted," is an old saying. 
Of course, you know what that means. 
The planted thorns are quite sure to 
come up, and in the path of one who 
planted them, so that if he goes bare- 
footed he will feel their sharp pricks 
himself. 

There is another way of putting it: 
Those who carelessly or purposely make 
trouble for others find trouble for them- 
selves. 

1710. The imaginative understanding 
of the nature of others, and the power 
of putting ourselves in their place is the 
faculty on which the virtue of sympa- 
thy depends. So that an unimaginative- 
person can neither be reverent or kind. 
— Ruskin. 

1711. There is no heautificr of com- 
plexion, or form, or behavior, like the 
wish to scatter joy and not pain around 
us. 'Tls good to give a stranger a meal, 
or a night's lodging. 'Tis better to be 
hospitable to the good meaning and 
(fought, and give courage to a compan- 
ion. — Emerson. 

1712. During the recent coal -Hike a 
driver overtook a woman who was al- 
most exhausted carrying a heavy basket 



The Christian Life.- 



— 250 — 



Kindness. Sympathy. Tact. 



of coal, and gave her a seat in his cart. 
He learned that she had just obtained a 
ton of coal, and was carrying this basket 
of it to a family entirely out of fuel and 
with sickness in the house. So the dri- 
ver went out of his way to deliver the 
basket of coal free of charge, and was 
kept out so long that he froze his feet. 
He was a Good Samaritan. 

1713. Chapman tells us of a little 
drummer boy in our Civil War who was 
taken into the hospital mortally wound- 
ed, and so they sent for his mother from 
a distant city. But when she came they 
said to her, "You cannot go in; he's too 
sick; he couldn't stand the shock." And 
so she stood by the door waiting and 
weeping and listening. And when she 
heard him sigh, she said to them, "Let 
me go in; I won't speak to him. I'll 
just sit by his bedside." And so they 
permitted her to pass quietly into the 
darkened room and sit beside him. But 
as she sat there the mother love was too 
strong, and, reaching out her hand, she 
laid it gently upon his aching forehead. 
He did not open his eyes, but he knew 
that touch. She saw his lips move, and 
stooping down to him, she heard him 
say. "I knew you'd come to me; I knew 
you'd come to me." And if you are only 
willing to welcome him who loves you 
more than you ever loved your little one, 
you may know that he will come to you, 
and "as one whom his mother comfort- 
eth," so will he comfort you. 

1714. "Oh, how cold!" escaped my 
lips as I stumbled through the door of a 
miserable attic tenement. The mother 
was out, but her twelve- year-old boy was 
mounted guard over the other children, 
as they played about the poorly furn- 
ished room. I shivered as the wind 
whistled through the broken window- 
panes, causing me to pull my overcoat 
over my ears. The boy was in his 
shirt sleeves, but I refrained from asking 
questions as to the whereabouts of his 
coat, in case its absence might have 
been the means of providing a crust of 
bread for the fatherless family. 

"Are you not cold, my boy?" I asked. 
"No," said he, "not very." Yet I no- 
ticed how his pretty pearly teeth chat- 
tered. I waited awhile and spoke to him; 
then I took a look into the cradle, 
where, sleeping quietly and comfortably, 
the baby lay covered with the boy's coat. 
Talk about the bravery of men who face 
cannon; in the heat of passion they will 
do anything; but there was a hero, on a 
bitter day, in his shirt sleeves because 
he wanted to shield his little brother 
from the biting effect of a cold February 
wind. 

1715. That modern philosopher was 



not far from the truth when he said, 
"Religion, in its essence, is a deed, and 
therefore religion will grow up with the 
moral quality of one's own life." 

And if a whisper in your soul asks 
you how to obtain the higher good for 
yourself, I give you this: Serve some- 
where, share somewhere, and as you 
serve and share, the royal spirit of God 
will find its way into the open door of 
your life and will become the choicest 
guest of your heart. — Nehemiah Boyn- 
ton. 

1716. In a tenement, of the worst 
kind, there was a family in direst need. 

The man was a drunkard. His wife had 
"seen better days." When the neighbors 
found out her plight, the most extraor- 
dinary season of plenty set in under that 
roof. At every meal hour someone 
called at the door of the H 's, beg- 
ging the acceptance of this or that arti- 
cle of food, "left over." When Mrs. H — 
finally saw through the subterfuge, and 
protested that they were depriving them- 
selves to help her, the answer she got 
was a half-shamed, "Oh, never mind! 
You can't stand it as we can, and any- 
way we don't want to see you come 
down." For "come down" read "ask 
public relief." They did not see it. The 
woman got upon her feet. She had 
known better days — had friends then, 
who, now that she lived in a tenement — - 
and such a tenement — passed by on the 
other side. "Which of these, thinkest 
thou, proved neighbor unto her?" — 
Jacob A. Riis. 

1717. We happened to be with a 
painter when he was placing some of his 
pictures in a room for public exhibition, 
and we noted how particular he was 
about getting them in the right light. 
"The light," he said, "a painter always 
has regard for the light." He wanted 
the light to come from the right direc- 
tion and to fall on the picture at the 
right angle. Such light would show the 
picture in the right aspect so as to bring 
out its perspective and its lights and 
shades, and thereby throw into relief the 
artist's meaning. So necessary a prin- 
ciple in the setting and judging of pic- 
tures obviously applies to some other 
things. For instance, to people. We 
can set almost any person, even the best, 
in such a light as will throw him out of 
proportion and blur all his proper lights 
and shadows. We can thus turn a good 
man into a caricature and make his best 
motive wear a sinister aspect, as by 
setting it in the wrong light we can turn 
a Madonna into a daub of paint. 

1718. One who repeated to a friend a 
word of praise that had been overheard 
— a high encomium of his work and 



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Kindness. Sympathy. Tact. 



character was somewhat surprised at the 
sudden light that flashed into the strong 
face. "Thank you," was the earnest re- 
ply. "I'm glad you told me that. It is 
something to live up to." There was no 
vain acceptance of the commendation 
as fully merited; it was only like a bugle 
call to higher service. 

1719. A bronzed sailor crossing Lon- 
don bridge espied the cages of a bird- 
fancier filled with home birds. He 

speedily struck a bargain for the lot. 
Then deliberately opening cage after cage 
he let all the birds fly away. The as- 
tonished salesman thought this was a lit- 
tle eccentricity on the part of a tar too 
flush of cash, and the little group that 
gathered round en;oyed the joke im- 
mensely. But even the tough hearts of 
the city Arabs were softened, and their 
eyes moistened, when Jack turned round 
and said: "Mates. I've just come out of 
a dungeon in a foreign land. I know 
what it is to be a captive cooped up with- 
in four walls, and I can't bear to see 
even a bird deprived of its liberty." 
They who suffer learn how to sympa- 
thize. 

1720. A poor old Russian shoemaker 
lived alone in a dingy apartment. One 
night after he had read in his great old 
Bible he dreamed that Christ would visit 
him the next day. He arose in the morn- 
ing with a glad heart, set his room in 
order, and awaited the coming of his 
royal Guest. The morning was cold 
and stormy, the snow fell in great drifts, 
and as the day wore on the storm raged 
with greater fury; still the old man 
watched from his little window with 
anxious heart. Presently he saw a child 
carrying a large basket struggling 
against the storm; he hastened out, took 
the child up in his arms, carried him 
safely across the great drifts. Again from 
his window he watched and waited. A 
tottering old man. thinly clad, shivering 
in the cold, now engaged the attention of 
the shoemaker. Again he went out, 
brought the shivering wanderer into his 
home, warmed him by the fire, and 
started him on his journey with a heavy 
outer coat to shield him from the bitter 
winds. Night came, but no royal Guest: 
with heavy, disappointed heart the old 
shoemaker read the word and retired. 
In dreamland a voice spoke again. "I 
came and ye knew me not. Inasmuch 
as ye have done it unto one of the least 
of these my brethren, ye have done It 
unto me." — Rev. H. M. Bannen. 

1721. There are lovely things In every 

life, in even the anlovelfest. There is pos- 
sible glory enough In the most depraved 
soul to lead f'hrlst to go to the Cros-y to 
redeem it. But apart from this fact of 



the future possibilities in every human 
j being there is no one in whom there is 
not just now something goou and beau- 
tiful. A mother sees loveliness in her 
own child however homely it may be. It 
is love that finds the loveliness. When 
we love people, no matter how repulsive 
they may appear to others, for us there 
is something winning and attractive in 
them. 

1722. The father of Sir Hubert Her- 
komer, the great painter, was a poor 
man, and the professor brought him 
from his native land of Germany to live 
with him in his beautiful house near 
London. The old man used to model in 
clay in his early life, and now that he 
had leisure he took to it again in his old 
age. But his hands trembled, and the 
work showed signs of imperfection. It 
was his one sorrow. At night he went 
to bed early, and when he had gone 
his son would go into the studio, take his 
father's poor work, and make it as 
beautiful as possible. When the old 
man came down in the morning he would 
look at the work and rub his hands, and 
say, "Ha! I can do as well as ever I did." 
— The Christian Advocate. 

1723. A wealthy citizen of Colorado 

is said to be trying to find the young lady 
who, when he was a sick soldier, on his 
way from Cuba to Montauk Point, put 
a pillow under his head on the train at 
Long Island City. He wants to reward 
her kindness. 

1721. "We looked up as the door opened 
shyly and the Big Boy entered. "Don't 
go!" he said, as we started to move aside 
a little. "I just stopped to look in and 
speak to mother as I went by the door. 
It helps to make the day go easy." 

A word, a kiss, a loving look, "to make 
the day go easy!" Who has not asked 
or longed for it? There are people whose 
cordial greeting in the morning is a ben- 
ediction for the day; brave souls whose 
word in passing is like a strong and 
helpful handclasp in its inspiring friend- 
liness. Who would not go out of one's 
way to meet them of a morning? 

We are a needy folk. We go about 
I the streets with set, grim, hungry faces, 
; often not telling our trouble, not even 
; wishing any one to guess it. Yet, all 
I the while, we wish some word would 
( omc — "to make the day go easy." 

172.V Br. Blair was called to attend a 
middle-aged rich lady who had many 
Imaginary ills. He wrote out and left 
a plain prescription, which ran thus: 
"Do something for somebody." The 
Doctor heard nothing from his patient 
till Christmas morning, when he was, 
hastily called to the cottage of her Irish 
\. ;isherwoman. "It's not mcsiif, Doctor. 



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Kindness. Sympathy. Tact. 



it's me wrist that's ailing- Ye see I was 
after going out into the black darkness 
for a few bits of wood, when me foot 
struck this basket. ■ It stood there like 
a big mercy, as it was, full of soft flan- 
nels from Mrs. Walker. She told me 
that your medicine cured her, Doctor; 
so if ye'll plaze to put a little of the 
same on me wrist, I'll be none the worse 
for me nice present." "It is a powerful 
remedy." said the Doctor gravely. And 
more than once in after years he wrote 
the prescription, "Do something for some- 
body." 

1726. Loving service to one another is 
the best means of real acquaintance. 

Every nature opens to what it sees to 
be loving service, and shuts itself against 
what it esteems to be a selfish demand. 
Loving service is the best cement of so- 
ciety. We can well spare the man who 
serves himself through ourselves, but 
we want to retain the fellowship of the 
man who is constantly serving others. 
Really our best service to ourselves 
comes from the service which we render 
to those about us. — The Examiner. 

1727. How we are sometimes repaid 
for a little care. Suppose you take up 
from the ground a lot of cast-away rose- 
buds, put them into your pocket, and 
when you get home place them in water. 
Before long you will have full-blown 
flowers in place of the buds, and they 
will show no signs of the crushing they 
have received. So with some crushed 
souls — they have been neglected, insult- 
ed, spoiled, abandoned, perhaps. Smile 
on them, encourage, help them — give 
them some ground still to put faith in 
humanity, and God will smile on you 
even more than if you had preached a 
sermon. 

1728. Since every man is my neighbor, 

I am bound to think of him, and not only 
of myself in deciding what I may do' or 
refrain from doing. A Christian man is 
bound to shape his life so that no man 
shall be able to say of him that he was 
the occasion of that one's fall. He is so 
bound, because every man is his neigh- 
bor. He is so bound, because he is 
bound to live to the glory of God, which 
can never be advanced by laying stum- 
bling-blocks in the way for feeble feet. 
He is bound, because, unless Christ had 
limited himself within the bound of 
manhood, and had sought not his own 
profit and pleasure, we should have had 
neither life nor hope. — Alexander Mac- 
laren, D. D. 

1729. There are some whose lives are 
so set apart for ministry to others, and 
so filled with calls for service, that they 
seem to have no opportunity to be min- 



istered to by others. They are always 
giving and never receiving. They spend 
their days in helping others, but no one 
helps them. Yet these find their help in 
the very serving to which they devote 
their lives. In feeding others they are 
fed. In comforting others they are com- 
forted. In blessing others they are 
blessed. It matters not that no others 
come to serve them — they are served in 
their service. 

1730. Souls are like sensitive plants 
that close up quickly in an uncongenial ■ 
atmosphere. But it is a chivalrous am- 
bition to revive their hope, to bring out 
their strength and loveliness, to expand 
the wings of Psyche that she may soar 
above earth's dust and turmoil. And 
this task begins, not in some distant re- 
gion, but among those who, though we 
think we know them best of all, may yet 
possess an - unexplored reminder, full of 
fine surprises, rich in varied treasure. — 
William T. Heriidge. 

1731. Two sisters, actresses, committed 
suicide in London some time since, be- 
cause of abject poverty. At the funeral 
there were seventy wreaths, any one of 
which cost enough to have relieved 
their wants for weeks, according to the 
cabled report of the obsequies. "There- 
are no more bitter tears shed over graves 
than those for words left unsaid and 
deeds left undone." 

1732. There is nothing more hardening 
to the sensibilities than the failure to 
translate pity into action. Christ's pity 
was practical. We are told that he had 
compassion on the hungry multitude, 
and the immediate result of it was that 
he provided bread. — Rev. Dr. George 
D. Baker. 

1733. A young Sunday-school teacher 
in Boston thought her labors wasted. 

One of ber boys was sent to prison. But 
she visited him there. He came out and 
she lost sight of him. She went to the 
Pacific slope. She found the town try- 
ing to elect a no-license mayor, and was 
introduced to the candidate. A tall, fine- 
looking man grasped her hand and said, 

'Why, you are Miss M !" "Yes," 

she answered, "I was." "And I was your 
Sunday-school scholar in the West End 
— the bad boy of the class." 

1734. The back yard had taken a 
highly military aspect. There were sol- 
diers with broomsticks, an officer with 
wooden sword, a proud boy with a flag 
too large for him, and a "band" with a 
gaily-painted drum, which he was beat- 
ing furiously. Only little Robbie sat 
forlornly on the steps and looked on. A 
treacherous bit of glass had disabled his 
foot, and he could not keep up with the 
army. 



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Kindness. Sympathy. Tact. 



"I can do nothing," he said disconso- 
lately. '"Yes, you can," answered Cap- 
tain Fred. "You can hurrah when the 
rest go by." So the little fellow kept his 
post, and he never failed to swing his 
small cap and raise his shrill cheer when 
they appeared. It is not easy to feel like 
hurrahing for those who can go forward 
where we must stop, to forget our own 
disappointment in cheering those who 
are doing what we long to do and can 
not. 

1735. Blessedness divine and human 
consists in blessing. I get rich only 
when I try to make others rich, even at 
the expense of poverty for myself. — 
Whaling. 

1736. There is no power of love so 
hard to get and keep as a kind voice. A 
kind hand is deaf and dumb. It may be 
rough in flesh and blood, yet do the 
work of a soft heart, and do it with a 
soft touch. But there is no one thing that 
love so much needs as a sweet voice to 
tell what it means and feels. One must 
start in youth and be on the watch night 
and day, at work, at play, to get and 
keep a voice that shall speak at all times 
the thought of a kind heart. — Jewish 
Messenger. 

1737. The father of Charles Sumner 
was a sheriff. We are told that once by 
accident he stepped on the foot of a 
condemned man. He apologized at once. 
The man replied: "Sheriff Sumner, you 
are the politest man I ever knew; and 
if I am to be hanged, I had rather be 
hanged by you than by any one else." 

1738. "My youngest son has such a 
talent for getting along with everybody." 
said a New England mother of the most 
carefully conscientious type, to a friend. 
"Sometimes it troubles me. He always 
takes people on the pleasant side and 
says ideasant things to them, and it 
seems as if there must be some insin- 
cerity in it." 

"Doesn't Tom really like all sorts of 
people?" asked the friend. 

"O, yes. He can get along with per- 
sons the rest of us can't stand. I like 
to see him with people, and yet It wor- 
ries me now and then. For how can he 
be quite conscientious* or sincere and yd 
be >o pleasant all the time?" Ifer f: i'-ml 
laughed. "I'm thankful that I wasn't 
1 orn with the Ivew England conscience. 
Tom's Is a delightful nature. He calls 
out the best in others be. ause lie Is 
pleasant through and through. And ail 
you can do is to worry about it! You 
ought to be proud and thankful Instead. 
Isn't It just as sincere to say a pleasant 
tiling when you feel pleasant as to be 
antagonistic when you feel irritated 9 — 
PrLscilla Leonard. 



1739. Paradise was a place full of 
flowers, we say. Well, the flowers are 
| always striving to grow wherever we 
j suffer them; and the fairer, the closer. 
And Paradise was full of pleasant shades 
and fruitful avenues. Well, what hin- 
ders us. from covering as much of the 
world as we like with pleasant shade and 
pure blossom and goodly fruit? But 
Paradise was a place of peace, we say, 
and all the animals were gentle ser- 
vants to us. Well, the world would yet 
be a place of peace if we were all 
peacemakers, and gentle service should 
we have of its creatures if we gave them 
gentle mastery. — Ruskin. 

1710. An eminent man was once 
i asked, "What incident in your life has 
made the most lasting impression upon 
your mind?" It was expected that he 
would recur to some circumstance of 
worldly distinction, for he had associated 
with both civil and commercial princes. 
He replied that the only thing he remem- 
bered worth mentioning was the giving 
a breakfast to a poor working-girl who 
had lost her purse. "I can never for- 
get," he said, "the look of sweet humility 
with which she said, 'I cannot pay, I can 
only thank you, and pray for you'. Her 
voice was like that of a little child say- 
ing its evening prayer, and I felt that it 
was she who was giving, and I was re- 
ceiving." And I fancy when life's course 
has been run with us and we have en- 
tered, as God grant we may, into the 
paradise above, if anyone shall ask us 
what incident in our earth-life made 
the strongest impression upon us, we 
will recall some occasion when we put 
forth our hands for the help of the 
needy. — N. W. Christian Advocate. 

1741. After the sugar-cane harvest on 
the island of Formosa the stubble-fields 
were set on fire, as was the custom, to 
-prepare them for another planting. The 

I fire spread and attacked the bouses of 
the only two Christians In all that sec- 
tion. Their owners were away, and one 
of the houses burned to the ground. 
The other Chinamen rejoiced, and said 

I that happened because the Christians 
had left the religion of their fathers and 
no longer offered sacrifices to their ances- 
tors. One day they saw with astonishment 

' u great troup Of men coming, bringing 
with them bamboo poles, wood, bricks 
and tools. They laid their things d<>\\ n 
by the ruined house and began to build 
another. What could this mean? The 
Christian Chinese In a neighboring Tillage 
had learned of the misfortune >>r their 
fellow-Christian, and had come to "help 

him bear In- butdens." In :i few days the 
house was ready. The heathen China- 
men had never seen a deed like that be- 



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— 254 — 



Kindness. Sympathy. Tact. 



fore, they said, and they could not un- 
derstand it. — Tarbell's Teachers' Guide. 

1742. Some time ago a husband, going 
home from business and finding his wife 
not as cheerful as usual, said: "What's 
the matter, my dear? Can I do anything 
for you?" She replied: "Yes; I wish you 
would write me a letter as you used to 
write before we were married." Many 
husbands would have laughed and called 
her foolish, but he was a wise man; he 
went up immediately into his library, 
locked himself in and wrote a real love 
letter, just as he had written in the long 
ago — called her his sweetheart as of 
old and gave her the letter. Her heart 
was hungry! 

1743. Kindness is never thrown away. 
A missionary in China was being pur- 
sued by a mob, when he was unexpect- 
edly seized by a man who was standing 
at his door, and dragged into the house 
where the mob could not reach him. 
The man who rescued him had been in 
Shanghai once upon a time, and was 
taken sick. When he had spent all his 
money and his landlord had turned him 
out, he had been taken to a mission hos- 
pital, and the tender, sympathetic at- 
tention he had there received had led 
him to listen to the gospel. For twelve 
years the desire to know more of this 
"heavenly doctrine" had stayed with him. 
Now was his opportunity, and he seized 
it, and while protecting the missionary 
he heard the gospel explained to him, 
and a congregation of believers in that 
city is the result. — Herald and Presby- 
ter. 

1744. "There's glory enough for all," 

said Perry, when urged, after the victory 
on Lake Erie, to note in his dispatches 
the shortcomings of one of his officers. 

1745. The only way on earth t.o reach 
a man is by Christ's own way, the point 
of contact — to get near to him with 
your love. Personal touch is the essen- 
tial thing. — Rev. Cortland Myers. 

1746. "My liberty leaves off where the 
rights of another begin," said Victor 
Hugo. No man can claim that his liber- 
ty extends to that which injures or 
harms his fellow man. No human be- 
ing is free from the operation of the law 
of God that makes men interdependent. 
"No man liveth to himself." To try to 
do so is to fly in the face of all God's 
teaching and of Christ's example. 
Selfishness is a sin so heinous that God 
and men cry out against it. 

1747. At a railway station a benevo- 
lent man found a schoolboy crying be- 
cause he had not quite enough to pay 
his fare, and he remembered suddenly 
how, years before, he had been in the 



same plight, but had been helped by an 
unknown friend, and had been enjoined 
that some day he should pass that kind- 
ness on. Now he saw that long-expected 
moment had come. He took the weep- 
ing boy aside, told him his story, paid 
his fare, and asked him, in his turn, to 
pass the kindness on. And as the train 
moved from the station the lad cried 
cheerily, "I will pass it on, sir." So that 
act of thoughtful love is being passed on 
through our world, nor will it stay till 
its ripples have r Mted the globe and met 
again. — Dr. F. B. Meyer. 

1748. It would not be easy to name a 
man more thoroughly self-centered and 
self-reliant than Napoleon Bonaparte. 
And yet it is a matter of history that, 
while yet a subaltern struggling with 
difficulties and suffering for lack of sym- 
pathy, he turned from life in despair, 
and was on the very point of suicide. As 
he was gloomily finding his way to the 
river's bank in the dusk of the evening, 
he was met by a kind-hearted physician, 
who was attracted by the soldier's man- 
ner, and moved to speak a cheery word 
to him. That word led Napoleon to open 
his heart to his new-found friend, and 
the result was a change of purpose — with 
all its vast consequences to humanity. 

1749. When I was a boy, I was ac- 
customed to hold an open-air service in 
one of the poorest courts in my neigh- 
borhood; the inhabitants were mostly 
Irish Roman Catholics. There was one 
man, however, who adopted against me 
a form of opposition to which I was par- 
ticularly susceptible and which I person- 
ally found excessively distracting. No 
sooner had I begun to speak than he 
would start fiddling all the music-hall 
tunes. I used sometimes to remon- 
strate with this good fellow, but never 
could make any impression whatever; I 
was a Protestant and he was a Roman 
Catholic, and that was quite enough for 
him, he would have none of me or of my 
arguments. It so happened that he was 
arrested, and was locked up for a few 
months. His poor little boy was left in 
the court with no one to look after him, 
and naturally enough I lent the little 
chap some help to tide him over his 
"grass orphanhood." For the next few 
weeks we had an unwonted peace at our 
meetings, but one fine day in autumn I 
heard, to my horror, the first few tuning 
notes to the violin, which always pre- 
ceded the catgut attack. You may im- 
agine my amazement when my friend 
came down stairs, and, taking his stand 
in the court, actually played on his vio- 
lin the hymn tune that we were singing; 
all through the service we had no inter- 
ruption from him, and on my going up 
to him to thank him, and to express my 



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— 255 



Kindness. Sympathy. Tact. 



gratification at the very extraordinary 
change in his conduct, he contented him- 
self with the remark that he was not 
going to disturb me any more for I was 
••the bloke that had looked after his 
kid." — Quinton Hogg. 

1750. A great French surgeon once 
said that if he had four minutes in 
which to perform an operation on which 
a human life depended, he would take 
one minute to consider how best to do it. 
E\il may be wrought in the world by 
want of thought as well as by want of 
heart. Thoughtlessness, more than vi- 
ciousness, is responsible for much of the 
misery, the blighted hopes, the broken 
hearts, the sad failures, that make this 
life so different from what God intended. 
— Rev. St. Clair Hester. 

1751. But what is this sympathy which 
is so constantly craved? Etymologically, 
it is a "suffering with another." Broadly 
speaking, it is a fellow-feeling with oth- 
ers, up and down the gamut of a com- 
mon human experience. In simple Eng- 
lish it is changing places, becoming 
somebody else for the time being. — Rev. 
C. A. S. Dwight. 

1752. Do any hearts beat faster, 
Do any faces brighten 

To hear your footstep on the stair, 

To meet you, greet you, anywhere? 

Are you so like your Master 

Dark shadows to enlighten? 

Are any happier to-day 

Through words that they heard you say? 

Life were not worth the living 

If no one were the better 

For having met you on the way, 

And known the sunshine of your stay. 

175:?. We cannot relieve our brother 
of the fatigue and weariness of his jour- 
ney, nor can we carry for him the bur- 
den which is bending down his soul and 
beneath which he is apt to sink. It is 
only a mouthful of water that we can 
give, which costs us nothing, and is the 
commonest of things. Only that, but 
the water was a sacramental cup; it 
meant that no sorrow could befall this 
man but it also touched his friend, that 
a human heart was beating with bis, in 
his loneliness, and that behind that heart 
was the heart of God. — Ian Maclaren. 

1751. Pessimism, socialism, anarchism, 
fling angrily back in the face of the types 
of civilization and Christianity they en- 
counter the contemptuous challenge: 
"Prove your creed by your sympathy!" 
"The heart of the world is selfish," they 
cry, "greed, avarice, and self-seeking 
rule Its inmost life — the conversation of 
the Christian condemns his creed!" And 
so fi om the forgotten corners of the 
earth, from the alleys and the slums. 



there echoes back against the neglect of 
the churches the fierce, despairing, de- 
fiant cry: "You do not care for us!" — 
Rev. C. A. S. Dwight. 

1755. As I stood one evening at the 

close of a religious service in the city of 
Bostcn, my eye fell upon a plain little 
woman who was venturing to speak to 
a richly-dressed dame, whom she had 
met face to face in the aisle. I noted 
that there was no response. The would- 
be grand dame simply drew her furs 
more closely about her and sailed ma- 
jestically on, her chin in the air. The 
little woman blushed, her lips trembled. 
At that moment a hand grasped her 
hand warmly, while a sweet voice said, 
"Mrs. Jenkins, how glad I am to see 
you!" The speaker was Mrs. Julia Ward 
Howe, the author of the famous "Battle 
Hymn of the Republic," a woman hon- 
ored and revered throughout the civil- 
ized world. The little woman looked 
up. Her face seemed metamorphosed. 
Those few words had changed the as- 
pect of the whole world to her. Some- 
one did care to speak to her, and some- 
one was glad to see her. As I turned 
homeward I pondered over what I had 
seen, and I felt that perhaps there was 
no better illustration of the difference 
between the truly great and the would- 
be great. — Eleanor Root. 

175C. "It is such a stony little path 

between here and Mrs. Harvey's that I 
can't bear to go over it," said Jim. "And 
Dick Harvey doesn't like it any better 
when he comes over here," said Frank. 
"I heard him say he had got ever so 
ntany bruises in that path. He was 
grumbling about it yesterday." "Why 
don't you clear the way between here 
and your neighbor's?" asked .Mr. Morris. 
"Much better do that than keep grumb- 
ling about it." 

"Why we should never get all the 
stones out of that path," cried Jim. 

"Not all in one day, nor by taking all 
the stones at once," said the father. 
"But if each of the boys who crosses 
there would take a stone out of the way 
every time he goes, the work would be 
done. Try it." The boys did try It. 
Half a dozen young lads who used the 
path helped, and the path was cleared. 
'I hi-. Is exact!] the way to make it easier 
and pleosanter for others in this world. 

1757. Tactful courtesy. When Lieu- 
tenant-Commander Gorringe sent to 
get the Obelisk, he met with obstacles ui 
a wholly unusual and unlooked-for char- 
ttcter. It sterns that certain Interested 
foreigne •£, had Incited the Egyptians to 
rebel against the removal of the great 
stone from their shores, and a pretty for- 
midable opposition had been secretly i r- 



The Christian Life. 



56 — 



Kindness. Sympathy. Tact. 



ganized. Gorringe's crew was by no 
means adequate to combat this unex- 
pected opposition, and there was no 
American man-of-war in the harbor to 
render assistance. A Russian flagship 
was there, however, and the admiral, 
learning of the plot to defeat the Amer- 
ican captain's purpose, sent Gorringe a 
very respectfully worded note, in which 
he spoke in very high terms of the 
unique engineering feat which the Amer- 
icans were about to undertake in moving 
the Obelisk, and begged that Mr. Gor- 
ringe would do him the very great favor 
of permitting his officers and men to 
witness the great work. The request 
was, of course, granted, and early the 
next morning the wily Muscovite landed 
400 men, armed to the teeth with fixed 
bayonets and pistols loaded with ball 
cartridges, who formed a hollow square 
about the Obelisk. These men really 
saw very little of the engineering feat of 
moving the great stone, as they faced 
out when the mob came, and no one was 
allowed to go through the square with- 
out a pass from Mr. Gorringe. As the 
Obelisk was landed on trucks and moved 
down to the sea, the square moved along 
with it, and not until after it was safely 
on board did the Russians return to 
their vessel. The next day the Russian 
admiral sent another very polite note to 
Mr. Gorringe, thanking him for the op- 
portunity given to his officers and men 
to see the wonderful work, and stating 
that not only the admiral himself, but 
the Russian government, would always 
remember, with feelings of keenest 
pleasure, Mr. Gorringe's great courtesy. 

1758. We cannot do people much good, 
we cannot help them in deep and true 
ways, without cost to ourselves. What 
costs us nothing is not worth giving. An 
old proverb says, "One cannot have 
omelet without breaking eggs." 

1759. Were we all to enter into a gen- 
eral conspiracy of kindness, and now I 

mean commonplace, intangible, inexpen- 
sive kindness, we cannot imagine how 
much of the weariness of life would dis- 
appear. Suppose, for instance, you and 
I should only avoid controversy of every 
kind in conversation except in the emer- 
gencies of conscience. Suppose we took 
care not to tempt our neighbor to envy 
and jealousy by thoughtless references to 
his rivals or the people he did not like. 
Did you congratulate that mother on her 
son's success with honesty of warm 
speech? She had forgotten the cares of 
the house that day. Did you tell that 
father you are glad to hear his boy was 
doing his work well in the city? It is 
curious, but that man would have gone 
down the street with a lighter step. 



When your friend acquitted himself well 
in some public work, had you sent him 
a pleasant note it would have carried 
him through a week of criticism. — Ian 
Maclaren in Saturday Evening Post. 

1760. In New York a lovely woman, 
after a short illness, died. One who 
stood beside her looking at her sweet 
face in its last sleep, said, "I have 
known her from early childhood. I have 
never known her to be other than 
gentle, kind, and womanly. Her life has 
been a continual oblation. She never 
said a harsh word. She never did a dis- 
courteous thing. She was a Christian of 
the highest type." — Margaret Sangster. 

1761. "I'm more ashamed of myself 
than I can say," wrote a brilliant public 
man the other day in a belated letter of 
sympathy to a bereaved friend, "but you 
must know my apparent neglect was not 
due to lack of concern for you in your 
sorrow. Nor do I plead business — to 
urge which were an insult, in the cir- 
cumstances. The simple truth, my dear 
fellow, is that I'm a coward. I've thought 
and thought about you, and wished I 
might comfort you — -and kept silence be- 
cause I didn't know what to say and was 
afraid of saying the wrong thing." I won- 
der if that wasn't the truth about the 
fellows who were not good Samaritans 
long ago? Human nature's pretty de- 
cently kind, on the whole, and not many 
men would naturally pass by and leave 
a poor injured traveler in a ditch. The 
trouble with many of us is that we're 
afraid. We don't know just what to do 
nor how to do it, and for fear of blun- 
dering, of being misunderstood and re- 
buffed, we pass by on the other side. — 
Clara E. Laughlin in The Interior. 

1762. A noble woman, the wife of the 
keeper of a lighthouse on an isolated 
island, saw her husband and his two 
assistants swept away by breaking ice- 
floes, leaving her absolutely alor.e to 
face a long and dreary winter, with the 
memory of the terrible and tragic scene 
which she had witnessed. It was months 
after her bereavement that the govern- 
ment supply ship reached the island on 
its semi-annual visit, to find her still 
faithfully staying at her post of loving 
ministry. 

1763. A little girl stood at the entrance 
of an alley, looking down the street with 
a show of expectancy in her bright 
young face. Somebody was coming, 
surely, and in a few moments a man 
wearing the garb of a day laborer came 
in sight. Instantly the little girl came to 
his side and looked up into his face with 
a loving expression which told how glad 
she was to see her father coming home. 
The man glanced at the child, but did 



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Kindness. Sympathy. Tact. 



not say a word, or take the little hand 
that evidently had hoped to be placed in 
his. The person who had been interest- 
ed in this meeting followed them and 
could not help saying in a cheery voice 
to the father, "Why don't you speak to j 
i he little girl and tell her you are glad ; 
ol:e came to meet you and take her 
hand?" "Oh, she knows it without say- 
ing it," he replied in a gruff voice. That 
is the way we take it for granted our 
dear ones know the unspoken words we 
ought to speak. — Christian Work. 

1764. A Minnesota farmer was out on 
the lake one dark evening, when his boat 
was overturned by a sudden squall. He 
started to swim for the shore, but lost 
his sense of direction. He gave up at 
last, and was sinking in the freezing 
water when he heard the voice of his 
little girl calling him: "Father! father!" 
He listened. The sound of her voice 
would tell him which way home lay. It 
put fresh life into him. "I turned," said 
the man afterward, in telling the story, 
■•and struck out in the opposite direc- 
tion. I had been going away from 
home. I reached the shore and home 
at last. But if my dear little girl had 
not persisted in calling me, though hear- 
ing no reply, I should have died there 
alone under the ice." 

What a multitude of souls about us, 
like that poor man, have lost their 
balance, and let go their grip on the 
lifeboat, and are struggling amid the 
cold, icy waves of sin, soon to be for- 
ever lost, unless someone goes as near 
to them as possible, and calls them in 
the right direction! 

1765. Dr. Marcus Dods, in a sermon on 
"The Good Samaritan," says: "Love does 
not ask. What claim has this man and 
that man on me. but. What doc- thi- or 
that man need that I can do lor him? It 
must have been, and it still is, an edify- 
ing sight to see the completeness of the 
Samaritan's attentions. We might sup- 
pose he had done enough. How is his 
own business to go forward If he thus 
delays? But love Is not so soon satis- 
fled. He sits by him till he is strong 
enough to be set on his beast, and does 
not resign his charge to any other. He 
does not feel that the robbed man is off 
his hands when he has got him to an 
inn. He has himself to go on his jour- 
ney, but he will not on that account, nor 
on any other account, disconnect himself 
from the man; Ik- will disconnect him- 
self from him only when he needs no 
more B — i-tame. This Is lOTe'S way." 

1760. A little boy. not long since, 
came rushing into the house \\iii> a 
bunch <>f flowers which be bad gathered 1 
for mother. He was only a mite of a I 
17 Pruc. III. 



boy, and did not know that a bit of 
golden-rod and a piece of "butter and 
eggs," covered with the dust, and blight- 
ed by the adverse circumstances of 
growing in a city's vacant lot, could not 
have much value. But mother was out 
and the thoughtless sister laughed and 
said, "Mother won't care for those 
things. They are horrid." The child's 
enthusiasm was chilled, and he threw 
his precious offering away. It is the 
motive, not the value of the offering, 
that counts with our loved ones when 
they give the best they can. — Christian 
Work. 

1767. A gentleman once assisted a 
very old and feeble man to cross from 
the London Mansion House to the Bank 
of England. This crossing is a very 
dangerous one, especially at midday, 
when the city is full of cabs, omnibuses, 
drays, and other vehie'es. When the 
old gentleman had got safely across, he 
exchanged cards with his obliging 
friend; and there the matter rested. 
Some four or five years after this inci- 
dent occurred, a firm of London solic- 
itors wrote to the young gentleman who 
had taken pity on the old man, inform- 
ing him that a legacy of $5,000 and a 
gold watch and chain had been Wt to 
him by a gentleman, who "took the op- 
portunity of again thanking him in his 
will for one act of unlooked-for civility." 

1768. I ask thee for the thoughtful 

love 

Though constant, watching wise, 
To meet the glad with joyful smiles 

And to wipe the weeping eyes, 
A heart at leisure from itself 

To soothe and sympathize. 

1769. A student in one of the musical 
conservatories of Boston, died, and his 
father received the following letter from 
an utter stranger: "I am sure that I can 
tell you something that will put a drop 
of gladness in your cup of bitter sorrow. 
Your son was nothing less to me than 
my earthly savior. I was alone, home- 
sick, despairing, facing failure and fight- 
ing bitter want — a young lad from the 
country, ashamed to go home and give 
up beaten, and yet on the point of doing 
so unless the tide turned instantly. It 
did turn. I gave myself just one more 
day 'for something to happen.' I re- 
member how I came downstairs that 
morning. I had not slept. I might have 
said: 'No man cares for my soul or body, 
either.' Your son passed me on the stair 
and said. 'Good morning!' It wasn't 
much to say. but the very sound of it 
put heart into inc. That day things came 
my way. I got a job. That's about 
there la to tell. He didn't give me any 
money. He did'nt put any work in my 



The Christian Life. 



— 258 — 



Friendship. 



way, that I know of. To begin with he 
just looked in my face and said 'Good 
morning!' I've a notion there's a way 
of saying that that makes a morning 
good, no matter what kind it started out 
to be." 

1770. Have you ever noticed that 
there is usually a dearth of good and 
kind words for the absent one when his 
name is mentioned in conversation? 
There may be words of criticism and 
faultfinding, but how few the words of 
commendation! The golden rule sug- 
gests that we speak of the absent one, 
as we would have others speak of us. — - 
Dr. Loy. 

1771. Sydney Smith said, "Life is in 
two heaps, of joy and sorrow. If I can 

on any day take a little from the heap 
of sorrow and add it to the heap of joy, 
I reckon that a well-spent day." 

1772. There is a legend which tells of 
a Christian who retired to a hut in a 
forest that he might give himself up to 
meditation and prayer and thus become 
holy. In a complaining mood one day 
he went out, and met a beggar sick and 
weary. He took him back to the hut 
and ministered to his need. This gave 
him comfort. Next day he went out and 
left the beggar in the hut, and when he 
returned the beggar had departed and 
carried with him the saint's silver cup 
and crucifix. In anger he pursued him 
but soon relented and took pity on him. 
When he reached the village hard by he 
found a crowd dragging the beggar be- 
fore a magistrate. He pushed his way 
to him and whispered in his ear — 
"Brother, I will stand by you." Both 
entered prison together. There the 
Christian proposed to the beggar to ex- 
change clothing and escape. Then a 
strange light filled the prison and the 
beggar was transformed into the Lord 
himself, who said, "I was a stranger, and 
ye look me in; naked and ye clothed me; 
I was sick and ye visited me; I was in 
prison and ye came unto me." The her- 
mit learned the lesson, as plain for us 

- as it is beautiful. As he turned away, 
a strange sweet music stole into his soul. 
"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one 
of the least of these my brethren, ye 
have done it unto me." — M. Rhodes, D.D. 

1773. There is an old myth of a magic 
skin, wearing which one got everything 
he wished for. But each grant shrank 
the skin, and by and by, when the 
wearer got what he wished for, the skin 
squeezed his breath out. The fable is 
true, and the magic skin is selfishness. 
Every time you get your selfish desire 
fulfilled you shrink; every time you give 
there is an expanding of your whole na- 



ture — an enriching of your whole being. 
— A. T. Pierson, D.D. 

Friendship. (1774-1785) 

1774. Samuel Johnson once said to 
Sir Joshua Reynolds: "If a man does 
not make new acquaintances as he ad- 
vances through life, he will soon find 
himself alone. A man, sir, should keep 
his friendship in constant repair." 

1775. A young man fell into evil asso- 
ciations, was implicated in crime and 
went to prison. Some of the people of 
the church to whose Sunday-school he 
had belonged believed that he could be 
saved; they secured for him a pardon, 
brought him home, and assured him that 
they would stand by him, if he would go 
right back to his old place in the choir, 
and in the Sunday-school. The young 
man rose to be a great manufacturer. 

1776. A prize was offered some years 
since for the best definition of a friend, 
and this was the one which received the 
prize: "A friend is the person who comes 
in when every other person has gone 
out." That is the kind of friend Christ 
is. And this is the noble type of friend- 
liness which should characterize us. 

1777. Two men who were bosom 
friends were at work on a telegraph pole 
high above a line of railway. A wire 
had broken, and they were busy repair- 
ing the damage. Suddenly a strong 
wind caused one of the men to turn in 
his position. In doing so he somehow 
pushed his companion, who, taken una- 
wares, fell backward; he clutched at his 
friend, and both tumbled over among 
the wires. For a moment the two men 
hung without speaking a word; then one 
of them said, "Bill, I can't reach the 
post, and I am afraid if I move the wires 
will break, and as he spoke a wire 
broke. "Well, it's a big drop down to the 
grass," said the other man, "but as you 
are married, and have three babies, I 
don't see why I should stay here." "No, 
don't do that, Bill; you'll get killed, sure- 
ly. Let's hang on a little longer." But 
another wire broke, and Bill made up 
his mind. "Good-bye, old friend," he 
said to the other, who had tears in his 
eyes. "Good-bye." Then he dropped — 
a fall of forty feet. He was not dead, 
and, with his arms broken and two ribs 
broken, he crawled to the station half 
a mile away, and not until after he had 
given the message that saved his friend's 
life did he faint away. 

1778. A young man had worked his way 
through subordinate positions in a bank 
to one where almost unlimited trust was 
placed in him. He held the combination 
which unlocked the vaults and safes in 



The Christian Life. 



— 259 — 



The Home. 



which the money and securities of the 
bank were kept. In the safe a large 
package of United States bonds, never 
sealed, was kept as a favor for a wealthy 
depositor. One day the owner found 
a certain bond was missing, and report- 
ed the fact to the president of the bank. 
The president called the young cashier 
and told him of the loss. The cashier, 
strong in the knowledge that no depart- 
ure from the rule of strict integrity 
could be summoned against him, said to 
his superior officer: "The owner is labor- 
ing under a misapprehension. I can not 
believe that he would wilfully bring a 
false accusation. There are but two al- 
ternatives, he is in error or I am a thief. 
It is for you to decide. What is your 
decision?" The president replied, "I 
have watched your course in the bank. I 
am familiar by report concerning your 
associates and your ways of life. I have 
studied the expressions of your charac- 
ter. I am absolutely certain that it 
would be impossible for you to take the 
bond. It is possible that the owner is 
mistaken. Give yourself no concern 
about it. Perhaps time will clear up the 
matter." Time did clear it up, for it 
was found that the owner had sold the 
missing bond and forgotten the transac- 
tion. — Youth's Companion. 

1779. There's no friend like the old 
friend who shared our morning days, 

No greeting like his welcome, no homage 

like his praise; 
Fame is the scentless sunflower, with 

gaudy crown of gold, 
But friendship is the breathing rose, 

with scents in every fold. 

— Oliver Wendell Holmes. 

1780. To make and keep friends is the 
great art of life, yet the easiest and 
simplest thing in the world. Everybody 
desires friends; though from shyness, or 
pride — which is often the veil of shyness 
— few are ready to mec-t us at halfway. 
But if we learn to ignore the thin films 
of diversity in training, station, interest, 
and aim. and go straight to the heart of 
our fellow man, we are sure of finding 
a cordial response. — William DeWitt 
Hyde. 

1781. The secret of friendship is the 
secret of an unselfish life, not merely the 
unselfishness that Is continually doing 
for others, cooking and sewing and cro- 
cheting and preparing delicacies, but 
the deeper unselfishness that forgets self, 
that gets us out of self and gets self out 
of us. — Dr. Francis E. Clark. 

1782. Friendship mull iplies our pow - 
ers. We see life through others eyes. 
There are two ways to learn new tiling-. 
One is by finding out something new 
ourselves. The other, by having our 



eyes opened to the truth in things fa- 
miliar to the sight and ear, but not un- 
derstood, and that is the richer way. 
After you have looked through a tele- 
scope at the moon or the planet Jupitar, 
it is never the same. Or when you have 
seen a butterfly's wing under a micro- 
scope you realize anew its wonderful 
beauty. 

1783. »"For what delights can equal 

these, 

That stir the soul's most inner deeps, 
When one who loves and knows not, 
reaps 

A truth from one who loves and knows?'' 

— Tennyson. 

1784. Noted Friendships of History. — 

David and Jonathan. Damon and Pyth- 
ias. Orestes and Pylades. Epaminondas 
and Pelopidas. Alexander and Hephaes- 
tion. Horace and Virgil. Roland and 
Oliver. Godfrey and Tancred. Luther 
and Melanchthon. Sir Philip Sidney 
and Lord Brooks. Hampdon and Pym. 
William of Orange and William Ben- 
tinck. Goethe and Schiller. Tennyson 
and Hallam. Washington and Hamilton. 
Charles James Fox and Edmund Burke. 

1785. Half the difficulty of fighting 
any severe battle, of accomplishing any 
hard task vanishes when a man feels 
that he has comrades at his side fighting 
in the same cause, or that the eyes of 
those he loves are upon him, and their 
hearts praying for his victory. — C. J. 
Perry. 

The Home. (1786-1820) 

1786. Years ago twenty thousand peo- 
ple gathered in the old Castle Garden, 
New York, to hear Jennie Lind sing. Af- 
ter singing some of the sublime composi- 
tions of the old Masters, she began to 
pour forth "Home, Sweet Home." The 
audience could not stand it. An uproar 
of applause stopped the music. Tears 
gushed from thousands like rain." The 
word "home" touched the fiber of every 
soul in that immense throng. — Sayles. 

1787. Sir Walter Scott expressed, a 
true national sentiment when, on his 
return to Abbotsford for the last time. 

alter a long stay on the Continent, he 
ordered himself to be slowly wheeled in 

his chair through the various rooms, 
and then said. "I've seen much, but 
nothing like my ain house; give me one 
turn more." — Davidson. 

1788. I am one of those whose lot in 
life has been to go out into an unfriend- 
ly world at an early age; and, of nearly 
twenty families in which I made my 
home in the course of about nine years, 
there were only three thai could he des- 
ignated a^ happy families. The source 



The Christian Life. 



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The Home. 



of trouble was not so much the lack of 
love as the lack of care to manifest it." 

The closing words of this sentence give 
us the fruitful source of family aliena- 
tions, of heartaches innumerable, of sad 
faces and gloomy home circles. "Not so 
much the lack of love as the lack of care 
to manifest it." 

1789. "If I stay another week in your 
home," said Lord Peterborough to Fen- 
elon, "I shall become a Christian despite 
myself." Does our home life set forth 
Christ? "Would it influence another to 
become a Christian? 

1790. In the individual experience 
man's life always begins. But there are 
some things of the individual life which 
the individual cannot get, save in the 
company of fellowmen. . . . The wedding 
guests at Cana, the Pharisee at Levi's 
table, the sisters with their restored 
brother, the brothers of the Lord in the 
house of the carpenter, — all, just as soon 
as Jesus sanctified and blessed the so- 
ciety in which they lived, saw coming to 
them as it were out of the heart of that 
society a selfhood which no solitary 
contemplation could have gained. Each 
of them found his Father among his 
brethren, reached God through the reve- 
lation of other human lives. — Phillips 
Brooks, D. D. 

1791. Home is created slowly, with the 
coming and the going of the years, by 
birth and death, by joy and sorrow, 
till the whole house is full of memorable 
associations. . . The greatest hope that 
can touch the home, the hope that takes 
away its walls and makes it an everlast- 
ing place, is the hope of the life which is 
to come, and that hope is sustained by 
the church ... It would be an unspeak- 
able disaster if unbelief, attacking many 
of the evidences of religion, should ulti- 
mately lay her hand upon our homes, for 
the moment that the home disappears in 
its strength and purity, in its full and 
everlasting hope, the foundations, not 
only of the church, but of the state, 
shall be finally shaken. — Ian Maclaren. 

1792. If you want to teach a child 
that heaven is his home, that God is his 
Father, that Christ is his brother, that 
the ties which bind the world are family 
ties, you must begin by purifying the 
original ideas. You must make the 
thought of home endearing, the name of 
father sacred, the sense of brotherhood 
protective, the relationship of the family 
divine. — George Matheson. 

1793. The home, like the individual, 
that covets self-containment covets spir- 
itual decay. — John Hunter. 

1794. In one of Murillo's pictures in 
the Louvre, he shows us the interior of a 



convent kitchen, but doing the work 
there are not mortals in old dresses, but 
beautiful white-winged angels. One se- 
renely puts the kettle on the fire to boil, 
and one is lifting up a pail of water with 
heavenly grace, and one is at the kitchen 
dresser reaching up for plates, . . . What 
the old monkish legend that is repre- 
sented is, I do not know. But, as the 
painter puts it to you on his canvas, all 
are so busy, and working with such a 
will, and so refining the work as they do 
it, that somehow you forget that pans 
are pans and pots pots, and only think 
of the angels, and how very natural and 
beautiful kitchen work is, — just what 
the angels would do, of course. It is 
the angel aim and standard in an act 
that consecrates it. — W. C. Gannett. 

1795. Two things are necessary to con- 
stitute a true home. Home does not con- 
sist in locality or place alone, but in a 
union of persons and place. 

"Home is where there's one to love! 
Home is where there's one to love us!" 

1796. "It is the homes of a people that 
give it its character and solid worth." 

It is not wealth that makes a home at- 
tractive or happy, for some of the pleas- 
antest and happiest homes have been 
those where little money has been ex- 
pended, but good taste, economy, ingen- 
uity, and loving deeds and words have 
made them more beautiful than the cost- 
liest brown-stone front. That nation will 
thrive best where the young men and 
women are taught to reverence and love 
happy homes. Many divorces and crimes 
are the ultimate result of unhappy, 
wretched homes. 

1797. Deadly perils within the home 
are such as these: (1) Misunder- 
standing and the failure to work 
together on the part of those who 
are at the head. A business cor- 
poration could never succeed — much 
less a family — under such conditions. 
Unanimity must be gained at almost 
any cost. (2) The handling of and 
wrangling over money and property 
presents another peril within the fam- 
ily. Some of the happiest homes are 
those in which God has placed but little of 
this world's goods; where the members 
are all obliged to be industrious and fru- 
gal, and are kept, by force of circum- 
stances, steadily at work, and pressed 
close together under earthly adversity. 
(3) The newspapers and novels that en- 
ter our homes constitute no small peril 
to the family. There is plenty of the 
best reading, but there is, in some novels 
of the present day — novels which are in 
the hands of good people — enough of un- 
clean and impure suggestion to under- 
mine the character of every young man 



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— 261 



The Home. 



and young woman in our families. (4) 
And then, from without comes the un- 
natural strain to keep up appearances, 

and the struggle for social position 
which leaves little time or strength for 
the crying needs within. — Rev. Orville 
Reed. 

1798. One time a kindly old clergyman 

stopped by the side of a laboring man 
who was turning at a windlass, bare- 
headed, beneath a blazing sun. "Hey, 
man," said he, "working without your 
hat is bad for your brains." "Faith, 
your riverence," he replied, "if it's any 
brains I had I wouldn't be working at 
this windlass at all!" Sometimes when 
I catch myself and other dunces like me 
tearing along at breakneck speed, eager, 
impetuous, absorbed, struggling for pleas- 
ure or prizes that turn to ashes in our 
grasp and sacrificing the joys of home 
to attain them, I think we have as few 
brains as the Irishman. For I know 
that undue absorption in business means 
the almost inevitable destruction of 
homo. — From "Husband, Wife, and 
Home." 

1799. In a Xew England town of some 
thousands of people, the records of the 
Christian families wore once examined. 
I am unable to recall the exact numbers; 
but the proportion of the children of 
such families who became religious men 
and women, as related to those who did 
not, was more than five to one. Three 
or four such investigations have come 
within my knowledge, all ending in a 
similar result. In the Theological Sem- 
inary at Andover, some years ago, it was 
found, on inquiry, that out of its hun- | 
dred and twenty students, preparing for | 
the ministry of the gospel, more than a j 
hundred were from Christian homes; 
and more than twelve were sons of 
Christian ministers. A similar inquiry, 
with similar results, was once instituted 
in Amherst College. It is a fact which 
children in Christian households should 
ponder seriously, that if they do break 
loose from the restraints of their reli- 
gious training, they become cases of ex- 
ceptional sin against exceptional priv- 
ilege." — Peloubet. 

1800. A young man stood at the bar 
of a court of Justice to be sentenced for 
forgery. The judge had known him 
from a child, for his father had been a 
famous legal light and his work on the 
Law of Trusts was the most exhaustive 
work on the subject In exercise. "Do 
you remember jour father?" asked the 
judge sternly, "that father whom you 
have disgraced?" The prisoner an- 
swered: "I remember him perfectly. 
When I went to him for advice or com- 
panionship, he would look up from his 



book on the Law of Trusts and say, 
'Run away, boy, I am busy.' My father 
finished his book, and here I am." The 

great lawyer had neglected his own trust 
with awful results. — Talmage. 

1801. Two great factors make the sum 
of human life: heredity and environ- 
ment. By these the character of indi- 
viduals as of generations is molded. A 
thief may come from a morally healthy 
home, but he is the unhealthy exception, 
not the rule. As to which of the two 
pulls the heaviest oar students differ. 
One school gives to heredity the greater 
weight, the other to environment. In 
the end it comes to the same thing. 
That bad heredity is responsible for the 
thief means, when all is said, that 
the improvement should have begun 
with the grandfather. It is transmitted 
environment. What we do today, then, 
acquires immeasurably greater impor- 
tance. Our concern with environment 
is not for today or tomorrow but for all 
time. — Jacob A. Riis. 

1802. I was taking a walk with a gen- 
tleman in the old town of Bay Ridge, 
New York, on a wintsi's afternoon. Sud- 
denly we came upon an old dilapidated 
house that had seen its best days many 
years ago. The gentleman called my 
attention to it, and made the remark 
that to him it was the best spot on earth, 
and he gave as a reason for saying so 
that it was the house in which he was 
born and reared. It was in that old 
house that he kissed his mother for the 
last time, just as her soul took its flight 
to the Celestial City. No place like that 
old home to that' man. — Geo. R. Scott. 

'/"fto.l. I met him on a street-corner — 
a bright, black-eyed lad of perhaps four- 
teen summers. I had seen him there 
evening after evening and wondered 
whether there was no one who knew the 
temptations he encountered. 

I made friends with him and won his 
confidence. Then I questioned him 
kindly in regard to his spending so much 
time in the street. 

"I know' he said, looking up at me in 
such a frank, winning way that I could 
not help thinking what a noble man ho 
might make, "the street is not the best 
place for a boy. but you sec there's no 
place for me at home." — The Visitor. 

1801. There is something in manhood, 
whether of high or low degree, that rare- 
ly puts its tale of love it misses Into 
words; but, If we could not "t the hid- 
den hearts of average men, we should 

sec thai the want of love and cheer at 
home sends them even more frequently 
than their love of drink to the saloon 
round the corner. When the liner life Is 

defrauded the coarser asserts Itself and 



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The Home. 



"home-culture" is a failure so far as it 

touches the head of the home. — Mary 
Lowe Dickinson. 

1805. She's a woman with a mission; 
'tis her heaven-born ambition to re- 
form the world's condition you will 
please to understand. 

She's a model of propriety, a leader of 
society, and has a great variety of 
remedies at hand. 

Each a sovereign specific, with a title 
scientific, for the cure of things mor- 
bific that vex the people sore; 

For the swift alleviation of the evils of 
the nation is her foreordained voca- 
tion on this sublunary shore. 

And while thus she's up and coming, 
always hurrying and humming, and 
occasionally slumming, this refor- 
mer of renown. 

Her neglected little Dicky, ragged, dirty, 
tough, and tricky, with his fingers 
soiled and sticky, is the terror of 
the town. — Tid Bits. 

1806. The influence of the well-or- 
dered, sunny-tempered Christian home 
is incalculable. John Ruskin, in count- 
ing up the blessings of his childhood, 
reckoned these three for first good: 
Peace. He had never heard father's or 
mother's voice once raised in any dis- 
pute. Next to this he estimated Obedi- 
ence; he obeyed a word or lifted finger 
of father or mother as a ship her helm, 
without any idea of resistance. And, last- 
ly, Faith: nothing was ever promised him 
that was not given; nothing ever threat- 
ened him that was not inflicted, and 
nothing ever told him that was not true. 
It was not strange that such home 
training went to the making of a great 
character. — The Watchman. 

1807. Fiction has some notable in- 
stances of brother's and sister's love. 
Maggie Tulliver's love for Tom, in "The 
Mill on the Floss," was the master pas- 
sion of her life. The roots reached down 
to the old childish days .and grew with 
her growth. "The tomb bore the names 
of Tom and Maggie Tulliver; and below 
the names it was written, "In their 
death they were not divided." — The Con- 
gregationalism 

1808. In Victor Hugo's description 
paradise was a place where parents were 
always young and children always little. 

1809. The chief duty of a Christian 
lies in the quiet, unseen life of his own 
home, and if he does not learn there to 
practice that noble virtue of unselfish- 
ness, he will have lost one of the 
strongest resources and one of the most 
healing memories for all his future life. 
■ — F. W. Farrar. 

1810. "There is no field more impor- 



tant than the home. I do not see why 
our children should not be saved. We 
know of families which prove that they 
can be saved, and that they can be 
grandly used by God. There is the 
Scudder family. The elder Scudder be- 
lieved in God, both for himself and his 
family. And God gave him the sal- 
vation of his family. He asked God to 
do something more than save his fam- 
ily; he asked God to consecrate his fam- 
ily as he had consecrated him, to the 
great cause of missions, and God did that 
for him also. At a late missionary 
meeting, I heard a missionary on the 
public platform compute the service of 
that one family to the Lord's work. He 
counted and added together the years 
spent by the different members of the 
Scudder family in active missionary and 
religious services, and he demonstrated 
that the sum total was five hundred 
years. — David Gregg, D. D. 

1811. Lord Brougham, in his last great 
speech in the House of Lords on the 
Education bill, and Mr. Seward when a 
Senator of the United States, both took 
occasion to dwell upon the overwhelm- 
ing importance of home education; and 
when the comprehensive character of 
that education is seen, its importance 
will be at once admitted. For it touches 
all four sides of the quadrilateral — the 
ethical, the religious, the intellectual, 
and the physical, so that the first and 
the most abiding impressions come to 
the child through the all influential me- 
dium of the home. 

1812. There were eleven of the Guer- 
ney brothers and sisters, of whom Eliza- 
beth Fry was the most celebrated, but 
all beautiful and distinguished. A lady 
who once saw them in adult life, with 
their children and grandchildren around 
them, exclaimed, "What, all this and 
heaven beside!" 

Mrs. Fry was no professional philan- 
thropist, too absorbed in humanity at 
large to care for the human item; but 
her public work was only the overflow 
of her woman's heart, after children, 
grandchildren, brothers and friends had 
been loved with an intensity almost ex- 
cessive. Her younger brother, Samuel, 
the rich Quaker banker and merchant, 
whom she had brought up, was one with 
her in her works of mercy. — Lucy Elliot 
Keeler in The Congregationalist. 

1813. John Fiske declared with pride 
that his contribution to the doctrine of 
evolution was in perceiving the signifi- 
cance of the lengthened period of in- 
fancy of the human species when com- 
pared with that of animals. The off- 
spring of the lion, the horse or the ele- 
phant are in possession of their powers 



The Christian Life. 



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Marriage. 



and reach their independence so much 
earlier than a baby can! The reason for 
this, according to Fiske, is by means of 
the lengthened period of dependence to 
develop and strengthen the "other re- 
garding feelings" in the primitive pa- 
rents. Here at least is the beginning of 
the idea of the human family, when pa- 
rents put their rude strength and prow- 
ess at the disposal, though in very mea- 
ger fashion at first, of the helpless and 
dependent offspring. — Nehemiah Boyn- 
ton, D. D. 

1814. "Pray do not address me with 
so many "Your Majestys,' wrote young 
Charles II., soon after his restoration 
to the English throne, to his sister Hen- 
rfette of France: "for between you and 
me there should be nothing but affec- 
tion." This letter bears the royal seal 
and is addressed "For deare, deare Sis- 
ter." All the correspondence of this 
king with his sister is a faithful witness 
of the deep and lasting love between 
them, which was founded in their early 
life of exile in Paris, survived all sepa- 
rations and bound this royal brother and 
sister together unto the end. Nobody 
can read them without thinking of 
Charles II. more kindly than before. — 
The Congregationalist. 

1815. Renan's sister Henriette liter- 
ally gave up her life for the sake of his 
masterpiece, the "Life of Jesus," when 
they visited Palestine together to write 
it. To earn money to pay her father's I 
debts and educate her brother, she had 
declined marriage, toiled as a governess 
and gone with a noble family into the 
wilds of Poland. Fanny Mendelssohn 
was her brother's confidant and critic. 
She was his "gifted, darling sister." 
When the news of her sudden death 
reached him, he fell unconscious to the 
ground, and himself died a few months 
later. Balzac used to let himself be 
punished for his little Bister's faults. I 
Once when she came on the scene in 
time to accuse herself, he said, "Don't 
acknowledge it next time: I like to be 
punished for you." The Pascals, the de 
Gnerins, the Herschels are other notable 
instances of love and intellectual stim- 
ulus between brother and sifter, instanc- 
es where the one was fully worthy of 
the other, both in learning and in noble 
simplicity. — Lucy Elliott Keeler in The 
Congregationalist. 

1816. Of all the forms of worship 
none. It seems to us, is more beautiful 
than that which we see around the fam- 
ily altar. As a means of grace it occu- 
pies a distinct place of Its own. The 
all-important "f|iiiet hour", when the 
soul alone, In the .presence of Its God, 
seeks the divine blessings and communes 



as friend with friend, can not take its 
place. The hour, of public worship 
when we meet at the house of God for 
prayer and praise, can not take its place, 
for it stands alone. 

181". As I look back upon my boy- 
hood days in my home, the most distinct 
and powerful religious influence shining- 
out from an all-pervading religious at- 
mosphere comes from family prayer in 
some of its forms. As children we not 
only read a chapter in the Bible twice a 
day, but were present at family prayers 
three times a day, — before breakfast, 
and before supper, with the whole fam- 
ily, including always servants and ap- 
prentices; and once more, just before 
school in the morning, my mother gath- 
ered all the children in her room, and 
read the Bible. — Rev. F. X. Peloubet, 
D. D. 

1818. Family prayers in my boyhood 
made me early feel the naturalness of 
prayer. They helped to unify our fam- 
ily life, and gave us a familiarity with 
the Scriptures. Furthermore, they helped 
in giving a right beginning to every 
day's work. — Pres. John Henry Barrows. 
D. D. 

1819. The chief gain to me from fam- 
ily prayers in my boyhood is the recol- 
lection I have thus been enabled to carry 
through the years of my father as a 
praying man and my home as a Chris- 
tian home. This is the sweetest and 
most precious recollection of my child- 
hood. — Pres. George B. Stewart, D. D. 

1820. It was said of Charles Kingslcy, 
that "home was to him the sweetest, the 
fairest, the most romantic thing in life, 
and there all that was best and brightest 
in him shone with steady and purest 
lustre." 

Marriage. Divorce. (1821-1834) 

1821. AVe are not angels: we are only 
nii'ii and women, and we share the Im- 
perfection of manhood. I do not care 
how deep and sweet and tender and 
accordant love may render the home life, 
it cannot but happen that in the close 
contact, in the every-day openness and 
disclosure of the home, our had points 
will come out. The man and woman mar- 
ried the most utterly, married along the 
whole line of their natures, must yet 
find some point where there is not com- 
plete contact. There is dissimilarity of 
temper, there has been dissimilarity of 
education. Before musicians can pour 
forth a perfect harmony, they must bring 
their Instruments into tune. Before two 
hearts can perfectly strike together, they 
must he keyed to the same note, and 
that cannot be altogether done before 



The Christian Life. 



— 264 — 



Marriage. 



marriage. The exact real self does not 
appear in courtship. After marriage the 
self puts on its common habits for what 
it is. Then each real self must adjust 
itself to each real self; then must each 
bear and forbear. Then must any in- 
compatibility be met and mastered by a 
mutual charity which suffereth long and 
is kind, which never faileth. Now it is 
just here in the closeness and disclosure 
of the. home that religion is most needed. 
— Christian Work. 

1822. Marriage is a failure: When 
either of the parties marries for money. 

When one of the parties engages in a 
business that is not approved by the 
other. 

When both parties persist in arguing 
over a subject upon which they never 
have and never can think alike. 

When children are obliged to clamor 
for their rights. 

When the watchword is: "Each for 
himself." 

When the money that should go for a 
book goes for what only one side of the 
house knows anything about. 

When politeness, fine manners and 
kindly attention are reserved for com- 
pany or visits abroad. — Springfield Times. 

1823. There is a sentence in one of 
Carlyle's Letters which I must here 
quote: "It is no girl-fondness which 
irradiates my path with false and tran- 
sient splendor; it is the calm, deliberate 
love of a noble-minded woman who has 
given her generous self to me without 
reserve, the influence of whose fair spirit 
sliines over my life with the warmth and 
light of a mild May sun." — Love Letters, 
vol. ii. p. 218. 

1824. As the cord unto the bow is, 
So unto the man is woman. 

Tho' she bends him, she obeys him; 
Tho' she leads him, yet she follows, 
Useless each without the other. 

— Longfellow. 

1825. Beyond all doubt, blood tells. 

Our ancestors sow for us the harvests 
that bless or the harvests that blight. 
Visitors to the upper dome. of the mosque 
in St. Petersburg tell us that the myriad 
sounds of the multitudes upon the pave- 
ment hundreds of feet beneath are so 
brought together as to become like unto 
music. Thus, if we put our ear to the 
child's nature, we shall hear the rever- 
berations of the vast and distant multi- 
tudes; the groans and sobs of sin . and 
suffering; the sounds of joy and laughter, 
sounding down the long aisles of the 
past. Coleridge the elder was an opium- 
eater, and Hartley, his son, inherited the 
same intense craving, as did another 
after him. Moreover, the peculiar poetic 
genius also of the English philosopher 



repeated itself in six of his descendants. 

There were also four generations of 
the Darwin family who became famous 
for their genius in natural history, while 
the talent for statesmanship continued 
throughout five generations of the Adams 
family, and the genius for philosophy 
through six generations of the Emersons. 
When his marshal urged Napoleon to 
educate his little son so as to replace 
himself, Napoleon answered: "I can not 
replace myself; I am the child of hered- 
ity and circumstances." — N. D. Hillis, 
D. D. in Homiletic Review. 

1826. The good genius of the home is 
the woman who has not one word to say 
for herself, and yet stirs some human 
heart to speak for her to this fine pur- 
pose; who has no name, and yet has won 
the noblest; a woman came to a man in 
her sweet, fair maidenhood, to be true 
wife to him, and was true wife; that and 
no more, that and no less. No slave of 
his whims and fancies, or wife to won- 
der in what mood he will come home, 
a"nd whether his first word will be first 
cousin to a kiss or a blow; and no 
drudge to wear her life out in helping to 
make a fortune, as his first wife, he 
will spend in jewels on the second. True 
wife to true man; clothing herself afresh 
to his heart, as her beauty fades, with a 
beauty that cannot be seen. — Robert 
Collyer, D. D. 

1827. I am sure that there is nothing 
more beautiful and more to be envied by 
the poets than this same charm of pow- 
er by which a good wife detains her 
husband. It is not an ambitious, noisy 
power; it is silent, calm, persuasive, and 
often so deep as to have its hold deeper 
than consciousness itself. He is proud 
of her without knowing it, loves her 
when he is too weary or too much bent 
on his objects to be conscious of his love, 
deposits his soul in hers and thinks it 
still his own. She ministers, and yet is 
seldom ministered unto. She makes his 
future and ascribes it to himself. — Hor- 
ace Bushnell, D. D. 

1828. Marriage is not a union merely 
between two creatures — it is a union be- 
tween two spirits; and the intention of 
that bond is to perfect the nature of 
both, by supplementing their deficien- 
cies with the force of contrast, giving to 
each sex those excellencies in which it 
is naturally deficient; to the one, 
strength of character and "firmness of 
moral will; to the other, sympathy, 
meekness, tenderness; and just so solemn 
and just so glorious as these ends are 
for which the union was contemplated 
and intended, just so terrible are the 
consequences if it be perverted and 
abused; for there is no earthly relation- 



The Christian Life. 



— 265 — 



Mothers. 



\ 



ship which has so much power to en- 
noble ami to exalt. There are two rocks, 
in this world of ours, on which the soul 
must either anchor or be wrecked — the 
one is God, and the other is the sex op- 
posite. — F. W. Robertson. 

1829. In "Nathaniel Hawthorne and 
His Wife*' we realize how perfect a mar- 
riage can be where there are love and 
intellectual companionship. The constant 
interchange of confidence in these two 
lives brought that perfection of relation : 
which is the first essential of an ideal j 
home, where love loses itself in filling 
the offices of love. It is said of Mrs. j 
Hawthorne that in her relations as his 
wife she acted instinctively, not from a 
settled purpose — unconsciously, not de- 
signedly. As she made the ideal wife, 
so did he a husband. "He was not, as 
so many men are, a merely passive and 
complacent absorber of all this devotion. 
What she gave he returned; she never 
touched him without a response; she 
never called to him without an echo." 

1830. No man can be the best husband 
till he is the minister of Ids family. As 
the home is the first church, so the hus- 
band is the first minister. He is the 
high priest of that home; his wife, the 
high priestess. — C. H. Parkhurst, D. D. 

1831. "O, glorious: Would to God I 
had a wife such as this!" is the written 
comment on Proverbs 31 (the descrip- 
tion of the virtuous woman) which was 
discovered in the great Lord Shaftes- 
bury's pocket-Bible. A later note which 
follows reads thus: "And so I have, God 
be everlastingly praised! 1846." 

1832. A wayward husband stood by 
the bedside of his wife; he had pledged 
himself to her with sacred vows; prom- 
ised never to drink or gamble, but make 
her home bright. That was years ago. 
Her lot had been hard; she had sheltered 
her little one against his brutal father. 
She said, "Howard, do you remember 
the promise yon gave with this ring as 
a pledge?" His grief said yes. 

1833. A woman lived in Georgia, who 
bad kepi B \o\\ of silence thirty years. 
Her husband returned from business one , 
day In a nervous excitable mood. She ' 
began to tell him about some of her 
annoyances, when he suddenly bade her 
be quiet, nor let the sound of her voice 
be heard. She felt grieved beyond en- 
durance and vowed he should never 
again hear her voice. He never did, nor 
did any one else. She performed her 
daily duties In silence. If anything had 
to be said, she wrote on a slate. In spite 
of penitence, appeals, entreaties, she 
kept her vow. Before her husband died 
he begged her but to say she had for- 
given him; she wrote on a slate. She 



died, a few years ago, without having 
uttered a word, and was thus taken 
from the battle ground of a thirty-year's 
war. 

1834. A large portion of the true life 
of a human being is made up of loving 
sympathy and loving deeds: and when 
instead of love there is indifference and 
peevishness and discontent and disgust, 
of course health must fail. A single 
gravel stone in the shoe hurts more than 
a cart load in a gravel pit. A single 
speck of dust in the eye causes more 
discomfort than a bushel would flying 
in the open air. So the little faults and 
discomforts in the sacred precincts of 
home, are an affliction compared with 
which outside troubles are very light; 
and slight differences among those who 
are linked together in the closest ties, 
become an occasion of great trial and 
discomfort. 

Mothers. Their Influence. (1835-1850) 

1835. Given a mother like Theodore L. 
Cuyler's. and what is not possible? He 

says: "When I was a student in Prince- 
ton, the chairman of the examining 
board requested all who had praying 
mothers to rise. Nearly a hundred and 
fifty leaped to their feet. There we 
stood, living witnesses to the power of a 
mother's prayers, and of her shaping 
influence and example. My own wid- 
owed mother was one of the best that 
God ever gave an only son. ... If all 
mothers were like her, the 'church in the 
house' would be one of the best feeders 
of the church in the sanctuary." 

1836. "Ian Maclarcn" said that it 
would bankrupt a man to attempt to re- 
pay the love of a good mother. "Success" 
calculates that the presidents of the 
United States owe more to their mothers 
than to their fathers. Only eleven of 
the presidents were in easy circumstan- 
ces, and of the remainder who strug- 
gled with adverse circumstances, Jackson 
and Lincoln had mothers to whom it was 
well worth the labor of this great coun- 
try to erect monuments. — C. E. World. 

1837. The English historian. Henry T. 
Buckle, paid a tribute to his mother 
which lingers in the memory and with 
one swift stroke shows us what manner 
of woman she was. He said that no 
mere arguments for Immortality had ever 

bad much weight with him. but thai 

when he remembered his mother be 
Could not disbelieve in it. This simple 
statement needs no amplification. We 
can construct for ourselves the com- 
pelling character of that mother, we 
know her to be one who was living while 
on earth the life eternal. She Is a 
kindred spirit to all the other mothers 



The Christian Life. 



266 — 



Mothers. 



whose lives of loving sacrifice and devo- 
tion, lived oftentimes in seeming com- 
monplaceness, have inspired sons to no- 
ble convictions and deeds. 

1838. The mother of Xerxes buried 
alive a number of youths to propitiate 
the Gods, when he started out on one of 
his expeditions. 

1839. A young man rose in a meeting 
and said that he desired to become a 
Christian. Four months before his 
Christian mother had died, her last 
prayer being uttered for her boys; and 
since her death four of the grown sons 
had been influenced by her dying request 
to give themselves to Christ. This young 
man made the fifth out of nine sons, and 
two or three days later he brought the 
sixth with him, who had come to surren- 
der himself to Christ. There are three re- 
maining—one in another city, and two 
boys, one of sixteen and another of 
eleven years of age, who are deeply im- 
pressed; and it looks now as if the death 
of this mother would be the means of 
causing her large family of sons to be- 
come followers of the Master. — Words 
and Weapons. 

1840. One of the greatest artists tells 
a story of his school days. He was the 
son of a widow, and he was sent to a 
grammar school, and only -once a month 
could he see and speak to his mother. 
But she loved him so dearly, and so de- 
sired to be near him, that she took a 
house which overlooked the school-play- 
ground, and, every day, when the boys 
were at their games, she was watching 
at the window. He soon found it out, 
and from that time he was ashamed to 
do anything wrong. 

1841. The appointment of a young 
man for an important political position 
was brought before a group of men, 
each one of whom is nationally famous. 
The position required tact, discretion, 
character, and staying power. There 
was a flaw in the record of the young 
man's father, and that was cited against 
him with the statement: "We cannot 
afford to take any risks in this matter." 
Then another of the group of men spoke 
up and told what he knew of the young 
man's mother. After he finished there 
was no longer any question. They were 
willing to trust implicitly the son of 
such a woman — and the work of the 
young man since then has shown that 
their decision was right. 

1842. Upon Mrs. Hayes, her four sons 
lavished their choicest jokes — unfailing 
tokens that she was the center of their 
attention and affection. At an outdoor 
reception a man with turned-up collar 
and pulled-down hat pressed her hand 
in the line of visitors, and blessed her 



for her interest in the temperance cause. 
Not until she had made some gracious 
reply did she recognize the gleeful face 
of one of her own teasing boys. "Just 
unpack my satchel, mother," said an- 
other to her on coming in from a train, 
"while I rest." As she opened it, out 
jumped two bantam chickens, vocifer- 
ously protesting against such sudden 
confinement. 

These were the grown-up sons; but 
their devotion to her had been life-long. 
While her husband was with his brigade 
in winter quarters during the Civil War, 
Mrs. Hayes and her older sons spent two 
winters in the West Virginia camp. "I 
can see her now", an old soldier said 
recently; "her hair smooth, a little shawl 
about her shoulders, her face like a 
madonna, and two or three little boys 
with arms about her waist or hugging 
her very skirts, as she walked about 
among the soldiers to ask about our 
rations, our quarters, to help us with 
her radiant presence. We named our 
camp after her, and there was not a man 
in all those thousands but would have 
died for her." — Lucy Elliott Keeler in 
The Interior. 

1843. "Nothing can ever make my 
mother's memory other than the greatest 
gift I ever received!" exclaimed Dean 
Stanley, of Westminster. "I had only 
light from her!" was the way Sir Philip 
Sidney recorded his own filial obliga- 
tions; while long before, Coriolanus 
broke through the most potent pride on 
record to obey his mother's bidding; and 
Alexander the Great exclaimed, "Anti- 
pater knoweth not that one tear of my 
mother's eye will wipe out ten thousand 
such letters as his!" 

"Why do you tell that blockhead the 
same thing twenty times?" asked the 
father of John Wesley. "Because," re- 
plied the wise mother, "if I told him but 
nineteen times all my labor would be 
vain, while now he will understand and 
remember." 

"You are a game man," said the 
Southern sheriff in the wagon, as he 
took John Brown to execution. "Yes," 
the old hero answered, "I was so brought 
up. It was one of my mother's lessons. 
From infancy I have not suffered phys- 
ical fear. I have suffered a thousand 
times more from bashfulness." Then he 
kissed a negro child in its mother's arms 
and walked cheerfully to the scaffold. 

Mothers know their sons. To Patrick 
Henry, Mary Washington said: "I hope 
you will all stand firm. I know George 
will." Only a few years before another 
mother across the water had been saying 
to her son, "George, be a king!" and the 
worthy, stubborn George III., with his 
limited intelligence, was trying to obey 



The Christian Life. 



— 267 — 



Opportunity. 



his mother in his own blundering fash- 
ion. — The Interior. 

1844. One of the sayings of the old 
Jewish rabbi, was, "God could not be 
everywhere, -and therefore he made 
mothers:" — "Ben Hur." 

1845. A pastor tells this experience of 
a city parish: A mother one day came 
to him to see if he could do anything to 
help her save her boy. He had been in 
the employ of an influential firm in the 
city, won favor by his winning and 
business-like demeanor, and secured 
promotion after promotion till he held 
an honored and trusted position in the 
affairs of the house. At last, however, 
he fell into bad ways, and, being en- 
trusted with the keys of the store, used 
to meet there with his young associates 
to drink and play cards after business 
hours. He was led to spend money 
freely, and at last resorted to helping 
liiin>elf to his employer's money from 
the unguarded drawer. He was found 
out, and when this poor mother came 
with her anguished plea for help, the 
young man was lodged behind the bars 
of the jail. "But the thing that most 
impressed me," said the pastor, "was not 
her uncomforted, broken-hearted sorrow, 
which is common enough, but her last- 
ing love for that nicked, erring boy who 
had trampled on all her hopes and re- 
sisted her tears and entreaties." 

184G. At a family party, Xapoleon T. 
offered his mother the imperial hand to 
kiss. She drew herself violently back. 
"Am I not your emperor?" he asked. 
"And am I not your mother?" came the 
instant reply. He kissed her hand in 
silence. "My mother is worthy of all 
veneration," he said later. 

1847. A distinguished public- man of 
Indiana told how in his youth, he was 
entrusted with $22,000 to take to Cincin- 
nati, by horseback. He rode for days, 
and then, one day. "there was a moment, 
a supreme and critical one, when the 
voice of the tempter penetrated my ear. 
It was when I reached the crown of 
those imperial hills that overlook the 
Ohio River when approaching Lawrence- 
burg from the interior. What a gay 
spectacle it presented, flashing in the 
bright sunlight, covered with flatboats, 
and gay-painted steamers. I had but 
to sell my horse and go aboard one of 
these with my treasure, and I was ab- 
solutely beyond the reach of pursuit. 
The world was before me, and I was In 
possession of a fortune for those early 
days. I recall the fact that this thought 
was a tenant in my mind for a moment, 
and for a moment only. Bless God, It 
found no hospitable lodgment any lon- 
ger. And what, think you, were the as- 



sociate thoughts that came to my res- 
cue? Away over rivers and mountains, 
a thousand miles distant, in an humble 
farmhouse, on a bench, an aged mother 
reading to her boy from the oracles of 
God. — "At this point his voice choked, 
his emotions overcame him, and he said 
to his daughter, "We will finish this at 
another time," — laid his head back on 
his chair, and died. 

1848. Dr. Talmage said that, 120 cler- 
gymen being together, began to com- 
pare experiences, and it was found that 
100 out of the 120 assigned as the in- 
strumentality of their conversion a 
Christian mother. 

1849. My kind mother did me one 
altogether invaluable service; she taught 
me. less indeed by word than by act and 
daily reverent look and habitude, her 
own simple version of the Christian 
faith. . . . My mother, with a true wo- 
man's heart, and fine though unculti- 
vated sense, was in the strictest accepta- 
tion religious. The highest whom I 
knew on earth I here saw bowed down 
with awe unspeakable before a Higher 

. in heaven: such things, especially in in- 
" fancy, reach inwards to the very core of 
your being. — Carlyle. 

1850. Robert Fulton was only three 
years old when his father died. "So 
that", he said, "I grew up under the 
care of my blessed mother. She devel- 
oped my early talent for drawing, and 
encouraged me in my visits to the ma- 
chine-shops of the town." Robert was 
a poor pupil at school, however, and 
the teacher complained to his mother. 
Whereupon Mrs. Fulton replied proudly: 
"My boy's head, sir, is so full of original 
notions that there is no vacant chamber 
in which to store the contents of your 
musty books." "I was only ten years 
old at that time," said Fulton, "and my 
mother seemed to be the only human 
being who understood my natural bent 
for mechanics." 

Opportunity. (1851-1865) 

1851. Ill the English fields the little 
drosera. or sundew, lifts its tiny crim- 
son heads. The delicate buds are clus- 
tered in a raceme, to the summit of 
which they climb, one by one. The top- 
most bud waits only through the twelve 
hours of a single day to open. If the 
sun does not shine, it wither-, and drops, 
and gi\cs way to the next aspirant. So 
it is with the purposes of the human 
heart. One by one they come to the 
point of blossoming. II' the >iin><lilne of 
faith and the serene heaven of resolu- 
tion meet the ripe hour, all Is well; but 
If you faint, repel, delay, they wither at 
the core, and your crown is stolen from 



The Christian Life. 



— 268 — 



Opportunity. 



you— your privilege set aside. — Caroline 
D. Hall. 

1852. Pearson's Magazine published in 
1908 the wonderful story of a saintly 
life lived for half a century in a small 
room on the second floor of a tenement 
in the rear of a beer saloon on Second 
avenue, New York. In the year 1856, 
Mrs. Bella Cook, who had since her early 
youth been an invalid from spinal injury, 
became so much worse that she was 
forced to her bed in this little bedroom 
of her home. She has never risen since. 
It is in the most squalid section of one 
of New York's dingiest slums. But the 
little woman who has lived there for 
fifty years keeps it a piece of heaven in 
the midst of hell. The walls are hung 
thick with Scripture texts, and her open 
Bible is always beside her. The room 
is the radiating point of one of the most 
beautiful charities in the world. Wealthy 
friends supply the invalid with lavish 
funds which she disburses to the needy of 
the debased neighborhood. A helper is 
continually going in and out of the 
wretched homes surrounding, and Mrs. 
Cook distributes alms according to the 
reports of the helper. The worst and 
wickedest of the community are invited 
to her room for spiritual counsel, and 
many great victories over sin have been 
fought out beside her bed. Happily the 
invalid is able to write, and conducts a 
marvelous correspondence of counsel and 
inspiration with hundreds. It is the joy 
of many outgoing missionaries of the 
church to consecrate themselves at her 
bedside, and parents often bring their 
children to have them baptized in that 
sacred room. Her radiant cheer is the 
wonder and envy of the most fortunate. 
Visitors describe her face as the most 
noble they have ever seen. 

1853. A young artist who longed to 
travel and see wonderful scenes was 
forced to stay at home because of the 
necessity of supporting her parents. In- 
stead of gazing at Italian skies and Swiss 
mountains she could only look out from 
her basement studio upon thj~ee stone 
steps leading to a neighboring house. 
One day she looked and exclaimed, 
"Here is something I do not have to 
travel abroad to see!" and rapidly she 
sketched what she saw, the stone wall, 
the three rough stone steps, and there 
in a cranny a sturdy dandelion with its 
green leaves and three vigorous flowers 
seemingly growing out of the stone it- 
self. She called her picture "Making 
the Best of it," and into many homes it 
brought the lesson it had brought to her. 

1854. There is a great castle in the 
south of England, and on its entrance 
tower there are two sundials. The one 



that faces the approach has on it the 
word "Praetereunt" ("They have passed 
by"), referring to the hours that the 
dial has measured. The word on the 
other is "Imputantur" ("They are reck- 
oned up.") God keeps the "record of our 
hours and we shall face it some day. — 
Martin. 

1855. There was never a better time 
to live, a clearer hope, a larger field of 
witness. Serenity of faith, activity of 
work, joy of expectation, looking for 
the perfect reign of love, crown the new 
century's life. God is with us in our 
toil and rest. This is the golden oppor- 
tunity, and in using it we hasten on the 
golden age. — Rankin. 

1856. One cold rainy night in England 
years ago, a minister said, "I do not 
think I shall attend the church tonight 
for no one will be there." Finally he 
did go; he found a scattered few through 
the pews. He was then almost per- 
suaded to give up the preaching, but he 
did go on; a boy up in the gallery heard 
the text and began to live, and the boy 
was the preacher who led 13,000 people 
into his own church and drew a multi- 
tude to Christ the wide world round; his 
name was Charles H. Spurgeon. 

1857. Remember that if the oppor- 
tunities for great deeds should never 
come, the opportunity for good deeds is 
renewed for you day by day. The thing 
for us to long for is the goodness, not 
the glory. — P. W. Parrar. 

1858. His biographer wrote of the fa- 
mous Duke of Newcastle; "His grace 
loses an hour every morning, and spends 
the rest of the day looking for it." 

1859. On the dial at All Souls, Oxford, 
there is this inscription: "The hours 
perish, and are laid to our charge." 

1860. Ignatius, when he heard a clock 
strike, was accustomed to say, "Now I 
have one more hour to answer for." 

1861. Linda Gilbert has been all her 
life the steadfast friend of the prisoner. 
She has established good libraries in 
many prisons, and visited and helped 
hundreds of prisoners. Over 600 are 
leading honest lives. Prisoners from all 
parts of the country know and love her 
name, and surely the God of prisoners 
must look upon her work with interest. 
And all this because when a little girl 
on her way to school, she heeded the re- 
quest of a prisoner, who called to her 
from his cell window and asked her for 
books. — Methodist Recorder. 

1862. When a cannon-ball is shot into 
the air, there is a point where its up- 
ward momentum ceases, and it poises 
an instant before it begins to fall. At 
that instant a child can hold it. A mo- 



The Chris'ian Life. 



— 269 — 



Character. The Will. 



ment before or after, it smites with the 
power of death. There come, to us all, i 
moments in life which are full of mighty 
]») — ibilities. Let us seize them and use I 
them while we may. — J. C. Smith, D. D. 

1863. One was rummaging along the 
sea-shore gathering treasures of stone 
and shell. High on the beach lay a shell 
Eaore beautiful than any yet discovered. 
He was searching in a dreamy, listless J 
way, looking here and there. "That 
shell is safe enough." he said. '"I can [ 
pick that up at my leisure." Cut, as he 
waited, a higher wave swept up along 
the beach, recaptured the shell and bore 
it back to the bosom of the ocean. How 
like the experiences of our lives is this! 
When the wave of another year has 
flowed back and off the shore of time, 
how many shells of plans, of opportun- 
ities of purposes toward noble and better 
life, lying there, you thought within your I 
easy grasp a year ago, has»it not swept 
into the irreparable past: — Wayland 
Hoyt, D. D. 

1861. A noble ideal reflects its glory 
in the face and form and life of the soul 
it dominates. The poet quaintly says: 
"Her face was pinched and pale and 
thin. 

But splendor struck it from within." 
on which William Gannett comments, 
"Splendor from within is the only tliinn 
which makes the real and lasting splen- 
dor from without. Within lies the rob- 
ing-room, the sculptor's workshop." "In 
thy face I have seen the eternal," said 
Bunsen, gazing up into his wife's eyes 
just before he died. 

1865. One morning, many years ago, 
a young reporter on a daily paper had 
occasion to call with a message at the 
office of one of the foremost editors and 
publishers in the country. He saw signs 
of dissipation in the youth, and as they 
were parting, said; "Let me wish you a 
merry Christmas." He took from a shelf 
a book, containing sketches of the lives 
of the greatest English, French and 
German authors, with extracts from 
their works. "Here," said he, "are some 
friends for the new year. When you 
spend an hour with them, you will have 
noble company." 

The surprise of the gift and the unex- 
pected kindness from the man whom he 
regarded with awe had a powerful effect 
upon the lad. The book kindled his la- 
tent scholarly tastes. He saved hi.i 
money to buy books. He numbered 
some of the foremost scholars and think- 
ers of the country among his friends. 
His life widened and deepened into a 
strong current, from which many drew 
comfort and help. He died not long 
ago. During his illness the newspapers | 



spoke of him with a keen appreciation 
of his worth. "A profound scholar, with 
the heart of a child." "A journalist 
who never wrote a word to subserve a 
base end," they said. He read these eu- 
logies with a quiet smile. One day he 
put into the hands of a friend an old. 
ding) volume. "When I am gone," he 

said, "take this to Mr. , and tell him 

that whatever of good or usefulness 
there has been in my life I owe to him, 
and this gift of his thirty years ago." 

Character. The Will. Motive. 

(1866-1914) 

1866. The Greek word "character" 
means "to cut," to engrave, to make a 
furrow. That is something different 
from a pencil mark. You might rub 
out a pencil line or even the mark of 
a pen. but a line cut with a tool, a fur- 
row, can't be rubbed out. 

1867. The workshop of character is 
cvery-day life. The uneventful and 
commonplace hour is where the battle 
is won or lost. Thank God for a new 
truth, a beautiful idea, a glowing ex- 
perience; but remember that unless we 
bring it down to the ground and teach 
it to walk with feet, work with hands, 
and stand the strain of daily life, we 
have worse than lost it — we have been 
hurt by it. 

1868. In Joan of Arc we may see with 
absolute clearness how under the cir- 
cumstances of certain periods of history, 
character turns the balance and decides 
the coarse of events. Her great force 
was, as may now be seen, neither in her 
insight, nor in her military qualities, but 
in her singularly sublime character. 
France was then in the position of a dis- 
solute young man who can be saved only 
by the purity and sweet but determined 
energy of a young bride. Joan felt her 
vocation with the same unerring clear- 
ness that many a maiden has felt, that 
she could bring steadiness and happiness 
to the unbalanced young man of her 
chaste love. — XIX Century. 

1869. It is not the teaching of a Purl- 
tan, but of Diderot, that even the paint- 
er's work is deteriorated by lii- life. 
Speaking of a painter of talent, he says: 
"'Degradation of taste, of color, of com- 
position, of design has followed, step by 
step, the degradation of his character. 
What must the artist have on his can- 
vas? That which he has In his imagin- 
ation. That which he has in his life. — 
Alexander. 

1870. There Is no way of doing good 
so thoroughly efficacious as being good, 
< tne good man given to a town Is better 
than the gift of a purk, or, it may be, of 



The Christian Life. 



— 270 — 



Character. The Will. 



a library. One good man is worth more 
to a town than a hundred of the most 
learned men who are not good. One 
good man does not illuminate every spot 
along the shore, but he stands as a 
lighthouse from whose lamp, a foot or 
two in diameter, a light streams miles 
far over the dark seas of night, and en- 
ables the mariner to guide his bark away 
from the wrecking rocks. — Deems. 

1871. We inherit character as well as 
features. Two hundred descendants of 
the criminal "Jukes family" became 
criminal and vicious, while as many de- 
scendants of Jonathan Edwards were 
men and women of high ability and 
character, and many of them highly 
distinguished. 

1872. Character is the sediment pre- 
cipitated by moral conflict. It is the 

registry of man's mastery of circum- 
stances. — C. Wilson. 

Character is reiterated choice. — 

George Eliot. 

1873. Robert Collyer tells of return- 
ing to his boyhood's home after becom- 
ing a Unitarian, and preaching in the 
old church where as a young blacksmith 
he once worshipped. At the close of the 
service his old Methodist mother took 
his arm and said, "Ah, Robert, I didna 
understand much thee said, and what I 
did understand I didna like; but I be- 
lieve in thee." — "A Comfortable Faith." 

1874. There is a saintliness of the 
hank, of the exchange, of the court of 
justice, of the newspaper office, and of 
Parliament, as well as of the cloister; of 
the laboratory, the painting-room, and 
the university, as well as of the 
church; a saintliness of the merchant, 
the manufacturer, the tradesman, and 
the mechanic, as well as of the apostle 
and the preacher. . . . The immediate 
manifestations of the eternal life that 
dwells in Christ are found not merely in 
the words and deeds and sufferings re- 
corded in the four Gospels but in the 
company of the faithful. We know 
that Christ is alive from the dead, for 
he lives in them. — R. W. Dale, D. D. 

1875. Have you ever noticed how an 
icicle is formed? If you have, you no- 
ticed how it froze one drop at a time 
until it was a foot or more long. If the 
water was clear, the icicle remained 
clear, and sparkled almost as brightly 
as diamonds in the sun; but if the water 
was slightly muddy, the icicle looked 
foul, and its beauty was spoiled. Just 
so our characters are forming — one little 
thought or feeling at a time. If each 
thought be pure and bright, the soul 
will be lovely and sparkle with happi- 
ness; but if impure and wrong, there 



will be deformity and wretchedness. — 
Evangelist. 

1876. Discipline and character. In a 
biography of a great English scientist 
I find two outlines on the early disci- 
pline of trouble. At thirteen the scien- 
tist wrote this: 

At Thirteen: "I cannot pretend to like 
this school, however much I try. The 
head is a beast, and not one of the un- 
der masters is a decent chap. I hate 
being kept in after hours, and when the 
other fellows are going out after games, 
and yet, whenever I haven't done a les- 
son right, they -make me do it until I 
know it thoroughly. This is constantly 
the case with my Latin. Also I do 
loathe the food they give us; we have to 
eat fat and lean together, and fat is 
beastly. Also, however cold it is, we 
have to take long runs, when it would 
be much nicer to sit by the fire and be 
comfortable; I can't understand my 
father and mother, who say they love 
me, and all that, sending me to such a 
place and making me learn Latin and 
Euclid, which are no use to any one. I 
wish I could run away." 

At Sixty-three: "Of my many advan- 
tages in early life I place easily first my 
parents, whose method of training me 
was beyond all praise. To my puerile 
mind they seemed cruelly strict, but I 
see now how marvelously they under- 
stood me. In looking back upon my first 
school I can think of it only with affec- 
tion. The manner in which the masters 
treated my inner tendency of character 
was entirely admirable. To their in- 
sistence at that period I owe one of the 
keenest delights of my matured years — 
a love for the Latin authors. In the 
matter of physical soundness, also, 
I am certainly much indebted to the 
'"school runs", which were compulsory, 
and to the wholesome and sensible diet 
on which we were fed, without which I 
should not possess today the virility 
which has kept me free from disease to 
a quite unusual extent." What a con- 
trast is this! At 13 the boy thinks the 
head master is a beast; at 63 the head 
master is altogether beyond praise. At 
13 the parents seemed cruel; at 63 their 
love was beyond all description. At 13 
the boy loathes the food; at 63 he calls 
it wholesome and sensible diet; that 
alone explains his unwonted strength 
and freedom from disease. Grown old 
and wise, the man understands that the 
keyword was discipline. — Hillis. 

1877. How secure is the Greece that 
flowered in her great men! It was in 
the two centuries 'between 500 and 300 
B. C, when she emphasized men more 
than the things they created, that she 



The Christian Life. 



— 271 — 



Character. The Will. 



produced the men who have been the 
teachers of the human race. She has 
been despoiled of her art treasures, her 
temples have fallen, her Parthenon is 
in ruins; but the two hundred years of 
her life, which she deposited in her 
great men, are immortal. Themistocles, 
Pericles, Plato, Aristotle, Sophocles, 
Pindar, Demosthenes, Phidias — in these 
her riches are forever secure. — Lee. 
i 1878. Xo man can live his life above 
his character. If he seems to do it, it is 
but seeming. — Austin Phelps. 

If you would create something you 
must be something. — Goethe. 

1879. "The most influential evangel- 
izing agency in every community, and 
our main reliance for the conversion of 
the world, is Christianity exemplified in 
character and life." So said one of the 
leaders of modern religious thought to 
his friend on a street car. No advocacy 
or exposition of goodness can be quite 
so convincing as the thing itself. George 
Macdonald by no means disparaged 
preaching when he said that to know 
one person who can be absolutely trust- 
ed will do more for a man's moral na- 
ture — yes, for his religious nature — than 
all the sermons that he preached. 

1880. Wherever and whenever nations 
destined to greatness were in need of 
some great inspirer of confidence, they 
naturally and instinctively turned to a 
personality in whom character was the 
central force. The Reformation was not 
made by the subtle and learned Eras- 
muS| nor by the well-informed Melanch- 
thon; but by rough Luther, in whose 
grand soul character trampled upon all 
Infirmities, fears, and apprehensions, and 
who unwaveringly held on high the ban- 
ner of his faith in the religious revival. 
When England was at war with Louis 
XIV, the mightiest monarch of his time, 
the people placed their faith not in 
brilliant, over-intellectualised Halifax, 
but in William the Third, who, asthmat- 
ic, constantly ill and, on the Continent at 
least, constantly beaten, yet never hesi- 
tated in the enterprise that his Indomit- 
able character had once dec ided to carry 
through. — XIX Century. 

1881. Two young girls in the parlors 
of a celebrated photographer were wait- 
ing somewhat impatiently, their turn 
for a sitting. When the studio door was 
Anally opened and two middle-aged 
ladies emerged, the eyes of the girls ran 
swiftly over the face and figure of the 
one who had evidently been before the 
camera. "Dear me! All this time wasted 
on her?" whispered one pair of rosy 
lips. "When I get to be as old and 
homely as that, I'll not bother with hav- 
ing pictures taken, I can tell you." But 



the artist was even then expressing to a 
friend his satisfaction with his sitter. 

"I like to take that kind of picture — 
a face that is full of character," he said. 
"That patient steadfastness in the eyes, 
the strong lines about the mouth, will 
come out finely. Pretty faces are plen- 
tiful enough — they mean nothing except 
that care and time have not yet touched 
them — but strong, sweet faces have to 
be slowly chiseled out, year by year, by 
some workman within." 

1882. A shepherd boy in the Alps, 
while minding his sheep, saw a strange 
flower at his feet. He picked it up and 
a door opened in the hillside. He en- 
tered and found a cave piled up with 
gems, in the center of which sat a 
gnome, who said, "Take what you wish, 
but don't forget the best!" He dropped 
his flower and loaded himself with jew- 
els, then went out, hearing again, "Don't 
forget the best!" Once more in the open 
air he remembered his "key-flower," and 
turned back to pick it up; but the door 
was gone, and in a moment more all his 
gems had turned to dust! He had for- 
gotten the best, after all. "Take what 
you want and can of earth's treasures, 
but don't forget the best, — a noble, 
Christ-like character. A good name is 
rather to be chosen than great riches." 

1883. Catharine of Siena, a noble 
saint, visited Gregory XI, at Avignon. 
Though but a dyer's daughter, without 
any authority save that of sanctity, she 
made the Pope and his corrupt court 
tremble at her words, and caused the 
spiritual autocrat of Christendom to 
humbly follow her to Rome to attempt 
there a reformation. Such is the in- 
fluence of character. — Brierly. 

1881. I overheard two boys talking 
about a schoolmate, "ft will be an easy 
matter to win Tom over to our side, for 
when be does say 'No', he only about 
half means it." Then they passed on, 
and their conversation was lost, but not 
the effect produced by their words. 
••Tom only about half means it when he 
does say no!" Alas, poor Tom! what a 
world of trouble is in store for this lad 
who docs not know how to say "No". 

1885. Benjamin Franklin attributed 

his success, as a public man, not to his 
talents, or his power of speaking — for 
these were but moderate — but to Ids 
known integrity of character. "Hence 
It was," he says, "that I had so much 
weight with my fellow-citizens. I was 
but a bad speaker, never eloquent, sub- 
ject to much hesitation in my choice 
of words, hardly correct In my language; 
and yet I generally carried my point." 
Character we know creates conlhlcnce; 
and coniidence Itself is power. It has 



The Christian Life. 



— 272 — 



Character. The Will. 



been said of the first Emperor Alexander 
of Russia that his personal character 
was equivalent to a constitution. During 
the wars of the French, Montaigne was 
the only man among the French gentry 
who kept his castle gate unbarred; and it 
is said of him that his personal character 
was worth more to him than a regiment 
of defenders. That character is power 
is true in a much higher sense than that 
knowledge is power. — Hallock. 

1886. Degeneracy in character means 
deterioration in work. In the sculpture 
gallery of the Capitol at Rome there is 
a collection of busts complete, or nearly 
complete, of all the Roman emperors, 
from the earliest to the latest. The 
busts are, for the most part, the work 
of contemporary artists. It is a fine 
study to trace the decay of the art, from 
the early Caesars, to the barbarism of 
the Gothic Emperors. The sculptor who 
chiseled .the latest crude effigy, had be- 
fore him those consummate examples 
from the great period. — R. F. Horton, 
D. D. 

1887. All problems ultimately resolve 
themselves into problems of personality. 

No matter how perfect the mechanism 
of organization may be, there is a place 
where all depends upon a human will. 
Take, for example, that sorrowful dis- 
aster at Grantham. The express was 
made up rightly at King's Cross; the en- 
gine was running true; the signals were 
rightly against the train at Grantham; 
yet the express dashed through the sta- 
tion at seventy miles an hour and was 
wrecked with serious loss of life. The 
human factor for once failed, and ruin 
followed. A chain is no stronger than 
its weakest link, and our plans may be 
no more effective than the efficiency of 
some lad upon whom for a moment all 
depends. Character is the final thing in 
every human enterprise. — Rev. Frank 
Johnson. 

1888. Character is the guage of life. 
It is like the Nilometer, an obelisk set in 
the River Nile long ago, to measure its 
rise and fall. If the water marks eight 
cubits only the crops will be scant. If 
fourteen is registered, crops will be 
abundant. 

1889. There are two roots of charac- 
ter, bearing outward and downward, to 
hold it firm; they are knowledge and 
will, but the great tap root is obedience. 
Every-day duties are the calisthenics of 
character, the exercises that give it 
strength, grace, firmness and beauty. 
Huxley said; "The brightest object of 
education is to get the habit of doing 
the thing I ought at the time I ought, 
whether I like it or not." — President 
Gates. 



1890. Phillips Brooks, Whittier, Thor- 
eau, Audubon, Emerson, Beecher, Agas- 
siz, were rich without money. They saw 
the splendor in the flower, the glory in 
the grass, books in the running brooks, 
sermons in stones, and good in every- 
thing. They knew that the man who 
owns the landscape is seldom the one 
who pays taxes on it. They sucked in 
power and wealth at first hand from the 
meadows and fields, birds, brooks, moun- 
tains, and forests, as the bee sucks honey 
from the flowers. Every natural object 
seemed to bring them a special message. 
— Dr. Oliver S. Marden. 

1891. The character which you are 
constructing is not your own. It is the 
building material out of which other 
generations will quarry stones for the 
temple of life. See to it, therefore, that 
it be granite and not shale. — A. J. Gor- 
don, D. D. 

1892. Character is the ground of elo- 
quence. The biographer of Cromwell 
narrates in his quaint style how that 
great leader, at a critical moment in the 
House of Commons, dropped from his 
stammering tongue a speech that melted 
that tough old lawyer, Coke, to tears. 
I have met with a striking passage in 
the Diary of the elder John Adams, kept 
during the sessions of the Continental 
Congress. Under date of August 31, 
1774, referring to Mr. Lynch, a delegate 
from Virginia, whom he pronounces a 
most sound and judicious person, he 
writes: "He (Mr. Lynch) told us that 
Colonel Washington made the most elo- 
quent speech at the Virginia Convention 
that ever was made. Says he: 'I will 
raise one thousand men, subsist them at 
my own expense, and march myself at 
their head for the relief of Boston.' " 
Now, what was there in this brief speech 
to outdo the eloquence of Henry, and to 
thrill the assembly that listened to it? 
To be sure, there was a great deal in it. 
It was a tocsin of war, a promise to take 
up arms encumbered by no conditions. 
But these words came from a man of 
character. — George P. Fisher, D. D. 

1893. I stood on the beach, looking off 
over the sea, and there was a strong 
wind blowing; and, noticing that some 
vessels were going one way and other 
vessels were going another way, I said to 
myself: "How is it that the same wind 
sends one vessel in one direction and 
another vessel in another direction?" 
And I found out, by looking, that it was 
the difference in the way they had their 
sails set. And so does trouble come in 
this world. Some men it drives into the 
harbor of heaven, and other men it 
drives on the rocks. It depends on the 
way they have their sails set. All the 



The Christian Lifb. 



— 2 73 — 



Character. The Will. 



Atlantic and Pacific Oceans of surging 
sorrow can not sink a soul that has 
asked for God's pilotage. — T. DeWitt 
Talmage. 

1894. On a street corner one day a 
man of the world said to a minister: 
"The way that storm-beaten woman 
trusts in God and seems to be helped by 
him through all her tempestuous life is 
more impressive to me than any sermon 
I ever heard." And yet another testi- 
fies thus: "No books that I ever read 
have so nourished in me a believing 
heart as have the goodness and the 
truth, the patience and fidelity that I 
have known in individual lives." — Kelly. 

1895. "Our deeds shall travel with us 
from alar. 

And what we have been makes us what 
we are." 

1896. It looks as if this strange life 
of ours were made only for character. 
Not only the world of conscience within 
suggests this, but also the world of cir- 
cumstance without. For all other pur- 
poses — the making of a fortune, the en- 
joyment of pleasure, the securing of all 
worldly wealth or position or fame — 
this is a life ill-adapted. The flux of 
things, the uncertainties of fate, the 
varied unforeseen combination of circum- 
stances adverse to, or destructive of 
wealth, or health, or pleasure — all these 
make life obviously a place not formed 
primarily for these ends. This is really 
not tl><- world for worldliness. — "The 
Fact of Christ." 

189". How completely "little vices" 
can cat into and destroy all beauty of 
character, is illustrated by this incident 
recently given in The Interior: She lives 
in a Wisconsin city. She is a widow 
without children and has no one de- 
pendent upon her. She occupies apart- 
ments absolutely alone, and boards at a 
hotel, so that she has not so much as a 
servant attached to her. And her in- 
come is $r>00 a month. The woman has 
two fixed rules to live by — she spends 
every cent of that $500 every month, 
and she spends it all on herself. An ac- 
quaintance was out walking with the 
$500 woman on the last afternoon of a 
month. Suddenly as something chanced 
to remind her that the month was nearly 
out. the wealthy widow opened her 
purse and searched it. She found $9.50. 
"This will never do," she said; and she 
led her companion Into a florist's store 
which they chanced to be passing. 

• I waul nine and a hall' dollar-' worth 
of (lowers," she said imperiously as a 
salesman came forward. 

"Yes, madam," he replied; "what sort 
of flowers, please?" 

"I£ makes no difference whatever," 

18 Prac. 111. 



she answered. "I just want nine and a 
half dollars' worth. Send them up to 
my apartment immediately." And she 
emptied her purse. 

So far from thinking whether she 
might give enjoyment of the flowers to 
some one else, she did not offer so much 
as a single bloom to the friend with her. 

1898. Character's unconscious registry. 
It was winter; the examiner sent the 
missionary candidate word to be at his 
home at three o'clock in the morning. 
"When the young man arrived at the ap- 
pointed time, he was shown into the 
study where he waited for five hours. 
At length the old clergyman appeared, 
and asked the other how early he had 
come. "Three o'clock sharp." "All 
right; it's breakfast-time now: come in 
and have some breakfast." After break- 
fast they went back to the room. "Well, 
sir," said the old man, "I was appointed 
to examine you as to your fitness for the 
mission field; that is very important. Can 
you spell, sir?" The young man thought 
he could. "Spell baker, then." "B-a, 
ba, k-e-r, ker, baker." "All right; that 
will do. Now do you know anything 
about figures?" "Yes, sir, something." 
"How much is twice two?" "Four." 
"All right, that's splendid; you'll do 
first-rate. I'll see the board." 

When the hoard met, the old man re- 
ported: "Well, brethren, I have examined 
the candidate, and I recommend him for 
appointment. He'll make a tiptop can- 
didate — first-class! 

"First," said the old examiner. "I ex- 
amined the candidate on his sell-denial. 
I told him to be at my house at three 
o'clock in the morning. He was there. 
That meant getting up at two in the 
morning, or sooner, in the dark and cold. 
He got up; never asked me why. 
Second — I examined him on promptness. 
I told him to be at my house at three 
sharp. He was there, not a minute be- 
hind the time. Third — I examined him 
on patience. I let him wait five hours 
for me, when he might just as well have 
been in bed, and he waited, and showed 
no signs of impatience when I went in. 
Fourth — I examined him on his tempe.-. 
He didn't get mad; met me perfectly 
pleasant; didn't ask me why I had kept 
him waiting from three o'clock on a 
cold morning till eight. Fiflli — I exam- 
ined him on humility. I asked him to 
spell words a five-year-old child could 
spell, and to do sums in arithmetic a 
five-year-old child could do, and he 
didn't show any indignation; didn't ask 
me why I wanted to treat him like a 
child or a fool. 

"Brethren, the candidate is self-deny- 
ing! prompt, patient, obedient. gOOd-tem- 
pered, bumble; he'a jusl the man for a 



The Christian Life. 



— 274 — 



Character. The Will. 



missionary, and I recommend him for 
your acceptance." — The Youth's Com- 
panion. 

1899. Reputation is what the world 
thinks a man is; character is what he 
really is. Every one can play shuttle- 
cock with a man's reputation; his char- 
acter is his alone. No one can injure 
his character but himself. Character is 
the sword; reputation is the scabbard. 
Many men acquire insomnia in standing 
guard over their reputation while their 
character gives them no concern. Often 
they make new dents in their character 
in their attempt to cut deep deceptive 
filigree on the scabbard of their repu- 
tation. Reputation is the shell a man 
discards when he leaves life for immor- 
tality. His character he takes with him. 
— Saturday Evening Post. 

1900. It might not occur to us to call 
Charles Lamb, and Dr. Johnson, and Sir 
Walter Scott great preachers of religion: 
but Lamb, pacifying and amusing his 
fretful and unreasonable old father*night 
after night; rough, gruff Sam Johnson, 
crowding his own small home with a lot 
of disagreeable dependents whom he 
sheltered and supported, and Sir Walter, 
sitting by the humble bedside of a poor 
little humpbacked tailor and pouring the 
sunshine of his genius and his love into 
that dull, unamiable life — were they not 
all teachers and preachers because ex- 
emplars of some of the most difficult of 
real humane and Christian virtues? — 
Kelly. 

1901. You cannot be a man and live a 
man's life without coming into this 
world where sin is, and where you must 
be tried. That great temptation which 
comes swaggering up and frightening 
you so has the best part of your char- 
acter held under his brawny arm. You 
cannot get it without wrestling with him 
and forcing it away from him. That 
mountain which towers up and defies 
you has your spiritual health away up 
on its snowy summit. That is what 
shines there in the sun. You cannot 
reach it except by the terrible climb. 
Ask yourself what you would have been 
if you had never been tempted, and own 
what a blessed thing the educating pow- 
er of temptation is. — Phillips Brooks. 

1902. "We have no security for a man 
who has no religious principle," says 
Richard Cobden. And Burns sings; "The 
heart aye's the part aye that mak's 
things right or wrang." And Kant said; 
"Excepting a good will there is nothing 
good in the world." 

1903. Every smallest stroke of virtue 
or of vice leaves its never so little mark. . . 
Nothing we ever do is, in strict scientific 



literalness, wiped out. — Prof. William 
James. 

1904. Dr. Edward Everett Hale says 
that when he brought home his first re- 
port from the famous Boston Latin 
School it showed that he stood only ninth 
in a class of fifteen. "Probably the other 
boys are brighter than you", said his 
mother. "God made them so, and you 
cannot help that. But the report says 
that you are among the boys that behave 
well. That you can see to, and that is 
all I care about." 

1905. Emerson, standing by Longfel- 
low's coffin, his memory failing,- said; 
"That gentleman was a beautiful soul, 
but I have forgotten his name." 

1906. You must measure the strength 
of a man by the power of the feelings 
he subdues, not by the power of those 
which subdue him. And hence compos- 
ure is very often the highest result of 
strength. Did we never see a man re- 
ceive a flagrant insult and only grow a 
little pale and then reply quietly? That 
man is spiritually strong. Or did we 
ever see a man in an anguish stand as 
if carved out of a solid rock, mastering 
himself? Or one bearing a hopeless 
daily trial remain silent, and never tell 
the world what cankered his home 
peace? — Rev. P. W. Robertson. 

1907. My will goes deep. I can sta- 
tion it upon the threshold of the un- 
conscious; it will cry down to the germ- 
inal and the unborn. They will hear 
and answer it. I can shape my medita- 
tions, I can warn my brooding thoughts 
from the unholy, the greedy and the un- 
clean. I can call the beautiful and true 
and good to my help. I can say to my 
mind when it lingers in the presence of 
the trivial, "Take care, this is the stuff 
brooding is made of." I can say to the 
brooding self: "Take care, this is the 
stuff out of which the future is woven. 
Do not do this, you will dream of it; 
do not dream of this, you will do it. 
These imaginings will not stay imagin- 
ings, they will become deeds. You are 
creating yourself, and are becoming even 
now, long, long before their birth, the 
responsible father of your deeds." — Dr. 
Atkins. 

1908. There lived at Lockport, N. Y., 
a member of Congress, who had in his 
home a Christian servant girl, who, by 
her industry and integrity won the es- 
teem of the entire family. By and by 
she married a shiftless, drunken car- 
penter, and was soon supporting him by 
her own labors. Her former employer, 
wishing to do her a permanent good, 
decided to build her a house on a lot 
which he owned. And to encourage her 
husband gave him the job, without re- 



The Christian Life. 



— 9 



75 — 



Character. The Will. 



vealiug the purpose he had in view. The 

Senator left for Washington, and the 
carpenter spun out his work through the 
fall, winter, and spring, cheating his em- 
ployer in every way he possibly could. 
In both materials and workmanship the 
house was a botch job from foundation 
up. When the Senator returned in early 
summer the builder informed him that 
the house was finished, and boastfully 
added, "There isn't a better house on 
Pioneer Hill than that house of yours." 
"Very well," said his benefactor, "then 
you go home and tell your wife to move 
into it immediately. And here is the deed 
to her for the property. So you see you 
will have a nice house as long as you 
live." The man was dazed by the dis- 
covery that instead of cheating his em- 
ployer he had been cheating himself. 
And as the defects of the house became 
more and more apparent with the lapse 
of time he was repeatedly heard to say, 
"Oh, that I had known it was my own 
house that I was building!" Here is the 
tragedy of it — to put unsound materials 
and poor work into our character-house 
is to cheat ourselves. — "School and 
Life." 

1909. Two literary gentlemen listened 
to one of Lincoln's great speeches. At 
the outset, one asked the other, "Did 
you ever see such a homely man?" As 
the speech went on, he whispered, "He 
doesn't look so bad after all." And when 
Lincoln sat down he exclaimed, "The 
handsomest man I ever saw in my life!" 

1910. Mr. Devereaux, a wealthy gen- 
tleman rrom North Carolina, was once 
on a visit to New York. One day he en- 
tered a large store to make a few pur- 
chases. After the parcels had been 
brought to him and laid upon the coun- 
ter, Mr Devereaux feeling for his pocket- 
book found that he had left it in his 
room at the hotel, and directed his ser- 
vant to go and bring it The merchant 
hearing the order, said to him: "You 
needn't trouble yourself to do that. sir. 
Take the articles with you, and you can 
call as you are passing and settle the 

.bill." Mr. Devereaux, looking earnestly 
into the face of the merchant, replied — 
"I don't understand you, sir: I am a 
stranger in this city. You don't know 
me, do you?" "No, sir, I don't know 
you," was the reply, "but I saw you 
walking the Btreel yesterday with Mr. 
James Lennox, and Mi'. Lennox don't 
walk the streets (Vith men that don't 
pay their bills." 

1911. Once T went to see an exhibition 
of Gnstave Dora's pictures, the same ex- 
hibition that many of you have seen, for 
it was shown in the principal American 



cities. As a boy, I had been fascinated 
with the spirited work of this artist as I 
saw it represented in engravings, and I 
anticipated a rich treat in seeing the 
glorious originals. But, alas! though a 
few of them met my anticipations and 
were brilliant indeed, most of them were 
only immense sheets of dull colors, some 
of them mere ghosts of pictures peering 
out of a world of black. Dore did not 
use properly made colors, and so his 
paintings scarcely outlasted the life of 
the artist himself. 

1912. One of the most earnest of 
modern Gaelic poets, Dugald Buchanan, 
was first led to think of serious subjects 
by a cleverly turned phrase, uttered half 
in jest. "What is your profession?" a 
pious highlander inquired of him. "As 
to that," replied Buchanan, "I have none 
in particular. My mind is very much 
like a sheet of white paper." "Then 
take care the devil does not write his 
name upon it", said the other. — Myers. 

1913. A young man was sent to the 
reformatory recently because of his past 
record. He was arrested during a pa- 
rade in one of our large Eastern cities. 
He protested that he was doing nothing 
criminal, but had only gone as a specta- 
tor of the parade. When the detective 
read the young man's record, for he had 
been "up" before, the magistrate said he 
had a bad record and should have kept 
out of a crowd. Would that the dying 
words of the great temperance orator, 
"Young man. keep your record clean," 
might be impressed deeply upon every 
young man's heart. No young man need 
fear mingling with the crowd who has a 
clean record. You will have a sorry 
time of it if your picture is in the rogue's 
gallery. — William Barnes Lower. 

191 1. Goethe says that life is a quarry. 

A quarry is a place where stone is got- 
ten. The value of a quarry is always in 
the quality of its stone. Now, life, if it 
be a quarry, is simply , a place contain- 
ing a something that is valued, unformed 
but with skill may be wrought into what 
Is valuable. The stone from the quarry 
is chiselled Into form. A greater value 
comes from the chiselling of this stone. 
Michael Angelo'8 ".Mo~es" is witness of 
what a great artist may do with a chisel 
upon a block of marble. Really then, if 
your own life Is a quarry, you yourself 
must he the artist, and out of the ma- 
terial of the quarry you are going to 
make what is beautiful and worthful to 
the world. I>et me complete the entire 
quotation. "Life is a quarry out of 
which we are to mould and chisel and 

complete a character." — John T. Mc- 
Farland. 



The Christian Life. 



— 276 — 



Heredity. 



Heredity. (191^-1924) 

1915. The tragic thing today is that 
so many men with a Christian ancestry 
are creating a pagan posterity. — Donald 

Sage Mackay, D. D. 

1916. Some one has said that the ap- 
ple from which Newton deduced the 
laws of gravity was 2000 years in falling. 

He would have been nearer the truth 
if he had said 6 000 years. * * * The con- 
vention that met in Philadelphia to 
frame the Constitution of the United 
States, in 1787, was called to order on 
the "top of the centuries." The mem- 
bers had such advantage of position as 
made it possible for them to look all 
down the ages. — Lee. 

1917. Some years ago in the State of 
New York, there was a poor little outcast 
girl by the name of Mag, just like any 
one of myriads in all the country round 
about, — a friendless, parentless, wretch- 
ed, neglected little girl. How much do 
you suppose it would have taken to have 
saved her? How much money? How 
much human service? It was not ex- 
pended. She sank into vice. Seventy 
years passed, and somebody who knew 
that Mag went to the bad tried to find 
out what had been some of the results 
of her badness. They found she had had 
— oh, pitiful story! — 1,200 descendants 
in the seventy years. They found that, 
as far as known, 2 80 of these were pau- 
pers and 148 were criminals. They found 
positive proof that her descendants, by 
their vices, had cost the State $1,308,000. 
If she had been saved, with an expendi- 
ture of ten, twenty-five or a hundred dol- 
lars, do not you think it would have been 
good economy financially? Was there 
ever greater folly from a financial stand- 
point than to let Mag go down to the 
devil ? — Lansing. 

1918. A shepherd's cottage garden was 
swallowed up in a deer-forest and be- 
came a garden full of weeds; genera- 
tions passed, and it was once more 
delved; the long dormant seeds were 
reawakened and many oldfashioned 
flowers saw the light. So there may be 
a re-awakening of almost forgotten 
flowers and weeds in that garden which 
we call our inheritance. — J. A. Thomson, 
in "Heredity." 

1919. The vibrations of the ether start- 
ed by the transmitter at a "wireless" sta- 
tion, pass on out until every "receiver" 
in the world capable of receiving it has 
had their message of good or ill. So our 
influence goes down along the line of 
heredity to countless generations, mak- 
ing them better or worse. 

1920. A special study of hereditary 
drunkenness has been made by Professor 



Pelman, of Bonn University, Germany. 
He traced the careers of children in all 
parts of the German empire, until he 
was able to present tabulated biogra- 
phies of the hundreds descended from 
some original drunkards. Notable 
among the persons described by Profes- 
sor Pelman is Frau Ida Jurka, who was 
born in 1740, and was a drunkard, a 
thief and a tramp for the last forty years 
of her life, which ended in 1800. Her 
descendants numbered 834, of whom 706 
■were traced in local records from youth 
to death. Of the 700 born, 106 were 
born out of wedlock. There were 144 
beggars, and 62 more who lived from 
charity. Of the women, 181 lived dis- 
reputable lives. There were in the fam- 
ily 76 convicts, 7 of whom were sen- 
tenced for murder. In the period of 
some 75 years this family rolled up a 
bill of costs in almshouses, prisons, and 
correctional institutions amounting to at 
least 5,000,000 marks, or about $1,250,- 
000. — Medical Record. 

1921. In a history of alcoholism in 
the parents of 313 out of 950 recent ca- 
ses more than 22 per cent, are suffering 
from the mistakes of their parents. In 
577 additional cases — more than 60 per 
cent, of the whole — suffer from "neuro- 
pathic heredity"; which means that their 
parents were themselves the victims of 
one or another of those neuroses that 
are peculiarly heritable, and that un- 
questionably tell, in a large number of 
cases, of alcoholic indulgence on the part 
of their progenitors. "Even to the third 
and fourth generation," said the wise 
Hebrew of old; and the laws of heredity 
have not changed since then. — Dr. Sprat- 
ling, Supt. Craig Colony of Epileptics. 

1922. The "Jukes family," so called, 
proved a brood of vipers. The ancestor, 
born between 1720 and 1740, had a nu- 
merous progeny more or less illegiti- 
mate. Two sons married bastard sis- 
ters. Descendants, traced through five 
generations, number at least 709, and 
really aggregate 12 00; and, on the 
whole, form a body of criminals, prosti- 
tutes, paupers and vagabonds. Not 
twenty skilled workmen belonged to the 
whole number, and half of these learned 
whatever trade they knew within prison 
walls; 180 received out-of-door relief; 
76 were open criminals, committing 115 
offences; and over 52 per cent of the 
women were abandoned to a life of 
shame. 

1923. The Japanese equivalent for be- 
ing "born with a silver spoon in one's 
mouth" is to open eyes first on the 
shachihoko — that is, the big twin bronze 
dolphins — sometimes they are gold — that 
stand on their chins, twirling their tails 



The Christian Life. 



— 277 — 



Environment. 



high in air, on top of each castle tower. 
Every daimio's or baron"s capital in old 
Japan had a castle surmounted with 
these bronze dolphins. To be well born, 
one must live inside or near the castle 
enclosure in the quarter of the samurai, 
or gentry. To have a noble lineage, 
noble in the true sense of the word, is 
infinitely better than to be born in a 
home of wealth and prestige. 

1924. Fearful suggestions lie in the 
history, carefully traced, of a single fe- 
male vagrant who was started on her 
downward career by being betrayed by 
a young man. In six generations 900 
descendants were traced, of whom a 
great number had been imbeciles drun- 
kards, paui>ers and prostitutes, while 
about 200 of the more vigorous were on 
record as criminals. This poor waif 
had cost the public $200,000 through 
the expense- and care of paupers and 
criminals, besides the damage inflicted 
on property and morals. 

Environment. (1925-1934) 

1925. "Give me a chain and red gown, 
and a pudding before me, and I could 
pipy the part of Alderman very well, 
and sentence Jack alter dinner. Starve 
me, keep me from books and honest 
people, educate me to love dice, gin, and 
pleasure, and put me on Hounslow 
Heath, with a purse before me, and I 
will take it." (Henry Esmond.) A little 
strongly put perhaps, and yet containing 
much of truth. For if we ignore the in- 
fluence of circumstances, either in our 
judgments of one another, or in our at- 
tempts to elevate and bless humanity, 
we shall often find ourselves making 
serious blunders. In passing judgment, 
then, upon any individual who may have 
sinned against social law, or who may 
have been convicted of some criminal 
deed, we ought to ask ourselves, What 
were his circumstances? 

1926. The mental, political and social 
Atmosphere of Arabia contained the Mo- 
bammedan movement in solution before 
Mohammed was born. Through him it 
was precipitated into Koran, mosque, 
prayer, and worship. — Lee. 

i!»27. Years ago six rabbits were Ink- 
en to Australia. Today there are mil- 
lions upon millions there. Millions of 
dollars have been spent in seeking to 
exterminate them, and in protecting 
crops against them. High and close 
wire fences have been built. But the 
rabbits under the pressure of circum- 
stances, bave developed a long nail by 

which (hey can cling (o (he wires and 
climb, and also burrow underneath 
them. — Saturday Evening Post. 



1928. A missionary worker was telling 
a young man of the Father in heaven, 
when he answered: "Lady, all that talk 
don't do us no good. All I know of 
a father is a feller that comes home 
drunk every night, and beats my mother 
and me if we don't hide away from 
him, and then goes to bed with his 
boots on." Environment does make a 
difference. The 'very language in which 
the gospel might have appealed to that 
man had been antecedently mortgaged 
by the devil. Environment can be a 
dense wall through which you can not 
reach the great, needy host. 

1929. Chief Justice Chase was once 
riding on the cars through Virginia. As 
they stopped at an insignificant town, 
they told him that Patrick Henry was 
born there. He stepped out on the plat- 
form and said: "Oh, what a magnificent 
scene! What glorious mountains! I do 
not wonder that a place like this gave 
birth to Patrick Henry." A farmer over- 
hearing him said; "Yes stranger, and 
those mountains have been here ever 
since I can remember, and the scenery 
hasn't changed much, but I haven't seen 
any more Patrick Henry's around here, 
that I can remember. — Myers. 

1930. At a recent meeting of the Man- 
hattan Congregational Association in 
New York, a candidate was examined 
who was seeking appointment as a mis- 
sionary under the American Board. 
When the examination as to Christian 
experience was entered upon, the fol- 
lowing colloquy ensued: "Mr. — , are you 
a Christian?" "I am." "How do you 
know that you are a Christian?" "Be- 
cause, for one thing, I do not know the 
time when I was not a Christian." The 
impulse to faith that a Christian hered- 
ity originally imparts, a religious envi- 
ronment provided in the home must take 
up and strengthen. — N. Y. Observer. 

1931. Unfavorable environment may 
be conquered. Eleven miles back of 
Albany, New York, there is a range of 
half-mountainous hills called the Helde- 
bergs. Here dwell "the hillers", as the 
people on more level farms contempt- 
uously call those whose homes are 
among the rougher and rockier lands. 
The "hillers" are supposed to be of no 
account. But from those very hill set- 
tlements there came a man who, for a 
score of years, sat upon the Supreme 
Court bench of the United States at 
Washington and had part In some of 
the most beneficent and far-reaching 
actions that that Supreme Court has 
ever decided. — McClure's Magazine. 

1932. A book might easily be written 
on (he effect of sunshine (cinpera- 

menti Buckle, in his "History ui Civlll- 



The Christian Life. 



— 278 — 



Influence. 



zation," has indeed made some contri- 
butions. Character, he declares, is ev- 
erywhere an affair of environment, of 
people's allowance .of sunshine amongst 
other things. But he made here, as 
elsewhere, some glaring mistakes. Hu- 
man nature is deeper than these cheap 
statistics. It has been a common as- 
sumption that the clouds and fogs of 
the North have been responsible for the 
gloom in the northern temperament and 
the northern thinking. But is the nor- 
thern temperament gloomy? We will 
back it for cheerfulness against any land 
of the sun. There is more laughter in 
Shakespeare than in all the southern 
literatures. Your Greek drama is black 
tragedy. Omar Khayyam wrote in 
brilliant sunshine, but his note, with all 
its exquisiteness, is an unrelieved pes- 
simism. Tertullian, and after him Au- 
gustine, did their thinking under an 
African sun, and wrote the darkest pas- 
sages in Christian literature. No; we 
shall not explain the human soul by re- 
marking on the weather. — J. Brierly. 

1933. By grace, through faith, we 
may conquer environment. A negro wo- 
man was brought before a provost- 
marshal of the U. S. Army by an over- 
seer, just as the war was closing in 
1865, with the charge that she had tried 
to shoot him. The slaves had heard out 
on the plantation that the Northern 
Army had come, and that Abraham Lin- 
coln had made them free. The overseer 
told them it was not true, and they 
were not free, and that they must work 
right on. She did work on, with the 
rest. But one day she learned that her 
little daughter, who had been sold to 
another plantation, was sick; and when 
she asked the overseer to let her go, he 
said No, she could not go. She told him 
that she believed she was free: that 
Abraham Lincoln had made her free; 
and she was going. She started down 
the lane; and he, obtaining his revolver, 
crossed the field, and, heading her off, 
pointed the revolver at her and told her 
to go back. "Massa," said the woman, 
"I believed that Abraham Lincoln had 
made me free; and I just sprang at the 
overseer, and got him by the throat. 
He fell on his back, and I choked him 
until he got black, and begged; then I 
took his revolver and let him up, and 
pointed the pistol at him, and told him 
to go away, and let me alone. He went 
away, and I went to see my daughter, 
where these men found me, and brought 
me here." The soldiers of Abraham 
Lincoln gave the woman three cheers 
for her faith in their President. The 
overseer was dismissed with a repri- 
mand, and the poor woman left to re- 
joice in her freedom. — Whittle. 



Influence. (1934-2005) 

1934. Years ago, one day a young 
physician was chatting with two other 
men, in a New York village. Their 
talk turned upon the low state of reli- 
gion in that community. Finally he 
suggested that they appoint a union 
prayermeeting for the next evening, and 
personally invite as many as they could. 
The result was an attendance of 75, and 
deep fervor. Other meetings followed. 
The interest became intense. Hundreds, 
in the village and near by villages ac- 
cepted Christ. Rev. Mr. Kirk of Albany 
came to their help. All the churches in 
that section were quickened, and vast 
good was accomplished, all through the 
influence of that young doctor's sugges- 
tion and earnest effort. — The Inde- 
pendent. 

1935. A gentleman wore- a gold coin 
on his watch-chain dated 16 00, with a 
curious inscription. "Had it been put 
out at six per cent," he said, "it would 
now amount to $125,000,000. So the in- 
fluence of our words and deeds multi- 
plies at an almost incalculable rate. 

1936. Two Scotchmen went to Cali- 
fornia. One took with him several 
Scotch thistles. The other took a swarm 
of bees. Today the fields are full of 
thistles, and the woods are full of honey. 

1937. Years ago, seven shoemakers 
in a shop in the city of Hamburg said: 
"By the grace of God we will help send 
the gospel to our destitute fellowmen." In 
twenty-five years they had established 
fifty self-supporting churches, had gath- 
ered 10,000 converts, had distributed 
400,000 Bibles and 800,000 tracts, and 
had carried the gospel to 50,000,000 of 
the race. Many a good work has been 
allowed to drop because we estimated 
possible results by the human agents 
rather than by divine Omnipotence. 

1938. An English bishop has written 
of his school days at Eton, "I was a 
thoroughly idle, boy, but I was saved 
from worse things by getting to know 
Gladstone." It is an expression of the 
inevitable, great influence of a noble 
friend, or guest. It is one of the clear- 
est things in the life of Mr. Gladstone, 
himself, that his greatness and nobility 
of character were the outgrowth of his 
own "friendship" with Jesus. A French 
scholar who read extensively in the 
Greek and Latin writers used to declare 
that after reading Homer he felt him- 
self to he eight feet high. Of William 
Pitt it was said that no man or official 
ever went into his presence sick with 
hope deferred or despondent through 
adverse experience that he did not come 
away from the great statesman's pres- 



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Influence. 



ence with a new hope and a more cheer- 
ful courage. Of William Ellery Chan- 
ning it was said that he could meet a 
company deeply and angrily hostile to 
him and to his views and by his very 
presence change the atmosphere to one 
of tolerance and even friendliness. 

1939. If you go into the mint you will 
see them place a bit of metal on the die. 
With a touch as silent as a caress, but 
with the power of a mighty force the 
stamp moves against it. And when that 
touch is over, there is an impression 
upon the coin which will abide when a 
thousand years are passed away. So one 
life moves up against another, filled 
with the power and stamped with the 
image of Christ's likeness, and when 
that touch of parent or teacher or 
friend is over there are impressions that 
will remain when the sun is cold and 
the stars have forgotten to shine. — Ben- 
net. 

1940. When John Scudder left New 
York in 1819 for his mission field in 
India, the boy James Brainard Taylor 
was at the dock. The gleam of light on 
Scudder's face so impressed the lad 
that he abandoned his chosen career and 
prepared for Princeton, and became, 
later, the great missionary. — Robert 
Speer. 

1941. Longfellow's "Evangeline" brings 
400,000 tourists every summer to Aca- 
dia. Savonarola, in the cloisters and 
cells of his convent, was deeply moved 
by the paintings of Angelico. because 
the pictures were outward forms of 
dreams of Paradise. Claude Lorraine, 
a stupid boy, first a poor pastry cook, 
and then a good one, was hired by Tassi, 
a Roman artist, to be his cook and 
color-grinder, and in the artist's stu- 
dio, revealed a yearning which dis- 
closed him at last as the first paint- 
er of his age. Zlnzendorf, the found- 
er of the first Protestant Mission- 
ary church, the Moravian, was converted 
by contemplating a picture of the cru- 
cifixion, the Ecce Homo in the gallery 
of Dusseldorf, which bore the inscrip- 
tion: 

"I did this for thee: 

"What hast thou done for me?" 
The same picture and inscription sug- 
gested Miss Havergal's hymn, "I Gave 
My Life for Thee". .Mrs. Harriet Bcei It- 
er Slowe's hymn, which Mr. Sankey has 
sung so often: "Knocking, Knocking, 
Who is There?" was suggested to her 
by one of Holman Hunt's pictures, en- 
titled "The Light of the World." Be- 
fore Doddridge could read, his mother 
taught him the history of the Old and 
New Testaments, by the assistance of 
some blue Dutch tiles around the fire- 
place. — Rev. J. H. Ross. 



1942. Emerson tells us that "Every 
true man is a cause, a country and an 
age." He illustrates his thought in this 
way: "A man, Caesar, is born and for 
ages after we have a Roman Empire. 
Christ is born and millions of minds 
grow and cleave to his genius." Again, 
Emerson tells us that "an institution is 
the lengthened shadow of one man; as, 
Monachism, of the Herviet Antony; the 
Reformation, of Luther; Quakerism, of 
Fox; Methodism, of Wesley". These il- 
lustrations show the value of life in its 
relations. What the individual is and 
does affects profoundly the quality and 
the progress of the race. — J. F. Carson, 
D. D. 

1943. Joseph Parker, unveiling a tab- 
let in the city of Bath in memory of 
William Jay and using the text, "Behold 
now there is in this city a man of God," 
said: "The men of God in any city are 
its strength. Their God is with them 
and their character is a continual eman- 
ation, an outgoing fragrance that finds 
its way on the winds that blow through 
the lowliest places of the city and carry 
odors from roses that grow in the gar- 
dens beyond the blue." 

1944. A shopkeeper had in his little 
parlor behind the shop a portrait of 
Robertson of Brighton on the wall. 
Whenever in his business he was tempt- 
ed to trickery or meanness he would 
hurry into the back room and look at 
the picture. "And then, sir, I felt that 
it was impossible for me to do it." 

1945. Madame do Stacl was anything 
but beautiful but she knew how to shape 
the careers of men, as if she were om- 
nipotent. Even the Emperor Napoleon 
feared her influence so much that he 
destroyed her writings and banished her 
from France. 

1946. A story is told of a very young 
man "out West," preaching to a group 
of miners — the roughest of the rough. 
He seemed to make no impression on 
them, and, almost in tears, began to ap- 
peal to them. Won't you believe It, 
boys? Haven't any of you tried it and 
found out it's true? Don't you know 
anyone who has?" A minute's silence, 
and then someone called out, "If I r\ i nv: 
says so, then it i-> a go, and we'll believe 
what you say." Thi n snmconi' st<'pp"d 
out from the crowd, a quiet man, not 
rough or loud or aggressive or with any 
of the qualities to look at that would 
make such a crowd respect him, :in<l he 
said, "Listen to him, boys. He's all 
right. You know I've tried It. What 
the boy says Is all right. It's all true, 
for I've tried it.". Thai was enough. 
The men listened, for they trusted him 
absolutely. Irving had lived among 



The Christian Life. 



— 280 — 



Influence. 



them seventeen years, and everybody 
knew that he had tried the kind of life 
the young preacher set before them, and 
they took his word for it that it was a 
good one. 

1947. Just before Wendell Phillips 

died I had a memorable conversation 
with him. I knew that he had sacrificed 
position and power and social rank and 
everything which a man could sacrifice 
in going into that fight, and I had the 
curiosity to want to know what led him 
into it. He had an invalid wife who for 
years never left the house. Just before 
he died I asked him this question, "Mr. 
Phillips, what led you to espouse the 
cause of the slave and stand by him?" 
Said he, "My whole career is due alone 
to my wife. She said to me, before the 
thought had ever touched my conscience, 
'Wendell, you must take up the cause of 
the slave,' and I did it at her request, 
and I fought it out because she stood 
behind me." — Dr. A. J. Gordon. 

1948. Many years ago, before the 
Chicago fire, Mr. Moody preached in a 
town in Ohio. He spoke to a certain 
man about the condition of his soul, and 
on returning to Chicago, sent him a 
religious book. Twenty-five years after, 
the wife of the man (who had become 
a judge) wrote Mr. Moody that he had 
been confirmed, at the age of ninety- 
one years. The Bishop said to him: 
"This must be a happy day for you." 
"Yes," replied the judge, "but it is a 
very late day." The seed sown twenty- 
five years before had borne fruit. Mr. 
Moody had lost all recollection of the 
incident — he could not even remember 
the name of the book, but the impres- 
sion his gift had made was never ef- 
faced during all these years, and the 
judge's wife gratefully copied out the 
words Mr. Moody had written in the 
front of the book. 

1949. Coleridge once paid a visit to 
the father of William Hazlitt, the essay- 
ist. The boy met him at the station. 
He says that that memorable walk "shar- 
pened his imagination, opened a new 
world to him, and put a new glory in 
the landscape". Thus life inspires life. 

1950. One day, after business hours, 
a merchant sat at his desk in a mood of 
depression. Although a faithful Chris- 
tian worker, life seemed to offer him 
few encouraging results for his labors. 
Just then the postman left a letter, from 
British Columbia. He opened it and 
glanced at the signature. It was from 
a young man who had been under him 
for five years, and who two years ago 
had left for the West. It ran as follows: 
"Dear Mr. G — — : "I am writing to thank 
you for all your goodness to me while in 



your office. • I am succeeding beyond my 
best expectations in business and • yes- 
terday I became a member of - the 
church having decided for Christ two 
months ago. For these two blessings of 
God I owe all to you for in both business 
and religion you have been my example. 
I hope in this new land to help others 
as you have helped me." 

A new light came into his face. The 
old restlessness passed forever. He 
walked with the step of youth. God had 
held the goblet of life to his lips and 
he had drunk deep. — C. C. Wylie. 

1951. When Benjamin Franklin was 

flying his kite and experimenting with 
electricity a man said to him: "What is 
the use of all this?" To which Frank- 
lin replied: "Of what use is a boy? He 
may become a man." That kite was the 
"day of small things." Today we see 
the larger things growing out of this first 
simple beginning. A tract is a little 
thing, but a tract may change a soul or 
even a nation. A son of one of the 
chiefs of Burdwan could not read. A 
missionary's wife taught him to read. 
The first thing he read was a religious 
tract. It was the means of his conver- 
sion. He took with him a basketful of 
tracts and preached the Gospel at his 
own home. Hundreds of men were 
converted. In one year 1,500 were bap- 
tized. All this through one little tract. 
That tract cost one cent. Whose cent 
was it that purchased that one tract 
that wrought such good? 

1952. At the battle of Magersfontein, 

in South Africa, in the early hours of a 
December morning of driving rain, the 
Highland Brigade was almost annihi- 
lated by a party of Boers in ambush. 
Column after column went down that 
hill to certain death, until 856 were 
killed, and as many more desperately 
wounded. During a lull, when it seemed 
they were losing heart, a Scotch bagpipe 
player came wandering into an open 
space. Major Anson, who was killed an 
hour later, called to him; "Blow, mon! 
blow your pipes!" The piper said; "I 
canna; my lips are dry." The officer 
tried to pull his water bottle from his 
belt, and could not. But the man knelt 
at his side and drank. Then in the 
muggy air the skirl of the pipes was 
heard, as he played the well-known tune, 
"Hey, Johnny Cope, are ye wakin' yet?" 
As he stood there, marking time with 
his foot, other pipers rallied to him. 
Soldiers gathered about this center. 
The ranks were reformed, and a splen- 
did charge was made successfully. The 
tide of battle was turned by the influ- 
ence of one man. 

1953. A writer had drawn the fascin- 



The Christian Life. — 281 — Influence. 



a ting picture of a gentlemanly thief who 

stole in a clever manner large sums. 
His own son was employed. To his hor- 
ror, his employer came to him and told 
him his boy had stolen the jewels of his 
wife. When the boy was scored in 
fiery terms by the writer he answered, 
"Why, father, I was but doing what 
your hero did on a larger scale." The 
father's eyes were opened. He had led 
his son into crime by his own teaching. 
Overcome, he stretched out his hand to 
his boy, saying, "We have both sinned; 
let us make a fresh start. I to make a 
thief no longer a hero, you to become 
an honest man." 

1954. Mrs. Ritchie tells a good story 
of Tennyson. He was one day walking 
in Covent Garden. A rough-looking man 
stopped him, and, holding out his hand, 
said, "You're Mr. Tennyson. Look here, 
sir, here am I — I've been drunk six 
days out of seven; but if you'll shake me 
by the hand, I'll never get drunk again." 
The great poet at once granted the re- 
quest and we hope the promise was 
faithfully kept. 

1955. A poor Scotch potter's only 
child was a bed-fast cripple. The boy 
was in the father's thoughts all day, 
while he was at his work. At night he 
carried the "wee lad " some trifle; a 
flower, a bit of colored glass, a ribbon. 
Somehow, though he did not talk to the 
other men of the lad. the Influence of 
the Sick-room went with him to the -hop. 
Some of the men made curious little jars 
and cups, and some brought fruit in 
their aprons. Without a word being 
spoken, they put these things in the 
father s hat — and he understood. The 
whole pottery full of men, coarse in na- 
ture, grew quiet. Profanity ceased. It was 
the look on the father's face, brought 
from that bedside; it told them, finally, 
that the shadow was drawing near. 
When the end came, a hundred work- 
men gave a half day's time to attend the 
funeral. The boy's silenl influence had 
<lc\alcd their live-. Mi- Hie had en- 
tered into theirs. — David Gregg, D. D. 

1956. When an artisan of Po-sil Park 
wa- dying, his wife knocked hurriedly 
at Driiniiiiond's door late one Saturday 
night and begged him to come at 
once to her house, saying. "My husband 
is deeln', sir; he's no able to speak to 
you, and he's no able to hear you, and I 
dinna ken as he can see you; but I 
would like him to line a breath o' you 
nboot him afore he dee-". 

1957. "Tint there are centlcmen pres- 
ent." Interposed General Grant, quietly 
but quickly, when a coarse story was 
about to begin, and u clean Silence en- 



sued which no loafer dared defile by 
opening his lewd lips. 

1958. Someone highly susceptible to 
the contemplation of a fine act has said 
that it produces a sort of a regenerating 
shudder through the frame, and . makes 
one feel ready to begin a new life. — 
George Eliot. 

1959. In a Western city a church 
burned. The first to come to the pastor 
with a word of encouragement was a 
little boy, with a bag of hickory nuts, 
and told him to take them and build a 
new church. The pastor took heart, ac- 
cepted the gift, went to work, telling the 
story of the boy, and soon the subscrip- 
tion was raised. The church was rebuilt. 
On dedication day that little bag of 
hickory nuts was placed in the pulpit, 
and among the subscriptions taken that 
day was one for more than a hundred 
dollars by a man who said he would 
give that much for the bag of hickory 
nuts. With that amount the pulpit 
was furnished. So God used that little 
boy to rebuild the church. — 111. Notes. 

1960. The influence of one woman's 
single effort at soul-winning was empha- 
sized by a noted evangelist. He told 
how she brought a man, slightly under 
the influence of drink, to an evangelis- 
tic service. During the sermon I saw 
that the man was weeping, and when I 
said, "Is there any one here who wants 
to be free from sin?" he rose up and 
said, "I do! I do!" After the meeting 
was done my associate took him into 
another room and kneeled down with 
him; and the man said, "Lord, I do give 
myself to thee. O God, if you ever saved 
anybody, save me". He- came out into 
the other room and said to me, "I am 
the weakest and most sinful man on 
earth, but I believe God is fioi iifi- to sa\o 
inc." I told the people about it in the 
sermon the next afternoon as an illus- 
tration, and I said, "I do not see that 
man here today, but I do believe God 
has saved him." As I said it, a man 
raised up his hand in the audience, and 
then I saw that it was this same man. 
No wonder thai I had not known him — 

Christ Was manifest in hi- face where 
he had not been the day before. I said, 
"Stand up, my brother." And he stood 
up, and a beautiful blush came over his 
face. lie looked like a nobleman, and 
I said, "Do you want to say a word?" 
and he said, "Vesterdaj I was a wick, 
and today I am a man." 

1901. Harlan Page, pressed with busi- 
ness cares, battling with ill health, led 
a hundred young men into the ministry 
by consecrating his personal influence to 
Christ; every husiness man has the same 
Christ and the samo Opportunity. John 



The Christian Life. 



— 282 — 



Influence. 



Wesley became the apostle of a new 
dispensation of divine grace to the 
world; yet every student in Oxford had 
the same opportunity to gather about 
him a half-dozen fellow students for 
prayer and Scripture study and divine 
guidance. The noble daughter of Wil- 
liam E. Dodge consecrated herself and 
wealth and time to solving the problem 
of the poor in New York city, yet many 
rich men's daughters have the same op- 
portunity. 

1962. A prominent scientist has dis- 
covered that such is the natural radiance 
of the body that photographs can be 
taken by means of the light emanating 
from his hand. It is just as true that an 
influence radiates from a noble life 
which flashes visions of truth on other 
souls. 

1963. There is a picture of a dying 
torch-bearer, at whose torch a fresh 
runner is lighting his torch, ready to 
carry the signal on. So lives perpetuate 
themselves in other lives. 

1964. "When Mrs. Hayes had been 
nearly four years in the White House, 
the agent of a New York wine house 
gave this testimony: "We don't sell one 
case of wine in Washington now, where 
we sold thirty some years ago. Mrs. 
Hayes' 'no wine at state dinners' may 
have sounded easy to other people, but 
it was almost the sound of death to the 
wine trade." 

1965. William of Saint Thierry coming 
away from a visit of Bernard of Clair- 
vaux felt that he had been at the very 
altar of God. "I tarried," he says, "a few 
days with him, and whichever way I 
turned my eyes I marveled and thought 
I saw a new heaven and a new earth. 
As soon as you entered Clairvaux you 
could feel that God was in the place." 
"There is always a sense of God where 
you are," said a peasant to Erskine. 
Dr. Joseph H. Twichell coming away 
from Horace Bushnell's home, where the 
seer and prophet of eternal things was 
passing into eternity, sat down with his 
journal and wrote: "Felt as I left the 
house a mighty conviction of spiritual 
realities and a desire to live in them." — 
Kelly. 

18rS. Dr. Stalker, in his recent book, 
"The Atonement," quotes a significant 
comment of Dr. T. T. Munger on Horace 
Bushnell in his biography of the latter. 
Dr. Munger says that "Bushnell usually 
studied a subject after his book upon it 
had been written; the book being struck 
off in the first ardor of mental occupa- 
tion with the subject, while the colder 
and more prolonged study, carried out 
in the light of the criticisms evoked by 
the publication, not infrequently led him 



back to the position from which he had 
diverged." He would seem, in this re- 
spect to have manifested reckless disre- 
gard of his responsibility for his influ- 
ence over other minds. 

1967. A Boston daily once said that 
whenever Phillips Brooks went down 
town the whole neighborhood brightened. 
Men felt their hearts warm as if the sun 
had broken through the murk and the 
dim alleys of the city. 

1968. George Muller, beginning in 
poverty, built up those orphan homes in 
Bristol, England, which are a miracle of 
prayer the unbelief of the world cannot 
gainsay; yet there were other students 
in the German university where he stud- 
ied upon whom the same spirit of prayer 
was pressing. 

1969. The story runs that a large num- 
ber of friends were once invited to Hil- 
ler's house to hear Mendelssohn play, 
Clara Schumann being among them. 
After playing several selections, Men- 
delssohn gave Beethoven's great Sonata 
Appassionata, at the end of the andante, 
letting the final chord of the diminished 
seventh ring on for a long time, as if he 
wanted to impress it forcibly on all pres- 
ent. Then quietly rising, he turned to 
Madame Schumann, saying, "You must 
play the finale." 

She protested strongly. Meanwhile the 
friends present were awaiting the issue 
with the utmost tension, the chord of 
the diminished seventh hovering over 
the heads of the company like the 
sword of Damocles. It was the ner- 
vous uncomfortable feeling of the un- 
resolved discord which at last moved 
Madame Schumann to yield to Men- 
delssohn's entreaties and play the 
finale in her own wonderful way. Wl.at 
is this subtle quality which one person 
or influence calls forth in another? — 
The Youth's Companion. 

1970. A word was spoken to the young 
cadet O. O. Howard, when in a spirit of 
banter he was making light of religion: 
"If I were you I would stop ridiculing 
religion. I would just begin to be a 
Christian." That unexpected friendly 
word opportunely spoken gave the 
United States army its Havelock. Such 
a word was spoken by a college president 
in time of special religious interest and 
activity to a student "who was impressed 
but reluctant: "Make one honest effort 
for your soul's sake"; and that word, 
added to the Spirit's inward work, suf- 
ficed to push the young man hard up 
against the heavenly Father, who closed 
his arms of power and love around the 
no longer unwilling but penitent and 
consenting boy. — Kelly. 

1971. Think of the influence of our 



The Christian Lift. 



— 283 — 



Influence. 



word. Once uttered, it goes forth into 
the ears of those who hear, or on the 
wings of the printed page, flies to the 
utmost ends of the earth, and to the end 
of time, and I can never recall it. I may 
write it, as one who wrote a ribald sen- 
tence on a wall in Pompeii eighteen 
hundred years ago. I may die, and the 
word may be buried out of sight and 
memory, but after ages will reveal it, 
and the judgment day will declare it. 
Thus it is literally true that by our 
words we shall be justified, and by our 
words we shall be condemned, and that 
for every idle word which men shall 
speak they shall give account thereof in 
the day of judgment. — Rev. S. A. Dyke. 

1972. A Sunday-school teacher had in 
her class, years ago, a particularly bright 
boy. She felt that she ought to speak to 
him about his soul, but she kept putting 
the matter off. One day she was spe- 
cially impressed that she should speak. 
Again she failed. The boy became in- 
different, grew to manhood and became 
the leader of a great error. He was 
rone other than the Mormon prophet, 
Joseph Smith. That Sunday-school 
teacher held in her hands the whole 
Mormon problem. Unquestionably she 
could have wrought mightily for God, 
had she led this boy to the Saviour. 

1973. A Presbyterian Synod was in 
session. The moderator had given place 
to the vice moderator, who presided 
with dignity and force. "I never expect- 
ed to live to see this day," said one of the 
delegates. "How is that?" "I remem- 
ber when the presiding officer of this 
gathering was one of the worst boys in 
our Sunday-school .Many times I was 
obliged to restrain myself when I be- 
held his pranks. He was, indeed, one of 
the worst, and now look at him." 
"Aren't you glad that you held on to 
him?" 

"Indeed I am, and it gives me courage 
(o no on dealing with other boys.'* — 
Westminster Teacher. 

1971. A man In Chicago years ago 
died leaving 950,000 to the American 
Sunday School Union, stipulating that 
only the Interest was to be used In its 
missionary work. During eleven year-;. 
In which the Union has had the Income 
from this fund, it has, through it, started 
81» Sabbath-schools, with 3.086 teachers 
and 29,784 scholars; 97,559 visits have 
been paid to the homes of the people; 
8.577 meetings have been held; 6.149 
Bibles and Testaments and $6,693 worth 
of religious literature distributed; 
:s.G70 persona have been converted, and 
61 churches have been organized. 

1975. An obscure Highlander boy. 
whose parents had taught him to revere 



God, became a marine on board a Brit- 
ish man-of-war. A battle rages. The 
deck is swept by a tremendous broadside 
from the enemy. The captain, James 
Haldane, a profane man, orders another 
company on deck to take the place of 
the dead. At sight of the mangled re- 
mains of their comrades the marines be- 
i come panic-stricken and ungovernable. 
I The captain raves at them blasphemous- 
I ly. Up steps the pious Highlander, a 
man now full grown, and touching his 
i hat, says: "Captain, I believe God hears 
. prayer; if he hears yours, what will be- 
come of us?" When the battle was over. 
Captain Haldane reflected on the words 
, of the brave marine, became interested 
, in the claims of religion, surrendered 
I his heart to God, became a preacher of 
the Gospel and pastor of a church in 
1 Edinburgh. Through his instrumental- 
I ity his brother, Robert Haldane. was 
1 brought to reflection, became a decided 
Christian, settled in Geneva, stirred up 
Protestantism there, and became the 
I means of leading a large number of the- 
ological students into the light, among 
the number being D'Aubigne, author of 
the immortal "History of the Reforma- 
I tion." 

I 1976. A civilian in India told me how, 
in a district during the famine, there 

I had been in one of the cities or towns 
somewhat of an outbreak. There was no 

| white man in the residence. Into the 
mission school, where sat the only white 
face, a missionary woman among her 

I scholars, there suddenly broke the Te- 

) sildar, the native head of the town, say- 

i ing: "Oh, Mem Sahib, there is a mutiny. 
Come and quell the mutiny." "That is 
not my function, it is yours; I am a wo- 
man, you are a man." "Ah, but you are 
the only white face in the district. 
Come, they will hear yon. Send them 
to their homes." So she arose, she mar- 
shaled her scholars behind her, she 

I marched out, she ordered the men to 
disperse. They fell right and left, she 
marched through with her scholars be- 
hind, the Tesildar humbly bringing up 
the rear. — Principal Fairbairn, D. D. 

1977. A teacher in China telle of a 
visit to the borne of a former pupil who 
bad become a Christian and then mar- 
ried into a non-Christian family, where, 
by her beautiful character, she bad won 
both ber husband and his mother to the 
same faith as her own. Said this Chi- 
nese woman: "When I heard that the 
girl my son was to marry was a Chris- 
tian, and in school, I was very ancry, 
and wanted to break off the enticement. 
I looked with great dread upon her corn- 
Ins to us; but I want to tell you she Is 
the best daughter-in-law in the place. 
In all this time we have not bad a single 



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Influence. 



quarrel, and that cannot be said of any 
other family. My youngest children 
love her and mind her better than they 
do me. I thought she would want to 
read all the time, and so had my son 
burn her books. I thought she would 
be above farm work, but ever since she 
came she worked very hard, and with 
no complaint. One year we lost all our 
crops, and in the winter had to send to 
the market town six miles away for the 
famine relief grain. She had to go ear- 
ly, walk there and back, and carry our 
portion. She did not have any warm 
clothes that winter, but she did not 
complain." "When I saw how she en- 
dured the hardships," went on the moth- 
er-in-law, "always so strong and true, I 
knew it imist he her religion, for I, too, 
have been a daughter-in-law When I 
saw how Wen Jung's God helped her, I 
just wanted to know him too. Now for 
many months Wen Jung has had evening 
prayers, and . she has taught me to 
pray." 

1978. M. Besson states that the activ- 
ity of radium is such that it is spontane- 
ously luminous in the dark. This lum- 
inescence does not arise like that of 
phosphorus from oxidization of the body, 
but is due to a continuous emission of 
electrified particles. The charge carried 
by these particles is enormous, but their 
mass is so small that the loss of weight 
is only about one milligramme in 100,- 
000,000 years. So influence radiates 
from us to other lives. 

1979. Dr. Gunsaulus, in the six years 
of his service at Plymouth Church, Chi- 
cago, raised something over $6,000,000 

for institutions which he chose to aid or 
found. One Sunday he set forth in his 
best manner the things that ought to be 
done for the young boys and girls of our 
generation. When he was through, 
Philip D. Armour came forward and 
said: "Do you believe in those ideas you 
just now expressed?" "I certainly do," 
said Dr. Gunsaulus. "And you'd carry 
them out if you had the means?" "Most 
assuredly." "Well, then," said Mr. Ar- 
mour, "if you will give me five years of 
your time, I will give you the money." 
The result was that Armour Institute 
has Dr. Gunsaulus as its president, 
where 1,200 young men and women are 
taught the most important industrial 
branches. The Sabbath address is to go 
down in history under the title of the 
"$2,800,000 sermon." — Missionary Re- 
view. 

1980. A man who, in a London club, 
told a filthy story, was put to shame by 
the question: "How many thousand 
pounds would you take to tell that to 
Gladstone?" 



1981. A young English officer was sent 
to a beleaguered city in India, and mere- 
ly by his personal energy and inspiring 
example he revived their drooping spir- 
its, and routed the foe. 

1982. One who knew Dr. Marcus Dods 
well in his work as professor in New 
College, said a few years ago: "Dods 
writes me that he grows old all summer 
and young all winter, sucking the life- 
blood from the young lives in his class- 
room. The world has it that he spends 
the session in transferring his heart- 
treasure into those young fellows!" 

1983. The influence of little things is 
incalculable. There is a certain little fly 
that makes 440 steps in running three 
inches, and all in one-half second of 
time. To equal this, in proportion to its 
size, a man would have to run at the 
rate of twenty miles in a minute. The 
common flea leaps 2 00 times its own 
length. To show like agility, a man six 
feet tall would have to leap a distance of 
1200 feet. 

1984. Years ago a large flock of sheep 
was grazing on the top of a high bluff. 

The leader of the flock lost its foothold 
and plunged over into the river, and 
11,000 sheep followed him and were 
killed. 

1985. It is told of Bernardino of Siena 

that even when a boy, if he came to a 
group of lads who were using bad lan- 
guage, it stopped at once. 

1986. A student of nature once tested 
the growing of a squash. When it was 
18 days old and measured 27 inches in 
circumference, he fixed a sort of harness 
around it, with a long lever attached. 
The power of the squash was measured 
by the weight it lifted. Two days after 
the harness was put on it lifted 60 
pounds. On the nineteenth day it lifted 
5000 pounds. 

1987. The seed of the globe turnip is 

about one-twentieth of an inch in diame- 
ter, and yet, in a few months, this seed 
will be enlarged by the soil and the air 
to 27,000,000 times its original bulk, 
and this -in addition to a bunch of leaves. 
It has been found by experiment that it 
will, under fair conditions, increase its 
own weight 15 times in one minute. 
Turnips growing in peat ground will in- 
crease more than 15,000 times the weight 
of their seeds in one day. 

1988. I went to the workshop of a 
friend, and I saw in the dust a parcel of 
steel filings. And he had a magnet, and as 
he drew it near to the steel filings they 
were attracted to it and kissed the mag- 
net. Then I said, Give me a magnet large 
enough, place it on the mountain-top, 
and it will draw all the nations unto it. 



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Influence. 



That magnet is the Lord Jesus Christ, 
for he said, "If I be lifted up from the 
earth, I will draw all nations unto me." 
— Simpson. 

1989. When Xapoleon's army was in 
the East the plague invaded it, and men 
died by the score. They became terror- 
stricken, thus exposing themselves to its 
ravages all the more. Napoleon, con- 
trary to the advice of his officers, fear- 
lessly went over to the long line of cots, 

just outside of the camp. He spoke to 
the men; and laid his hand upon them, 
without one trace of fear. Soon the cry, 
"The Emperor!" rang out. New courage 
was born in their hearts: fear fled and 
the plague was stayed from that day. — 
Trine. 

1990. Arthur Cumnock entered Har- 
vard College when the moral standard 
was low. The fast set had marked the 
college, in the eyes of the outside world, 
for its own. "The chief end of man was 
to drink, and gamble politely, and wire- I 
pull for societies, and cut recitations." 
High ideals of character were all in the 
shadow. But he lived his life, on through 
the four years, strong, sturdy, bound to 
put the best to the front, in himself and 
in his conversation and in his influence. 
The odds were against him. One man 
trying to remake a college life! But 
when class-day of his senior year came 
and the class wished to acknowledge the 
manliest one of them all and publicly 
proclaim who it was that had toned up 
the life of the college until purity and - 
good held high place, they singled out J 
Arthur Cumnock and shouted his name 
with joy and gave him their united 
praise. — McClure. 

1991. Scientists tell us that the sound 
waves set in motion by our voices go 
upon an endless journey through space, 
and that, had we instruments delicate 
enough, and the power to take our stand 
upon some planet long years afterwards, 
we might find them again and recreate 
the words we spoke. The fine mud of 
former ages, now hardened into rock, 
has preserved the impressions of the 
wings of the dragonfly, the delicately 
constructed wings of the pterodactyle, 
and the contour of a jellyfish. Even the 
ripple marks of the sea on the shore at 
low tide, and the pittings of the rain- 
drops in the soft wet sand, are all pre- 
served In the ancient rocks. It Is an In- 
structive parable. Every word and deed 
makes its Impression upon some sensi- 
tive mind, and we live in others whom 
perhaps we have never seen and never 
shall know. Wo may work calmly, and 
happily, knowing thai God Is with our 
Influence, in the mind we touch, and in 
the truth we proclaim. — Sunday School 
Chronicle. 



1992. The Boston Herald tells a story 
of Lincoln and Senator Simon Cameron 
which is new to us. It relates that Mr. 
Cameron called at the White House and 
asked the President to appoint to a for- 
eign consulate an applicant to whom he 
was in some way bound, but who was 
particularly disliked for his persistence 
in demanding favors. 

"Well," said the President, "where do 
you want him sent?" In the room stood 
a large globe. Cameron went to it, put 
one arm around it as far as he could 
reach, and said: "I don't know what my 
finger is on, but send him there!" And 
it so happened that there he was sent. 
So our words, often careless, influence 
the destinies of others, for time and for 
eternity. 

1993. One of the revelations of mod- 
ern science is the law of the conserva- 
tion of energy or force, — that nothing is 
created or destroyed by man; that his 
utmost efforts do not reach beyond the 
gathering, the transmutation, or the dif- 
fusion, of this primal, God-created ener- 
gy. This force may be physical, mental, 
spiritual; it may be latent, as in the coal, 
— the light and heat of past ages; or it 
may be active, as in combustion, in 
which this energy is diffused in strangely 
different forms to reappear again under 
new conditions. It may be treasured 
energy, as in food, to be set free in di- 
gestion and assimilation for all the ac- 
tivities of mental and physical life. It 
may be transmuted so that the energy of 
soil and sun and shower may reappear 
under the master-hand of the soul, in 
speech or action; but man never creates 
and never destroys. All this lias a spirit- 
ual bearing. 

The energy I have, I have received; 
the energy I use. I diffuse. I set it free 
to go on to all eternity, unable to recall 
one particle of the force which for a 
time was mine to use, but is mine no 
longer save in the responsibility which 
evermore rests upon me for its use or Its 
abuse. This energy was placed In my 
keeping, within my control, to direct and 
apply, and this energy I pass on. trans- 
muted in the parsing, to bless or curse 
my fellow-men to the end of time and 
into eternity. — Rev. S. A. Dyke. 

1904. Once Madam V., a Russian jai- 
ler's wife, took a walk through the pris- 
on yard when the women were exercis- 
ing. Behind her walked a nurse with a 
bit by. The prisoners, as soon as they 
got sight of the baby, flocked round, and 
Madam V., at first fearing violence, was 
relieved to see that only baby worship 
was the matter. First one. and then 
another of the women begged to hold 
the child for a moment: some laughing 
with Joy, and many shed tears. Madam 



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Influence. 



V. had a happy thought, and she spoke 
it out: 

"The best-conducted woman of you 
all at the end of the week will be allowed 
to attend to the baby for half an hour." 

"Never was a change so instantaneously 
wrought. The women became amena- 
ble to every word of the warders, and 
at the week's end it was with the utmost 
difficulty that Madam V. could decide, 
among so many well-conducted prison- 
ers who had the best claim to the prom- 
ised reward. The baby's visits were af- 
terward frequent, and the women's 
wards were completely reformed." 

1995. At a reunion of his regiment, 
a colonel recalled many vanished names 
of the old muster-roll, and said at last, 
"I wonder if you are thinking of the one 
member who was nearest to all hearts." 
"We know who you mean," the men an- 
swered. "We shall never forget Little 
Piety." The colonel repeated the tale, 
old but always welcome, of their first 
great field engagement, where the slen- 
der young soldier, detailed on rear duty, 
begged to be sent to the front "with the 
hoys," and obtained a reluctant consent; 
of 'the terrible battle, and the after-scene 
of human waste and death, "the sadness 
of which no life is long enough to out- 
grow." 

"On the slope of a steep ridge skirting- 
one side of the field lay a row of dead 
and dying men mowed down in the rush 
of a heroic charge; and near the head 
of the line, with his white, girlish face 
turned up to the sky, we found Little 
Piety. 

"The boys would not bury him in the 
battle trench, but made and marked his 
grave under a live-oak by itself, and 
sung over it the tune he loved: 

" 'Must Jesus bear the cross alone.' 

"Several years later I was far from 
home, staying at a city hotel, and one 
day I had a caller — a large, well-dressed 
and handsome business man, who asked 
me if I remembered him. I did not. 
"You remember Little Piety?" "Yes." 
"And the big ruffian who joined your 
regiment to keep out of jail, and whom 
the boy rebuked for swearing?" "Yes." 
"Well, here is what is left of that 
same ruffian. I went into the army a 
desperado and came out a man — and 
Little Piety's gentle influence opened the 
way for me to do it." — The Youth's Com- 
panion. 

1996. "Coleridge is absent hut four 
miles," wrote Lamb to Wordsworth, 
"and the neighborhood of such a man 
is as exciting as the presence of fifty or- 
dinary persons. To be within the whiff 
and wind of his genius is enough to pre- 
vent us from possessing our souls in 
quiet" 



1997. Thaddeus Stevens died on Tues- 
day, August 11th, 1868, On the Saturday 
following the Republican primaries of 
Lancaster County, Penna., were held to 
elect a senator — his term having expired. 
Although those who gathered knew of 
the death, they nominated him, unani- 
mously, for the office. An unprecedented 
tribute to the influence of a great man. 

1998. In October 1841 George Selwyn, 
newly elected missionary Bishop of New 
Zealand, preached a sermon in an Eng- 
lish church, presenting the claims of the 
heathen. A little boy, unnoticed in the 
throng, was inspired with missionary 
zeal by it, and later became the famous 
Bishop Patteson, the noble missionary 
martyr. 

1999. Dr. Theodore Cuyler preached 
one Sunday in Dundee, Scotland, in the 
pulpit of Robert McCheyne. He asked 
some one: "Is there anybody living here 
who used to belong to the church?" 
The reply was, "Yes, that old gray- 
headed man." Dr. Cuyler introduced 
himself, and said, "What can you tell me 
about McCheyne?" This was the old 
man's answer: "I was a young man 
when he died, and a few days before he 
died he met me in the street and put his 
hand on my shoulder and said, 'Jemmie, 
how is it with your soul ? I am going 
to see your sick sister.' " The touch of 
McCheyne's hand on that Scotch lad's 
shoulder made the blood tingle in his 
veins fifty years after, when he was old 
and gray. God help us that we shall not 
be afraid to reach out our hands to 
people. — Banks. 

2000. In Cambridge University, Henry 
Marlyn one day heard Rev. Charles Sim- 
eon talking glowingly of the work of 
William Carey in India, and of "the un- 
told benefits resulting from the services 
of a single missionary." This con- 
versation put a thought into the 
heart of the young prizeman which 
did not find immediate development 
or expression. A little later he read 
the memoir of David Brainerd. "He 
was much struck with Brainerd's 
biography," says the writer of his life, 
"and, filled with holy emulation, he re- 
solved to follow the noble example of a 
man who had jeoparded his life unto 
death on the high places of the heathen 
field." Thus did the impact of Brainerd's 
consecration move and determine an- 
other whom the Church reckons among 
her most eminent missionaries. — Dr. A. 
J. Gordon. 

2001. David Hume's mother was a re- 
ligious woman, and it was her aim to 
rightly educate her children. But one 
day a shadow crossed the light of this 
beautiful dream. Her son avowed him- 



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Example. 



self a skeptic. His mother viewed the 
change of his opinions with alarm, both 
on account of his own future happiness 
and the influence over others. He loved 
his mother Her Jove and admiration 
for him gave him great influence over 
her. His subtle specious reasoning de- 
stroyed her faith in God, and left her 
without religious hope. She grew sick, 
and as death approached, wrote him: 

"My Dear Son: — My health has failed 
me. I am in a deep decline, and I can- 
not long survive. My philosophy gives 
me no comfort. I am left without the 
consolation of religion and my mind is 
sinking into despair. I pray you hasten 
home to console me." 

Hume hurried back to Scotland, and 
when he arrived, he found his mother 
dead. 

2002. One evening there sat on the 
veranda of a Southern home a group of 
girls. They were sitting silently when 
one suggested they sing something. Sev- 
eral popular songs were mentioned, but 
to this one answered, "It's Sunday, let us 
sing, 'Jesus, Savior, pilot me'. " All 
joined and sang the sweet song. The 
wind wafted the song to a neighboring 
plantation where an old man lay dying. 
He had been an unbeliever, and his was 
not a calm falling asleep on Jesus' 
breast but a tossing about on a sea of 
uncertainty. As the first verse was fin- 
ished, his daughter, a beautiful Christian 
woman, noticed he was listening and 
gently threw open the shutters. As the 
next verse began he motioned her to come 
near. She raised him in her arms and 
together they listened. 

"As a mother stills her child, 
Thou canst hush the ocean wild; 
Boisterous waves obey thy will 
When thou say'st to them 'Be still!' " 
A look of calm spread o'er the old 
man's face, and the sleep of peace settled 
o'er him as he listened to the last verse. 
"When at last I near the shore, 
And the fearful breakers roar 
'Twixt me and that peaceful rest, 
Then, while leaning on thy breast, 
May I hear thee say to me, 
'Fear not, I will pilot thee!' " 
This sleep lasted until nearly morning. 
He was gradually sinking, and as a last 
request asked his daughter to sing, 
"When at last I near the shore". As she 
finished singing he repeated, "JeSBS, Sa- 
vior, pilot mo", and peacefully passed 
away. 

2003. Our Influence for good or evil Is 
Incalculable, in ihoh Great Britain bad 
a remarkable wheat yield. In one field, 
in Kent, many single grains produced 
thirty straws, topped with closely set, 
fully developed ears, which yielded as 
high as one thousand grains from a sin- 



gle parent seed. So our influence is 
multiplied. 

2004. After a great spiritual awaken- 
ing in a certain church, a man who had 
united arose at prayer meeting and told 
what influenced him to take the step. 
Six months before he selected one of the 
prominent members and watched him 
closely, in his church, business and soci.il 
life. By systematic inquiry and careful 
personal observation he subjected him to 
six months of microscopic scrutiny. He 
said, "I thank God for that man. He 
stood the test. I was convinced of the 
genuineness of his religion and was thus 
led to accept Christ myself." 

2005. Dr. Lyman Beecher one very 
stormy, snowy night, preached to but 
one hearer, who went away before the 
doctor could speak to him. Twenty 
years afterwards, in a pleasant village in 
central Ohio, a stranger accosted Mr. 
Beecher, saying: "Do you remember 
preaching some twenty years ago, in 
such a place, to a single person?" "Yes, 
sir," said the doctor, grasping his hand, 
"I do, indeed, and if you are the man, I 
have been wanting to see you ever .since." 
"I am the man, sir; and that sermon 
saved my soul — made a minister of me, 
and yonder is my church. The converts 
of that sermon are all over Ohio." 

Example. (2006-2036) 

2006. I have read of a lighthouse in 
the Hebrides the light of which is merely 
a reflection by specially adjusted prisms 
of the light of another lighthouse 500 
feet away. As we behold: are trans- 
formed by: reproduce; reflect Christ 
clearly in our character and life, other 
lives arc saved from peril and directed in 
safe and right ways. Example — the 
character that truly reflects the Christ — 
is one of the mightiest forces for good in 
the world. 

2007. An infidel once owned a saw- 
mill which stood by the highway along 
which a Christian congregation passed 
every Sabbath to church. The mill was 
running every day in the week, Sundays 
not excepted. But it was noticed that 
for a few minutes before and after every 
church service the mill was silent. Close 
observers discovered that this interval of 
silence occurred only when a certain 
deacon of the church was passing the 
mill. When questioned in regard to this 
discriminating mark of respect, the In- 
fidel said, "The deacon professes jus' 
what the rest of you do; but he lives 
also such a life that it makes me feel 
bad here (putting his hand upon his 
heart) to run my mill when he is pass- 
ing." 



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Example. 



2008. The battle-cry of one of our In- 
diana regiments when they went into a 
fight one day and made themselves a 
wonder of soldiership, was the name of 
an old fight in Mexico in which their 
brothers ran away. They burnt out the 
disgrace, set the smoke of the old shame 
ablaze, and came home with the light 
burning clear and high, and were met 
with mighty sobs of joy. — Collyer. 

2009. George Maxwell Gordon, desir- 
ing to learn the Bilochi tongue, tried to 
engage a certain Sowar as a teacher. 
The native said: "I dare not; I should 
be made a Christian." Gordon assured 
him that there would be no religious 
talk. He answered, "But I love Gordon 
Sahib, and I am sure that I could not 
help accepting his religion if I were with 
him." 

2010. In the years o. George J. Ro- 
manes' agnostic unfaith some of his 
most intimate friends were sincere Chris- 
tians as well as highly intellectual men. 
His wife tells us that without set argu- 
ment or formal persuasion the influence 
of these believing men was most salu- 
tary upon her husband's mind. In their 
presence Christianity seemed a reasona- 
ble and beautiful reality. And in time 
it came to pass that he renounced his 
cheerless agnosticism, returned to the 
altars of the church, fell back on Christ 
as the sole but sufficient refuge for mind 
and heart; and his complete surrender 
uttered itself in his last word on religious 
subjects: "It is Christianity ur nothing." 
— Kelly. 

2011. "I too can be a painter," ex- 
claimed Raphael as he gazed on a fa- 
mous painting. Example stimulates to 
emulation. 

* 2012. The son of an Italian nobleman 
lost a brother to whom he was strongly 
attached. He had no portrait of him 
and sought the services of a painter. 
When the artist objected that he could 
not reproduce the face merely from de- 
scription, he asked the artist to take him 
to a portrait gallery. When there, he put 
his finger on one canvas, and said, "My 
brother had eyes like these." And on 
another, and said, "His cheeks were ex- 
actly like these." And on another, and 
said, "This was the shape and size of his 
head." And on another, "Here is his 
hair and the exact way he wore it." 
And the artist put the parts together 
with great skill, and made the canvas 
live. Even so, because of the likeness of 
Christians to Christ, in a like manner 
we can gather and construct Christ from 
his people. — Forward. 

2013. In 1871 I went to Africa as pre- 
judiced as the biggest infidel in London. 

But there came to me out there a long 



time for reflection. I was in the heart 
of the Dark Continent, far away from a 
worldly world. I saw a solitary old man 
there, and asked myself: "Why on earth 
does he stop here? Is he cracked, or 
what? What is "it that inspires him?" 
What motive can he have for such a life 
of loneliness, hardship, and peril?" For 
months after we met I simply found my- 
self watching him, listening to him, and 
wondering at him, as he carried out all 
that was said in the Bible. But, little 
by little, his sympathy and spirit became 
contagious. Seeing his piety, his gen- 
tleness, his zeal, his earnestness, and 
how quietly he did his duty, I was con- 
verted by him, though he had not tried 
to do it. — Henry M. Stanley. 

2014. Example speaks louder than 
words. "What you are speaks so loud I 
cannot hear what you say." In a social- 
ists' meeting a man was making a good 
speech when a common-sense working 
man interrupted him, saying, "Show your 
hands." The crowd took up the cry, and 
he was obliged to show a pair of dainty, 
womanlike hands such as had never 
known a days' hard work, as these toil- 
ers understood it. It spoiled the speech. 

2015. Just ahead of me on the train 
I saw a gray-haired mother seated by 
her son, a manly cadet, evidently just 
from school. I noticed him put his arm 
about her and lovingly lean his head on 
her bosom. Businessmen were talking 
of markets around us. My companion, 
a musician, had been talking of Mendels- 
sohn — but the boy was patting his moth- 
er's face, and she was the picture of 
happiness. Ah, my boy, you have made 
one heart tender for the day and I 
thank you. My ' musical friend has 
promised to write a symphony about the 
boy on the train — so prolific in sugges- 
tion is love. The boy's example lifted 
other lives out of the sordid, onto a 
higher plane. — Warburton. 

2016. "What India most needs," said 
Dr. J. H. Barrows when he returned 
from delivering the Haskell lectures, "is 
not Christianity but Christians." An ob- 
server among the Shevaroy Hills in In- 
dia reports that Hindus of all classes 
are beginning to see and say: "These 
Christian missionaries and converts are 
better, gentler, more honest and truth- 
ful, more self-sacrificing as well as more 
purposeful and strenuous, and live in all - 
things on a higher level than we do." — 
Kelly. 

2017. I have a friend who, by placing 
his hand on a piece of cloth, with his 
eyes blinded, can tell the texture; and 
there is such a thing as so living Christ 
that for people to see us, to touch us, to 
hear us speak, is to know that we are 



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Example. 



not our own, but his who loved us and 
gave himself for us. 

2018. After Billroth, the Viennese 
surgeon, had told his students that a 
doctor needed two gifts, freedom from 
nausea and power of observation, he 
dipped his finger into a bitter fluid and 
licked it off, requesting them to do the 
same. They did it without flinching. 
With a grin, Billroth said, "You have 
stood the first test well, but not the sec- 
ond, for none of you noticed that I 
dipped the first linger, but licked the 
second." 

2019. Dr. Munhall, the celebrated 
evangelist, says that before he became a 
minister he went one evening to the the- 
atre just to please a visiting friend and 
the next day met upon the streets a 
young man whom he there asked again, 
as he had asked him frequently, to be- 
come a Christian. The man looked at 
him and said, "I never want you to speak 
to me on that subject again. I saw you 
in the theatre last night, and I have little 
confidence in a man who professes to be 
a Christian and was found in a question- 
able place of amusement." "I never 
won him," said Munhall. "He gradually 
drifted away from the church and from 
Christ, and I met him in the West a 
hopeless wreck." 

2020. The average American Christian 
believes that missions do not reach the 
Mohammedans. But they do. In a 
small way like the curious appointment 
of a pagan Cyrus to do the pleasure of 
Jehovah, is that of a rough Kabyle Mo- 
hammedan, who sauntered into a mission 
book shop in Casablanca, Morocco, and 
bought a number of separate portions of 
the Bible. The bookseller, amazed, asked 
what he wanted the books for. "Why, I 
want them to read on winter evenings," 
answered the Mohammedan. Then he 
explained that his friends come in of an 
evening to drink tea in his little room, 
and sit cosily by the fire while he reads 
to them from these hooks. This Mo- 
hammedan (Iocs not know it. hill lie is 
doing missionary work among those Ig- 
norant Moroccans of the mountains! — 
American Messenger 

2021. A missionary in India was so 
feeble mentally that he could not learn 
the language. After some years Ik? 
asked to he recalled, frankly saying that 
he had not sufficient intellect for the 
work. A dozen missionaries, however, 
petitioned his Hoard not to grant his re- 
quest, saying that his goodness gave him 
a wldef Influence among the heathen 
than any other missionary at the station. 
A convert when asked, "What is It to he 
a Christian?" replied, "It Is to be like 
Mr. ", naming the good missionary. 

19 Proc. III. 



He was kept in India. He never 
preached a sermon; but when he died 
hundreds of heathen as well as many 
Christians mourned him and testified to 
his holy life and character. 

2022. In the early days of the Indian 
mutiny, says a writer in "The Youth's 
Companion", seven cadets just over from 
England were murdered. The eighth, 
a lad of sixteen, was left for dead, but 
survived in spite of some horrible 
wounds. For four days he succeeded in 
hiding himself in a ravine, but was dis- 
covered, dragged to the native lines and 
thrust into a hut as a prisoner. He 
found there another prisoner, a Christian 
eatechist, who was undergoing torture at 
the hands of the Sepoys to make him re- 
nounce his faith. His strength and cour- 
age had left him. and he was giving 
way, when the English boy, forgetful of 
his own wounds and the further penalty 
of suffering that he might be providing 
for himself, gallantly cried, "Don't deny 
Christ! Never deny Christ, whatever 
may happen:" Something of his spirit 
was infused into his companion. He re- 
fused to recant, and in spite of further 
torture, he kept the faith for which he 
had already suffered so much. Both eat- 
echist and cadet were rescued, but the 
cadet died of his wounds four days later. 

2023. A famous pianist in stepping 
from a platform, amid thunders of ap- 
plause, was met by one of his students, 
who said: "I would give a great deal if 
I could play as well as you." Quick as 
a flash the great master answered, "You 
can, if you will pay the price!" "What 
is it?" asked the student. "That you 
spend so many hours before breakfast 
and so many hours during the day — in 
fact, give it your whole time and atten- 
tion. You must make 1 it the object of 
your life." And this is true of the in- 
lliienee of example. You may make your 
life a blazing beacon whose rays shall 
illumine the world around you — if you 
are willing to pay the price. 

2021. A man might preach to ten 

thousand people and tell the truth con- 
cerning the gospel of Cod, and not turn 
one soul unto righteousness; while, on 
the other hand, the casting of a coat on 
a shivering outcast in the streets might 

he the means of leading a hundred 

thousand people into the light of God. 

202.">. There is no use keeping the 
church open any longer; you may as well 
give me the key." said a missionary In 
.Madras, as in the course of a journey he 
passed through a village where once so 
many of the natives had professed 
Christianity that a little church had been 
built for them. I!ut the converts had 
fallen away, returned to their idols, and 



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Example. 



there remained faithful one poor woman, 
to whom the missionary was now speak- 
ing. "Oh, sir," she pleaded most earn- 
estly, "do not take away the key! I 
at least will still go daily to the church, 
and sweep it clean, and will keep the 
lamp in order, and will go on praying 
that God's light may one day visit us 
again." 

So the missionary left her the key, and 

presently the time came when he 
preached in that very church, crowded 
with repentant sinners — the harvest of 
the God-given faith of that one poor In- 
dian woman. — The Treasury. 

2026. Bishop Hare, a missionary Bish- 
op of the Episcopal Church, founded the 
mission at the Rosebud Indian agency. 
His custom was, says The Youth's Com- 
panion, to give to each Indian that he 
confirmed a silver cross of a peculiar pat- 
tern. A few years ago a lady from New 
York was visiting in South Dakota, and 
the Bishop gave her one of these crosses. 
Afterward there was a general conven- 
tion of .the Episcopal Church held in 
New York City, and several Indians were 
sent as delegates, all wearing Bishop 
Hare's crosses. Arriving in New York, 
they were dazed, and at a loss to know 
how to find the building where the con- 
vention was to be held. But stoically 
they started out upon the street. Soon 
after they met a lady, whom they imme- 
diately began to follow. Whenever she 
turned, wherever she went, they went, 
too. The lady became much annoyed, 
and finally, thoroughly frightened, to 
find that wherever she went a line of red 
men was trailing behind her. But in- 
vestigation explained it. She wore their 
cross, and they, seeing it, had believed 
her one of their number, who would 
surely go to the meeting they wished to 
attend; so they had taken her for their 
guide. 

2027. An employer writes: "In very 
trying circumstances I once said to a 
man against whom falsehood seemed to 
be proved: 'In spite of everything, I do 
believe you are telling me the truth.' 
He answered me with a simplicity which 
was nothing less than noble: 'If you 
knew my wife, sir, you'd know that I 
couldn't live with her and lie'. I learned 
afterward that this was the exact state 
of the case. His wife was a plain, good, 
honest woman, rather silent in her way, 
and I do not believe she had ever lec- 
tured her husband on truth-telling. It 
was simply that one could not live con- 
tinually in her influence and be willing 
to be guilty of falsehood." The atmos- 
pheric pressure for truth and honesty in 
that man's home was heavy upon every 
square inch of his moral sensibility. — 
"The Ripening Experience of Life." 



2028. There is a corporal in one of 
the best infantry regiments in the regu- 
lar army who has one lesson branded on 
his memory with words of fire — the les- 
son that no excuse can be framed or ut- 
tered by any soldier for being untidy or 
unclean. The colonel was going down 
the line on a tour of inspection and no- 
ticed a corporal with soiled gloves. He 
said: "Corporal, that is setting a bad ex- 
ample to the men, wearing soiled gloves. 
Why do you do so?" "I've had no pay 
for three months, sir, and I can't afford 
to have washing done." Taking a pair 
of beautiful white gloves from one of 
his pockets, the colonel handed them to 
the corporal, saying: "Put on these 
gloves; I washed them myself." — Pitts- 
burg Post. 

2029. A minister said: "When I left 
the seminary I determined to be, not a' 
temperance man, but a total abstainer. 
I had been at my first charge but a very 
few months when I was invited to cele- 
brate the eightieth birthday of one of 
my most honored parishioners. As the 
champagne was passed around the table 
the thought came to me, 'Surely this is 
one place where I should break my reso- 
lution; will it not look very churlish for 
me to refuse to drink the health of this 
noble woman?" But before the butler 
reached my plate I determined to adhere 
to my usual custom, and simply turned 
down my glass. Imagine my joy, a few 
hours later, when one of the ladies pres- 
ent told me that her son, just about en- 
tering college, had told her that day;- 'I 
haven't quite made up my mind about 
signing the pledge before leaving for 
Yale. I am just going to let it depend 
upon what Mr. Brown does tonight. If 
such a good man as he takes wine, there 
can't be any harm in it.' " After a pause, 
the minister asked, "Friends, do you 
wonder that I never touch it?" — Sunday 
School Journal. 

2030. In different parts of Brazil the 
names given to Protestants by the popu- 
lace vary according to circumstances at- 
tending the introduction of the work. In 
Rio de Janeiro, the first place in which 
the gospel was preached, they are called 
"bibles," due probably to the stress laid 
on the use of the Bible and the estima- 
tion with which it was held by the first 
believers. Before the good news would 
be accepted, the genuineness of the evi- 
dence had to be established. In another 
part, the Protestants are called "Jesus," 
for that name, of course, was above 
every name in the preaching. 

2031. A gentleman, having occasion to 
visit Antwerp, went to the great Cathe- 
dral to see the great masterpiece of Ru- 
bens, representing the crucifixion. No 



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— 291 — 



Example. 



one who has ever looked upon it 
can come away without a more reas- 
suring- hope and firmer confidence for 
the future," said he, "and my soul hun- 
gered for just one more look at it. But 
when I reached the cathedral, I was met 
with the reply that the pictures were 
veiled that day. and could not be seen; 
and 1 came away with a heavy heart." 

Many a man with the form of the cru- 
cified Christ stamped upon his heart, is 
living a veiled life. — choking- and stilling 
and withholding the word and deed 
which by good right he owes it to his 
fellows to allow to come to their hear- 
ing and observation. — R. B. Buckham in 
Interior. 

20:52. There comes back to me, says a 
recent writer, a recollection of a flight of 
broken steps down to the river-brink, 
where a boat from the ship awaited us, 
fretting restlessly against the lowest step, 
which was half submerged by the dark 
lapping wavelets. It was an arched 
stairway; the stones were damp and 
slippery; the cold mist, heavy with the 
damp smell of the water, came up to the 
face; the hand caught nervously at the 
rough iron rail; and it was a welcome 
spectacle, at an awkward bend of the 
staircase, to sec the gleam of an oil- 
lamp, from a niche in the wall. Some 
one had lighted the lamp and placed it 
on a stand. So the beams of a noble life 
light the footsteps of others in slippery 
places. 

2033. A Chinaman came to a mission- 
ary to ask for baptism. When asked where 
he had heard the gospel he answered 
that he had never heard the Gospel, hut 
had seen it. He then told of a poor man 
at Ningpo, who had once been a con- 
firmed opium-smoker, and a man of vio- 
lent temper. This man had learned 
about the Christian religion, and his 
whole life was altered — he gave up the 
opium and became loving and amiable. 
"Oh," said the candidate for baptism, 
"I have not heard the Gospel, but I have 
seen it." 

2031. Rev. Mr. Grimshaw of England, 
when a young man, was fond of climb- 
ing; and one day he climbed to a very 
lofty place on a high mountain. He was 
walking along a ledge, with just barely 
room for a footing. — a perpendicular rock 
on one side, and a deep chasm on the oth- 
er. Just as he was making his way along 
very carefully, with the nerve and the 
clear head of a strong man. he heard a 
cry behind him that nearly froze bis 
blood. The cry was. "Papa, take a sale 
path, for I am coming." His little BOH 
had followed him unseen, even to the 
edge of the ledge upon which the strong 
man stood. He said to himself, "i can 



stand here, for I have the nerve and the 
heart to do it: but I would not risk my 
boy here;" and turning quickly, he 
slipped along the ledge down to a little 
plateau below, and taking the boy in his 
arms, he drew him back from the chasm, 
as far back as the ledge behind him 
would allow, saying, "This is the only 
safe place for my child." Let me say 
to every man. That other man is just be- 
hind you — just behind you in business, 
just behind you in religious thought, just 
behind you in the endeavor of your life 
in this world. You may walk the dizzy 
heights and stand: but that other man 
will not have the nerve and moral pluck 
to stand there. Yet he will go there be- 
cause you have led him to the place. Oh, 
the other thought is the blessed one; he 
will follow you, and you may lead him to 
the foot of the cross. — Rev. R. L. Greene. 

2035. At a poptdar watering-place, one 
summer, a Christian young lady, attract- 
ive in face and manner, readily gained 
the good-will of her companions, and 
for a few days they rejoiced in so de- 
sirable an addition to their set. Then 
came the Sabbath, and a picnic was ar- 
ranged by the young people to while 
away its sacred hours. There was to be 
a delightful drive, an appetizing lunch, 
and ride home by moonlight. She firmly 
refused the invitation to make one of the 
gay party; and only the Reader of hearts 
knew of the struggle to resist so allur- 
ing a temptation, for she was the only 
young person left in the great house 
that beautiful summer afternoon. But 
the song of the sea was the sweeter, and 
the very air seemed full of gentle whis- 
pers, for it was a heavenly peace that 
brooded over land and water and filled 
her soul with its influence, a peace as 
abiding as the home of its birth. That ex- 
ample of faithfulness was not Ion(. how- 
ever, for Sunday excursions grew less 
and less popular, and several who had 
participated in them confessed to her 
before they separated, that, "after all, 
it was best to live, away from home, as 
one would at home." and that she bad 
spoiled all the fun for the season when 
she refused to join that lir-t Sunday pic- 
nic and drive. — Golden Rule. 

2030. After leaving school a young 
man wrote to his former room-mate: "] 

wonder if you noticed any change in me 
since we came to know each other? You 
were always so straightforward in every- 
thing and you made me feel that I was 
exactly contrary, and that you could not 
care for me at all unless I Improved a 
bit. So you have done mc more good 
than you can Imagine". "You can help 
your fellow-men," said Phillips lirooks; 
"you must help them; but the only way 

you can help them Is bj being the nob- 



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— 292 — 



Soul Winning. 



lest and the best man it is possible for 
you to be." 

Soul Winning. (2037-2098) 

2037. Rev. F. Von Schluembach says, 
"I went into a place in St. Louis to see a 
friend. While there a commercial trav- 
eler came in and said, 'I want to sell you 
some jewelry.' 'Get out,' said the pro- 
prietor, 'I don't want to see your sam- 
ples.' 'But you must,' said the man; 
'I won't get out,' and began to unpack. 
The man became interested and so did I. 
He showed him a fine lot of goods, dia- 
monds, pearls and precious stones set in 
gold, and sold the man seven hundred 
dollars worth. Well, thought I, that fel- 
low is smart. When he had sold the 
bill, he said to the merchant, 'Now I 
have one more thing to show you; the 
best thing I've got;' and he began to go 
deeper into his cases, and I began to 
wonder what he could mean; better than 
gold, diamonds and pearls? and I got 
up closer, and the merchant did too. 
The 'drummer' took out a little case 
and opened it, and there was a Bagster 
Bible, and as he turned the leaves, said, 
'This is the pearl of great price. This is 
better than all earthly possession. It is 
God's word. Sir, are you a Christian?' 
This man had enthusiasm, both in busi- 
ness and in Christian life." 

2038. Passing along a secluded path, 
the other day, I overheard two plain men 
talking. One was saying to the other, 
"Come and try Jesus," and rather oddly 
added, "If you don't like him after a 
trial, you can go back to where you are 
and be no worse off". 

2039. Once, when Julia Ward Howe 
invited Charles Sumner to meet a dis- 
tinguished guest at her house, he replied: 
"I do not know that I wish to meet your 
friend. I have outlived the interest in 
individuals." In her diary that night, 
with the senator's surly remark, Mrs. 
Howe wrote, "God Almighty has not." 

2040. Do you remember the story of 
the portrait of Dante which is painted 
on the walls of the Bargello, at Flor- 
ence? For many years it was supposed 
that the picture had utterly perished. 
Men had heard of it but no one living 
had ever seen it. But presently came an 
artist who was determined to find it 
again. He went into the place where 
tradition said that it had been painted. 
The room was used as a storeroom for 
himber and straw. The walls were cov- 
ered with dirty whitewash. He had the 
heaps of rubbish carried away, and pa- 
tiently and carefully removed the white- 
wash from the wall. Lines and colors 
long hidden began to appear, and at last 
the grave, lofty, noble face of the great 



poet looked out again upon the world of 
light. "That was wonderful," you say; 
"that was beautiful!" Not half so won- 
derful as the work which Christ came to 
do in the heart of man — to restore the 
forgotten image of God and bring the 
divine image to the light. — Van Dyke. 

2041. A young girl in London, spoke 
kindly to a little boy in rags, playing in 
the gutter. She won his confidence, and 
by and by won him for Christ, who made 
a great pioneer missionary out of him. 
Yet most people would have thought that 
girl's opportunity when she' spoke to the 
ragged child, was very small, and that 
the Archbishop of Canterbury that day 
had the great opportunity afforded in all 
London. He does not give tis any gauge 
by which to measure opportunities. — 
Bishop Haygood. 

2042. One night, on board the "Peace", 
we were talking of Africa and her de- 
graded condition. We spoke of Dr. Liv- 
ingstone, and Mr. Stanley said, "If Dr. 
Livingstone were alive today, I would 
take all the honors, all the praise that 
men have showered upon me, — I would 
put them at his feet, and say, 'Here you 
are, old man; they are all yours.'" Of 
one thing I am certain, that although Dr. 
Livingstone is not here today to speak 
to us, his actions, his whole life says, as 
he would have said if he had been here 
today, "Not unto me, but unto him who 
loved me, and gave himself for me, to 
him be all the praise." Read the words 
in his last journals: "To me it seems 
to be said, 'If thou forbear to deliver 
them that are drawn unto death, and 
those that are ready to be slain; if thou 
sayest, Behold, we knew it not, — doth 
not he that pondereth the heart consider 
it? and he that keepeth thy soul, does 
not he know it? and shall he not render 
to every man according to his works?' " 
Surely, nothing can be too much for us 
to give up or to do. — Rev. David M. 
Charters. 

2043. A marble cutter, with chisel and 
hammer, was changing a stone into a 
statue. A preacher looking on said: "I 
wish I could deal such clanging blows on 
stony hearts." The workman made an- 
swer, "Maybe you could, if you worked 
like me, upon your knees." 

2044. A conductor of a local passen- 
ger train, running between N , Pa., 

and Philadelphia, a member of a Pres- 
byterian church, so labored during the 
evangelistic meetings conducted by Dr. 
Munhall, that the engineer, fireman, 
baggageman and two brakemen of his 
train confessed Jesus Christ as Saviour, 
and united with the church. This train 
came to be known among the men on 



The Christian Life. 



— 293 



Soul Winning. 



that division of the road as "the gospel 
train." 

2015. When we start on the trail of a 
man. let us keep on it until we come up 
with him. Too many of us are fright- 
ened off. You remember the story of 
the Californian who went out to follow 
up a grizzly and was gone three days, 
then turned* up without his game. "Lost 
the trail, Bill. I suppose," said one of his 
cronies. "Xaw," said Bill, "kept on the 
trail all right." "Then, what's the mat- 
ter?" "Wall the foot-prints was gettin' 
too fresh, so I quit." We must not he 
scared off when the foot-prints get fresh. 
— St. Andrew's Cross. 

2016. Rev. J. Hudson Taylor's qualifi- 
cations for efficient soul-winning: "A life 
surrendered to God and controlled by his 
Spirit. 

A restful trust in God for the supply 
of all needs apart from human guaran- 
ties. 

A sympathetic spirit and a willingness 
to take a lowly place. 

Tact in dealing with men, and adapt- 
ability to new circumstances and cus- 
toms. 

Zeal in service, and steadfastness under 
discouragement. 

Love for communion with God and the 
study of his Word." 

2017. A missionary in India, wishing 
to gather a Sunday-school of the wretch- 
ed coolies thronging, the streets, took 
the only means to secure attendance the 
first time, and offered a small portion 
of rice to each who would come early 
on Sabbath morning. Her servant pro- 
claimed the invitation and the induce- 
ment up and down the streets on Satur- 
day. Hundreds heard, but only one 
man accepted. He had his simple les- 
son alone, and his handful of rice. The 
next Saturday this man was engaged to 
give the invitation, and on the following 
morning the compound was crowded. 
'! I ason i.-- clear; 1 1 • t — man had an in- 
fluence x\ i 1 1 1 the poor coolies that no one 
cl-c I ad. He was one of them, and he had 
done what he invited them to do. He 
had i -roved that the offer was sincere, 
and from his own experience he bade 
others come. "Let him that heareth, 
-ay 'Come,'" but let him that has tasted 
Of the feast of Jesus' love himself be 
B ire that his Invitation will have the 
gTi ater weight with those whom he calls, 
in « hrist's name, to come to the Master. 

2018. In the stirring history of the 

Scottish Covenanters there Is a very 
thrilling story told regarding Captain 
John Paton. After he had been appre- 
hended, he was being led to Edinburgh 
for trial and execution, and by the way 
he was met by one who had been his 



companion in arms in Germany under 
Gustavus Adolphus. His companion said 
to him. "Are you there? I will write i:> 
the King and get a pardon for you." 
Paton said, "Ah, you won't get one for 
me, I'm afraid." "Well," said the other, 
"If I do not, I will never draw sword 
for his Majesty again." He made in- 
tercession, and he got the pardon, 
which arrived in Edinburgh, but was 
held back by the "Lords of the Congre- 
gation": and Paton went to the scaffold. 
Now you brand that, and you do so hon- 
estly and righteously; but what are we 
better if we stand between Jehovah and 
Ids great message of mercy to mankind, 
and decline to pass it on to those who 
are to be delivered thereby?" 

20 J 9. What else is equal to the 
achievement of saving a soul? Is the 

writing of a poem? Is the carving of a 
statue? Is the painting of a picture? 
Is the erection of a monument? Is the 
creation of a reputation? All these 
things will perish. When Xapoleon was 
told by the painter that the canvas 
would carry his portrait down five cen- 
turies, he exclaimed. "Is this all?" His 
mind was comprehensive enough to see 
that, in comparison with the aeons, 
cycles and eternities of the future, five 
hundred years were an insignificant por- 
tion of time. — Deems. 

2050. Many a decision would be made 
if you would say some kind, encouraging 
word to your unconverted friends. At 
the close of a meeting once, a young 
man with a very eager face came to me 
and said, "I never have led a soul to 
Jesus yet; how can I do it?" I said: 
"Do you see that man just going out? 
He is concerned; go and speak to him". 
He went after the man, brought him 
back, and they sat down in a pew to- 
gether. After a while they came up the 
aisle together; both faces were shining, 
and the one said, "This man has given 
his heart to God, and this is the first 
soul I ever brought to Jesus." — ottman. 

2051. A distinguished minister once 
visited Osborne during the lifetime of 
Queen Victoria on a Sunday morning, 
hoping to see the queen, but did not 
succeed. He writes of it: "We saw only 
her house, her gardens, and her retain- 
ers. Then we went to Whippingham 
Church, having been told that the queen 
would attend divine service. But again 
we were disappointed. We only saw the 
seat the august lady was wont to occupy. 
The ladies and gentlemen of court came 
to church, and those we saw; we even 
heard the court chaplain preach, but of 
the sovereign we saw nothing. Well, 
this was a disappointment which led me 
to a serious frame of thought. I said to 



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— 294 — 



Soul Winning. 



myself: 'What if the flock committed to 
your care should come to church to see 
the Bang of kings, and yet through some 
fault of yours should not get to see 
him!' " 

2052. Zurbriggen, the famous Swiss 
mountain-guide tells how he often had 
letters from gentlemen in England and 
other places, asking him to climb with 
them. They had never seen him, but they 
had heard of him from those whom he 
had safely guided in difficult and dan- 
gerous expeditions. 

2053. A minister seeing a well-known 
infidel at church, called upon him the 
next day, and told him how happy he 
had been to see him; the more so, as he 
had been given to understand that he 
did not believe the gospel. 

"Nor you either," said the unceremo- 
nious skeptic. 

"What!" he exclaimed, "do you mean, 
sir, to call me a hypocrite?" "I call you 
no ill names, sir," he coolly replied; "but 
what I mean to say is this; you have 
. known of my infidelity for years, and 
though I have lived all the while within 
a short distance of your dwelling, you 
have never before attempted to enlighten 
me as to these matters; a thing which, 
to do you justice, I must believe you 
would have done, had you thought them 
as important as your creed would make 
them. Indeed, I can hardly fancy that 
you would see me going to hell, and 
never try to save my soul." 

2054. It takes fifteen church members 

a year to save one soul — as Dr. Strong 
says: while Christ's lowest average in- 
crease is "thirty fold," we are increas- 
ing at the rate of one-fifteenth of one 
fold! How obvious it is that the church 
has never yet enlisted the strength of its 
membership in the work of God! Dis- 
ciples must outgrow this absurd notion 
of doing by proxy the work of saving 
souls. — Pierson. 

2055. Some time ago a lady in New 
York missed an old friend from his 
place in church, and the thought came 
forcibly to her, "What if the place that 
has known him so long should know 
him no more forever? Where would his 
soul be?" She knew he was not a 
Christian, and this thought weighed 
heavily on her heart; she ascertained 
that an accident that confined him to 
his room had prevented his being in his 
place in church, and unable to get rid 
of her anxiety about his soul, she wrote 
him a letter full of Christian love, tell- 
ing him the thought that had taken 
such hold upon her, and also got a 
friend to send him a special tract to 
point him to the Saviour. For two days 
that letter and tract were read and re- 



read by the gentleman to whom they 
were sent, and on the third morning, 
while speaking to a friend who had 
called to see him, he leaned back and 
died. His accident was not of a nature 
to endanger his life, and otherwise he 
seemed to be in perfect health, there- 
fore his death was most unexpected. 
And had that friend failed to write to 
him as she did, she never could have 
forgiven herself. Her letter and the 
tract were still open before him when 
that voice that all must obey called him 
from earth, and eternity alone can re- 
veal if they were made the instruments 
for leading him to Christ. Souls are 
passing into eternity every moment, 
therefore let not those who are Chris- 
tians neglect any opportunity for bring- 
ing those whom they can influence to 
seek the Saviour while he may be found. 

2056. Mrs. J. K. Barney, the world 
famous prison worker, says: "Years ago 
I reached a "Western town, and the lady 
who met me said, 'You must excuse the 
miserable old carriage I am going to 
take you in, for I do not like to employ 
any other driver.' On seeing the un- 
cared-for look of both carriage and 
horse, I did wonder, and still more at 
the slovenly, red-faced driver. How- 
ever, he drove us to her home safely, 
and as I passed up the walk she stopped 
to speak to him. Overtaking me, she 
sobbed out, 'Oh, he used to be in my 
Sunday-school class. 

Years before, five boys were gathered 
into the school from the street. She 
taught them with no conception of per- 
sonal responsibility. Then she left home 
and was away for five years. In that 
time she waked up to the possibilities of 
Christian service, and often thought of 
her boys. On her return she began a 
search and finally came upon this one, 
who was noticeably under the influence 
of liquor. He seemed glad to see her, 
but shook his head to her proposition to 
sign the pledge. 'It's no use now, you 
missed your chance to save me. You 
could have got me to do that once, but 
it's too late now.' To her inquiries 
about the other boys, he replied, 'Two of 
us is dead, two of us is in prison, and I 
ain't worth saving. I tell you lady, you 
missed your chance with us.' Years 
had come and gone, but she had never 
been able to help or influence him much 
more." 

2057. Not art galleries but human 
souls, are the most beautiful things in 
this world. For souls are the very cause 
of art galleries and the occasion of art. 
Where were the Madonna, the Trans- 
figuration and the Last Supper if artists 
had not souls? These masterpieces were 
hung up in the souls of Raphael, Titian 



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Soul Winning. 



and Da Vinci before they were hung on 
the walls of the Louvre, the museum or 
the Vatican. The finest pictures in this 
world are those that hang in the corri- 
dors of human souls. They have never 
yet been transferred to canvas. The ar- 
tist's soul is greater than the artist's 
picture. To win one such soul is to win 
a whole gallery of art. In this we see 
the soul's preeminent value. The ar- 
tist's pictures are for sale but not the 
artist's soul. 

2058. A few years ago I met a very in- 
telligent man, nearly sixty years of age, 
in independent circumstances, who had 
been for twenty years reading religious 
books and passing successively from one 
to another, seeking some religious sys- 
tem which was convincing and satisfy- 
ing. He was still unhappy and almost 
in despair when he heard the good news 
of salvation through Christ. He received 
and embraced Christianity on the first 
presentation of it, has made remarkable 
progress in the knowledge of the Bible, 
and has been most zealous and success- 
ful in propagating Christianity in the re- 
gion where he lives. In less that three 
years after his baptism more than a 
hundred persons were brought to Christ 
through his instrumentality, and a re- 
ligious movement characterized by a re- 
markable degree of intelligence and 
spiritual power had been begun in a 
score of villagers. — Dr. Nevius. 

2059. Mayer, the Jew. followed the 
allied armies to Waterloo. He carried 
with him birds shut up in cages. From 
a neighboring cliff he watched the tides 
of battle as they rose and fell. When 
he saw the issue he opened the cages and 
the pigeons, with dispatches under their 
wings, arose, circled about in the upper 
air, and made straight for England. So 
we may spread the good news of salva- 
tion. 

2000. Many years ago Mr. Gladstone 
heard of two young men in the village 
who had become notorious for their 
drinking habits. He invited them to 
see him at the castle, and, there in "The 
Temple of Peace," as his library was 
called, he impressively appealed to 
them to change their ways, and then 
knelt with them in prayer. One of the 
men said: "Never can I forget the 
scene. The Grand Old Man was pro- 
foundly moved by the Intensity of his 
solicitation. My compaction is now a 
minister, and neither of us ha-s touched 
a drop of intoxicating drink since, nor 
are we ever likely to violate an un- 
dertaking so impressively ratified in Mr. 
Gladstone's library." 

2061. A recent writer says that Robert 
Chambers, in his "Reminiscences", tells 



that the hamlet, in which his childhood 
was passed, was so old and dull that 
there was a common Scotch proverb: 
"As quiet as the grave or Peebles." The 
people knew nothing of the outside 
world until a certain Tom Fleck became 
possessed of an ancient copy of Jose- 
phus, and went from house to house 
each night reading a chapter from it. 
The village soon grew wildly excited as 
the siege of Jerusalem progressed. The 
people crowded to listen at night, and 
discussed the position of affairs by day. 
For the first time in their lives they saw 
that there was something in the world 
outside of their hamlet, and it did not 
matter that this something had existed 
centuries ago. So may we awaken souls. 

2062. "It often requires," said Dr. A. 
J. Gordon, "more courage to preach to 
one than to a thousand. It is the most 
concentrated form of preaching. Many 
strong preachers have to confess that 
here is the point where they are the 
most weak; that they lack the courage 
to face a sinner squarely and talk to 
him of his responsibility." Emerson 
said; "You are you and I am I, souls arc 
not saved in bundles." 

2063. In a mission to the Chinese of 
one of our gretit cities two young Chi- 
nese came some years ago, and aftfe 
months of patient waiting, gave evl 
dence that they had learned "the true 
doctrine" and became followers of Jesus 
Christ. Soon afterward one of them 
went back to China. He carried with 
him some Chinese New Testaments and 
tracts, and after he reached his old 
home he invited the young men of the 
village to come to his house to study the 
Bible. They came willingly enough, 
but when they realized that he was 
teaching them the "Jesus religion" they 
left him quickly and reviled him bitter- 
ly. Then he began to gather the peo- 
ple on the streets to tell them the gos- 
pel story. They had never heard it be- 
fore, he was the only Christian in all the 
district, and they might have listened 
gladly, but the old men said, "No! We 
cannot have this Western religion 
brought here," and they began to per- 
secute him. Many times he was stoned, 
beaten, spit upon. Once the villagers 
threatened to burn down his house. Yet 
none of these things moved him. He 
continued to teach wherever and when- 
ever he could, and gradually his gentle 
life won them. Slowly they began to 
listen to him, and one day the young 
men came back and asked him to start 
the class for them again. 

All of this he wrote to hi- friend In 
Washington, D. C, and the heart of that 
young man burned within him. He 
knew how those villagers needed to hear 



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Soul Winning. 



the gospel story, he knew what their 
heathenism meant. He was only a poor 
laundryman, spending twelve and four- 
teen weary hours each day over the 
tub and ironing-board, yet he wrote to 
his friend begging him to give up all 
other work and devote all of his time to 
telling the people of the village of the 
salvation of Jesus Christ. "If you will 
do this." he wrote, "I will stay here and 
run the laundry, and send you one hun- 
dred dollars every year to pay your ex- 
penses.*' 

206-1. A fine young stxident, who was 
no Christian, < anie to Dr. Broadus and 

requested him to write in his autograph 
book. He wrote three Greek words, 
meaning "One thing thou laekest." 
Years afterward Dr. Broadus received a 
message from an honored physician in 
Texas, saying he had never been able 
to forget that sentence in his album, 
and he trusted now that he had found 
the "one thing lacking." The Spirit 
hoth guided the consecrated man and 
opened the heart of the other. 

2065. If. like Nelson, we can lay our 
vessel alongside the enemy, and come 
to close quarters without delay, we 
shall do considerable execution. Com- 
mend me to the man who can avail him- 
self of any conversation and any topic, 
to drive home saving truth upon the 
conscience and heart. "All things to all 
men." rightly interpreted, is a motto 
worthy of the great apostle of the Gen- 
tiles, and of all who, like him, would 
win souls for Jesus. — Spurgeon. 

2066. The life of Robert Chambers 
was as pinched and bare as that of his 
neighbors until he found in a closet in 
the attic a copy of the Encyclopedia 
Britannica. The boy learned in it for 
the first time that there were such 
things as literature, art, astronomy, and 
geology. It was like cutting a window 
in a jail cell, through which he saw the 
world and the heavens beyond. And 
so God's true messengers, equipped with 
God's Word, come to the hampered and 
contracted lives of their hearers. 

2067. In a shipyard in Nova Scotia 
there worked a man who loved children. 

At the end of the day's work he would 
gather up and lay aside the pieces of 
wood that might trip the small hoys at 
their play around the yard in the sum- 
mer gloaming. It meant extra work for 
the man, but he "didn't want to see any 
of the lads meeting stumbling-blocks." 
Life has too many stumbling-blocks, or 
causes of offence, that a little extra, care 
would remove. Very few people mean 
to harm others. "We all wish well to 
our companions. But "evil is wrought 



by want of thought as well as by want 
of heart." — Teacher's Monthly. 

2068. Twelve Brahmans undertook a 
long religious journey on foot. While 
crossing a broad river, a sudden flood 
came upon them, and they were swept 
down the river, landing in different 
places. When they had come together 
they wanted to know if all twelve were 
safe. One stood to one side and counted 
one, two, three, to eleven. That was all. 
Where was the twelfth? Another counted 
With the same puzzling result. At last 
an outsider counted, and there were . 
twelve. Each one before in counting 
had neglected to count himself. Do any 
of us, when work or giving or doing 
good or inviting others is to be done, 
forget to count ourselves among the 
doers ? — Chamberlain. 

2069. "Is it worth our while to hold 
the meeting tonight, do you think?" 
asked a Londoner of his friend, one raw 
December night in 1856. "Perhaps not," 
answered the other, "but I do not like to 
shirk my work, and as it was announced, 
some one might come." "Come on, 
then," said the first speaker. "I sup- 
pose we can stand it." 

"Work thrown away!" grumbled the 
Londoner, as they made their way back 
to Regent Square. "Who knows?" re- 
plied the missionary. "It was God's 
Word, and we are told that it shall not 
fall on the ground unheeded." A passer- 
by, who stopped in by accident^ tossed 
on his couch all night, thinking of the 
horrors of heathenism, all of which he 
had heard that night for the first time. 
In a month, he had sold out his business 
and was on his way to mission work 
among the British Columbia Indians, 
under the auspices of the Church Mis- 
sionary Society. 

About thirty-five years afterward, we 
found him, surrounded by "his chil- 
dren," as he loved to call them, the cen- 
ter and head of the model mission sta- 
tion of the Northwest coast, an Arca- 
dian village of civilized Indians. It is 
the romance of missions. The mission- 
ary referred to is William Duncan, 
missionary to the Metlakhatla Indians. — ' 
Epworth Herald. 

2070. Bishop Haygood once told of 
preaching at a camp-meeting in Georgia 
to 2000 people. It seemed a great op- 
portunity, but no results were mani- 
fested. In the same section he met an 
old negro at work in the woods one day. 
He continued; "An impulse came to trie 
to talk to him of Christ, as we sat on a 
log. I found him eager for the mes- 
sage. There on the log I talked to him 
of Jesus and the resurrection. I am sure 
he was converted right there, while we 



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Soul Winning, 



talked and cried and prayed together in 
the silent forest, with the old log for 
pulpit and altar and inquiry-room. That 
was a great opportunity for me." 

2071. In the life of Mrs. Stowe, by 
Annie Fields, is quoted the following 
letter written by Mrs. Stowe to her son 
Charles. It contains a bit of cheer for 
all Christian workers. She wrote: "I 
met the other day at Dayton, O., a wo- 
man who now has grandchildren; but 
who, when I first came West, was a 
gay, rattling girl. She was one of the 
first converts of Brother George's seem- 
ingly obscure ministry in the little new 
town of Chillicothe. Now she has one 
son who is a judge of the Supreme 
Court, and another in business. Both 
she and they are not only Christians, 
but Christians of the primitive sort, 
whose religion is their all; who triumph 
and glory in tribulation, knowing that it 
worketh patience. 

She told me, with a bright, sweet 
calm, of her husband killed in battle the 
first year of the war, of her only 
daughter and two grandchildren dying 
in the faith, and of her own happy 
waiting on God's will, with bright hopes 
of a joyful reunion. Her sons are lead- 
ing members of the Presbyterian Church, 
and most active in stirring up others to 
make their profession a reality, not an 
empty name. 

When I thought that all this came 
from the conversion of one giddy girl, 
when .George seemed to be doing so lit- 
tle, I aaid, ••Who can measure the work 
of a faithful minister?" It is such liv- 
ing witnesses that maintain Christianity 
on the earth. 

2072. Every soul lias some one con- 
viction which may be used to bring him 
to the Lord. A young man. under re- 
ligious conviction, but in great mental 
bewilderment over problems of thought, 
most of which were unfamiliar to him 
and all of which were too vast for him. 
sought an interview with a minister, who 
asked him to state his difficulties. After 
listening to a list of things concerning 
which the visitor said. "I cannot believe 
these things," the pastor said: '•Well, 
what do you believe?" And with explo- 
sive emotion the quick answer leaped 
from his lips, as If he loved to say It: 
••I believe in God tremendously." With 
that one blessed divine conviction 
hooked deep into the vitals of his soul 
it ShonM have been possible with the 
aid of prayer to land him completely on 
broad and solid Christian faith; and so 
it was. — Kelly. 

2073. Dr. Chalmers was once at a 
nobleman's place in company with a 
Highland chief. The two were shown 



into adjoining rooms to sleep. While 
preparing for bed, the chief was pros- 
trated by apoplexy and soon died. Dr. 
Chalmers said, to the family, "Never in 
my life did I see or did I feel, before 
this moment, the meaning of the text. 
'Preach the word; be instant in season, 
out of season'. Had I known that my 
venerable old friend was within a few 
minutes of eternity, I would have 
preached unto him Christ Jesus and him 
crucified. You would have thought it 
out of season; but ah! it would have 
been in season both as it respected him 
and as it respects you." — Words and 
Weapons. 

207-1. In the African forests is found 
a bird called the ••honey guide." When 
it desires to feed upon some comb which 
it has discovered it makes its way to a 
human being, flutters about restlessly, 
and hops from bush to bush until it has 
succeeded in attracting the man's atten- 
tion, all the while uttering a shrill cry. 
The native who understands its habit- 
follows it. whereupon the honey guide 
goes ahead, always watching to see that 
the man is following. When the honey 
nest is reached the native attacks the 
store and takes what he wants of the 
comb. But when the man departs the 
honey guide immediately approaches 
the spot and helps itself to the residue of 
the nectar. The motive of the artful 
African bird may be selfish, but it serves 
a useful purpose in that queer, dark 
land, and its action, though not disin- 
terested, teaches this truth at least, that 
those who bring their fellows to the 
feasting place never themselves go away 
hungry, but may share in the drippings 
from the honey comb even if they leave 
to others the main meal. 

2075. Perchance, in heaven one day 
to me, 

Some precious saint may come and say: 
"All hail! Beloved! but for thee 
My soul to death had been a prey." 
\h then, what a blessing ill the thought! 
One soul to glory to have brought! 

2076. Dr. Louis Albert Banks, in 
"Heroic Personalities," gives a thrilling 
description of a battle royal for human 
souls, waged by a young minister, who 
had recently settled in the Ohio valley, 
in behalf of the most successful criminal 
lawyer of thai country. The young man 
wrote to one of his college friends: "lie 
has the reputation of being a hardened, 
sinful man. There is not tbe slightest 
evidence to show that he has a thought 
Of becoming a Christian, hut f feel that 
I must win him, and do It at once. You 
may think that I am foolish about this, 
and I am astonished at myself, hut. alter 
all, God Is as willing to save him as he 
Is to save any one else." 



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Soul Winning. 



This letter impressed the recipient 
very deeply. The holy audacity of the 
man amazed him, and he waited other 
developments with most prayerful in- 
terest. About ten days later he received 
a second letter which said: "I could 
stand it no longer, and so I have been to 
see the judge. I just opened my heart 
and told him all about it. I told him 
I could hardly sleep or eat on his ac- 
count, but was praying for him all the 
time. Everything I intended to say 
went out of my head, but I just blun- 
dered on, trying to tell him how much 
he owed the Lord, and what a great 
chance there was for him to change the 
whole community by swinging about 
and giving his heart to Christ. He was 
the most astonished-looking man I ever 
saw. He looked at me at first as you 
have seen a great St. Bernard dog look 
at a young puppy that runs up to him 
on the street. Still, he was not offended; 
he treated me kindly, and I believe God 
will give him to me yet." Three or four 
weeks later there came another letter 
which read: — "Thanks be to God who 
giveth us the victory through our Lord 

Jesus Christ. Judge sent for me 

to come and pray with him last night. 
He was under deep conviction, and was 
mourning over his sins. My joy is be- 
yond words. I can never again believe 
anything too hard for God." 

2077. In the midst of business, in the 
heat of the day, a driving business man, 
Deacon Dee, sat down a few moments 
to rest. As he sat there with his head 
downward bent in quiet thought, a busi- 
ness man of rougher mould and without 
the Christian faith, passed and addressed 
him: "Well, deacon, what are you think- 
ing about now; who you can cheat 
next?" The deacon responded: "Would 
you really like to know what I was 
thinking about?" "Yes," he said; "let's 
know". "Well", said the deacon, "I was 
thinking about my heavenly home." 
"Oh!" said the man, "how do you know 
there is any heavenly home? I think it 
it all a guess." "Because," responded 
the deacon, "Jesus said that his king- 
dom should extend over the face of the 
world; that it should be a universal 
kingdom; and I have watched it for 
forty years, and have seen it grow. 1 
have seen other kingdoms go down, but 
his kingdom, everywhere, increasing in 
interest and power." The man re- 
mained quiet a few moments, and then 
said: "I think you are right, deacon," 
and walked away. 

2078. A distinguished English writer 
tells how he watched an old fisherman 
land a remarkable catch, and afterward 
obtained his three rules for fishing: 



"First, keep yourself out of sight. Sec- 
ond, keep yourself further out of sight. 
Third, keep yourself still further out of 
sight." So the three things became one 
— keep yourself out of sight. How many 
men spoil their work just because they 
have not learned the lesson of Christian 
humility; they cannot keep themselves 
out of sight. The only way in which we 
can learn to keep out of sight is to cul- 
tivate such a passion for men as shall 
cause us to forget ourselves. 

2079. During a summer visit just after 
I had left school, a class of girls about 
my own age came to me a few times for 
an hour's singing. . . . Sometimes I ac- 
companied them afterwards down the 

'avenue; and whenever I met any of them 
I had smiles and plenty of kindly words 
for each. ... A few years afterwards 
I sat at the bedside of one of these 
girls. . . . She told me . . . how she 
used to linger in the avenue on those 
summer evenings, longing that I would 
speak to her about the Saviour. . . And 
I never did! And she went on . . . 
without the light and gladness which it 
might have been my privilege to bring 
to her life. God chose other means. . . 
But she said,- — and the words often ring 
in my ears when I am- tempted to let an 
opportunity slip, — "Ah, Miss F., I ought 
to have been yours!" — Francis R. Hav- 
ergal. 

2080. A crowd of soot-covered coal 
miners, women and children crowded 
around the foreman of the Clyde colliery 
at Hamilton, Scotland, and tried to per- 
suade him not to enter the shaft of the 
mine from which smoke was issuing in 
great volumes. "You'll not get one 
hundred feet before you'll be overcome," 
said one of the eight men who had es- 
caped from the burning mine after the 
fire started. "How many down there?" 
asked the foreman. "Who'll go with 
me after them?" A score or more of 
men volunteered. He chose twenty-five 
and entered the shaft' from which the 
smoke was rolling in masses that grew 
denser every moment. One, two, three 
hours passed. Suddenly the smoke 
ceased to pour from the mouth of the 
shaft. Then presently it came belching 
from another opening of the mine. A 
few minutes later the rescuers stum- 
bled out of the shaft, bearing in their 
arms their seven comrades, only one of 
whom was dead. Upon entering the 
mine they had lost their way. Groping 
about for three hours they had finally 
succeeded in diverting the smoke to an- 
other passage, and in this way succeeded 
in reaching the imprisoned miners, who 
had been overcome in a remote passage 
while trying to escape. We should be 
as zealous in rescuing souls. 



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Soul Winning. 



2081. He built a house, time laid it in 
the dust; 

He wrote a book, its title now forgot; 

He ruled a city, but its name is not 
On any tablet graven, or where rust 
Can gather from disuse, or marble bust; 

He took a child from out the wretched 
cot, 

Who on the State dishonor might have 
brought, 

And reared liini to the Christian's hope 
and trust. 

The boy, to manhood grown, became a 
light 

To many souls, preached for human need 
The wondrous love of the Omnipotent. 
The work has multiplied like stars at 
night 

When darkness- deepens; every noble 
deed 

Lasts longer than a granite monument. 

— Sarah K. Bolton. 

2082. A little Indian boy was ill of 
fever, tossing upon his comfortless husk \ 
pillow and moaning because of distress 
in his head. The missionary, Miss W., 
took a pillow, sent by an old lady in 
Pennsylvania in a "missionary box", she 
having pinned to it a card with the 
legend, "Freighted with Prayers", and 
carried it at once to the little sufferer, 
thinking to remove the hard one with- 
out his knowledge; but he aroused at 
once to a sense of comfort. He was 
then told that a kind friend had sent 
him her pillow because she loved Jesus, 
and loved him for Jesus' sake. He 
looked at his teacher inquiringly, then 
asked: "Is it the same Jesus of whom 
you have told me?" "Yes," replied his 
kind friend, "it is the only Jesus — the 
same Jesus." 

He said no more, but after his recov- 
ery, when he, with others, stood up in 
the little church to confess Christ as Ids 
Saviour, did he, or did only the angels 
know, which was the stronger leading, 
the instructions of his devoted teachers 
or that soft messenger of comfort, 
"freighted with prayers," on which the 
weary, aching head of the sick child 
had found rest — "because of the love of 
Jesus". 

2088. Mr. Moody told of a Judge In an 
Illinois town whom he tried (o lead (o 
Christ, and he seemed to fail; but the 
judge promised that when he came into 
the Kingdom, he would let Mr. Moody 
know, having no idea then that he would 
ever accept Christ. Years afterwards, 
they met in Xew York City. The old 
judge had come on purpose to see the 
evangelist. II<' said, "Mr. Moody, I am 
a man past sixty years of age. For 
three years I have been in the Kingdom 
and at work for Christ, and I have had 



more satisfaction in the three years 
than in all my life before put to- 
gether." 

2084. A friend of mine came to me 
with the request that I would go with 
him to see a man who was dying, but 
made me pledge myself that I would 
not speak with him the first time about 
religion. I went, under protest, and we 
talked with the poor fellow about every- 
thing in the world except his soul. My 
friend was to visit him the next day, 
and we were to call the second time and 
present Christ to him. We said good 
night to him. and even then the death 
pallor seemed to overspread his face. 
Early the next morning, my friend went 
to his house, rung the door-bell, and 
started up the stairs to his room, and 
the servant called him back, saying, 
"Why, didn't you know?" My friend 
said, "Know what?" "Why, lie died 
last night, half an hour after you were 
here." I can never forget the look on 
the man's face. "If God will forgive me," 
he said, "I will never be too late again", 
and so far as I know he never has been. 

2085. Our task in life is that of a 
sower of seed. Whatever vocation we 
may have chosen for ourselves or In 
whatever way our time and energies 
may be employed, we are sowers of seed. 
We should be conscious of that fact, and 
conscious also of the vital interests in- 
volved in it. 

2080. A certain deacon of the Stephen 
type, explaining his success in reaching 
young men. said; I never leave the sac- 
ramental table without this resolution, 
"When I come again to this place I will 
bring some one with me." He has not 
failed to bring at least one young man 
with him to the communion, in the pub- 
lic confession of Christ at any commun- 
ion service for some years. — George R. 
Leavitt, D. D. 

2087. One of the greatest reformers 
and master spirits of America was con- 
verted through the personal testimony 

of his father's hired man. He writes: 
"I used to get my father's hired man to 
tell me the story of his conversion over 
and over again, till he got tired of tell- 
ing it to me: and oh! how It sank Into 
my heart! That was my earliest Chris- 
tian awakening. As a buy, I bail every- 
thing I wanted — heritage, family. Influ- 
ence, adequate resources; but when I 
listened to that poor man sing his hymns 
of praise to God, and saw him wlpi- the 
tears of joy from his eyes, while he 
turned to me and told me what the Lord 
had done for his soul and what he ex- 
pected from God In the future life, I 
used to cry and wish that X were he with 
his poverty, and not myself with my 



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Soul Winning. 



riches. I believed him to be a Christian, 
and he was. From my experience with 
him, I have found out one thing, and 
that is this: that a real Christian man 
telling what Christ has done for his soul 
is to another man like the sound of the 
eternal world. — David Gregg. 

20S8. One condition of successful 
soul-winning- is a transfigured life. 
There must be more than the appear- 
ance of spirituality, there must be the 
beauty of holiness. A fervent piety that 
will melt hardened hearts is wanted. A 
fired heart and a holy life are better 
than the tongue of tne orator or the 
learning of the schoolmen. — Rev. C. H. 
Irvine. 

2089. A minister, preaching in a jail, 
was accompanied by a young man, not 
a Christian. The minister spoke so 
earnestly that his companion was much 
impressed. On their return, he said: 
"The men to whom you preached today 
must have been much moved; . . such 
preaching cannot fail to influence." 
"My dear friend," said the minister, 
"were you influenced? Were you im- 
pelled by my words today to choose God 
as your portion?" "You were not 
preaching to me, but to your convicts." 
"You mistake. I was preaching to you. 
You need the same Saviour. For all 
there is but one way of salvation. Just 
as much for you as for the poor prisoner 
was the message. Will you heed it?" 
He made the word personal to himself 
and was saved. 

2090. If you can't be a light-house, 
you can be a tallow candle. I remember 
when I was preaching in a log-house 
on the frontier, the announcement was 
made: "Mr. Moody will preach at early 
candle-light". As darkness grew over 
the road I would go to the old log 
school-house. I would get there first. 
An old woman would come in with one 
tallow dip, and she would set this on 
end. It didn't give much light; but if 
you had nothing else, you would be glad 
of a tallow candle. The next woman 
that would come would bring a light, 
and stick that up on the desk. The 
next woman would bring a lamp, and 
bring it out from under her shawl. 
Every one brought a light with her, and 
before long we had plenty of light. My 
friends, let every one of you bring your 
light. — Moody. 

2091. I was preaching in an Ohio city 

when I had one night pointed out to me 
in the audience one of the leading busi- 
ness men of the State. His ' wife sat 
with him, and between them their one 
little child. I never had more indifferent 
or inattentive auditors than the gentle- 
man and his wife; they paid no attention 



to either speaking or singing, but the lit- 
tle child scarcely took her eyes from me. 
The meeting closed and they went home; 
the child's heart had been touched. 
When she climbed up into her father's 
arms to say good-night she said to him: 
"Papa, I wish you would be a Chris- 
tian so that I could be one too." What 
the sermon and the song failed to do, 
the child accomplished. And before 
they slept that night both the father and 
the mother had yielded themselves to 
Christ. — Chapman. 

2092. A lady in India had a pet mina 
bird of beautiful plumage and sweet 
song, that lived in a cage in her sitting- 
room, and was very good company. At 
length she thought it so tame and so 
attached to her that she could trust it to 
come out of the cage and fly about the 
room. Her husband said one day, 
"Have you noticed an ugly bird that sits 
daily in a tree near the veranda? I 
think it must be a bird of prey watch- 
ing for your mina bird." The wife re- 
plied gaily, "Then it will be disappoint- 
ed." But as no harm came she grew 
careless, and one day the mina bird ven- 
tured out, only to fall instantly a prey 
to the enemy that had watched so long 
for an opportunity to devour it. How 
vividly the story pictures the tragedy, 
worse than death, that has come to 
many. "He that winneth souls is wise." 
— Crafts. 

2093. Delegated Christian work, like 
second-handed charity, may do great 
good, but it does not fulfill our obliga- 
tions to the sinful. The trouble with a 
large body of Christian people is that 
'they seem disposed to let out the job of 
saving the lost on contract. It is a much 
greater task to speak to a sinner about 
his sins than to pay somebody else to do 
it. This arises in many cases from tim- 
idity and self-depreciation, but oftener 
from a lack of real Christian sympathy 
for the lost. The world will never be 
converted by proxy. — Rev. C. H. Zim- 
merman. 

2094. Mirabeau, born with as ugly a 
countenance as possible, victim of count- 
less vices, and ruined by them in the 
end, was a man of charming geniality 
when he wished to be. Men were fas- 
cinated by his engaging deportment and 
eloquent tongue. The secret was a real 
love for mankind, which was the 
groundwork of his character. He truth- 
fully exclaimed, in terrible agony, "Oh, 
that I had been a correct man! for if I 
had been I could now save France." 

2095. At a prayermeeting held in 
New Jersey, some cultured ladies were 
very much troubled by the prayer of a 
woman who seemed greatly concerned 
for her husband. Her manner, tones 



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Missions. 



and words combined to give the idea of 
extravagant emotion. Among other 
seemingly wild expressions, this woman 
made use of this one: "I believe he is 
losing his last chance." The next week 
these ladies met a gentleman who had 
attended the meeting and to whom they 
had criticised the prayer. They said 
that they wanted to retract their state- 
ments for the previous day the man 
whose wife had felt that he was "losing 
his last chance," had taken his own life, 
and was now about to be carried to the 
grave of a suicide. 

2096. A wounded Japanese soldier, 
while in the hospital, was converted to 
Christ. He labored faithfully with some 
of his comrades in the hospital, and af- 
terward was heard to say, "I must— go 
borne soon and get the people of my vil- 
lage to believe." A suggestion was made 
to him that it might be well for him to 
wait awhile before going home, till he 
was better instructed in Christian doc- 
trine.. The suggestion astonished him, 
and he replied simply: "It will never do 
for me to believe this alone: I must tell 
them." — The Missionary Herald. 

209". "For you must know, Mr. Lewis, 
it is a rule in our Church that when one 
brother has been converted he must go 
and fetch another brother; and when a 
sister has been converted, she must go 
and fetch another sister. That is the 
way 120 of us have been brought from 
Atheism and from Popery to simple 
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ." This 
is part of a report of a brief interview 
held between a converted French rail- 
way engineer, a member of one of the 
Baptist churches of Paris, and an Eng- 
lish minister, who fell into conversa- 
tion with him while standing at a sta- 
ton. What a delightful revival of the 
primitive method of evangelizing the 
world is here revealed. 

2098. A venturesome Alpine climber, 
seeking a shorter path, quits his guide 
and sallies <>IT to be a guide unto him- 
self. A snow-drift lies across his path, 
soft as eider-down, and with headlong 
haste he plunges into it. In an instant 
he disappears from view, and the ring 
of Icicles in the depths of the cre- 
vasse is the last sound that strikes upon 
his ears as he plunges, mangled and 
senseless, into tin- ice-cavern that yawns 
to receive him. When consciousness 
returns he is just alive, and that is all. 
It Is Impossible to Climb up the perpen- 
dicular \>aii of the crevasse, If he re- 
mains where he Is he will soon freeze to 
death in this awful sepulcher. As he 
listens for some sound, he faintly hears 
the musical tinkle of dripping water, and 
as he creeps slowly toward it he hears n 
running stream. It is pitch dark; but 



he gropes his way through the channel 
of the stream until he discovers a slight 
gleam of light on the ice walls of the 
aperture before him. -Onward he strug- 
gles, until at last he emerges at the 
base of the glacier into sunshine and 
safety! How ready he is to warn others 
from that treacherous crevasse. And 
when he again climbs such dangerous 
heights, how careful he is to have a 
trusty guide! Saved himself from the 
jaws of death he tries to save others 
from a course as rash and reckless as 
that which has cost him so dearly. — Dr. 
Cuyler. 

Missions. (2099-2184) 

2099. There is no land on which the 
sun rises where the foot of the mission- 
ary has not trod. There is no tribe, 
however fierce, or however depraved, his 
hand has not handled. There is no 
tongue, however barbaric, he has not 
tried to speak. There are great primary 
human passions that are strong and in- 
vincible. There is the passion of greed. 
Tempted by it, a man will stay at home 
and assume a thousand disguises. He 
will clothe the meanest selfishness in 
the most magnificent patriotism. He 
will dress the hardest and least human 
spirit in generous philanthropy. He will 
try and speak large things about em- 
pire and about civilization, when he 
means only his own love of gold and 
contempt of men. Or he will go abroad 
— and there is no point where greed has 
not made men go. Amid the Arctic snows 
and tropic heats it has made him live. 
On poisonous coasts and up fever-haunt- 
ed rivers and in dismal jungles, he has 
dwelt, that he may indulge his love of 
gain, and come back with his gold mul- 
tiplied a thousand fold. But greater 
than passion or greed stands the enthu- 
siasm for humanity. The missionary has 
gone before the trader ;ind beyond tin- 
trader, and wherever he has gone he has 
been inspired with a new hopefulness 
for men. He has kept the sense of duty 
living tit home. he has carried light 
into dark places, and he has made us 
feel that precious in the Sight of God, 
and precious in the -iyht of men. Is IIhiI 

great Immortal soul Christ died to 
redeem. — Principal 1'airbalrn, D. D. 

2100. A church in Ohio was ready to 

disband when someone proposed thej 
support a missionary. Today that church 
la one of the best in Ohio. A church in 
Pennsylvania with less than forty mem- 
bers |KKir in resources, started out by 
Kivlng $118.00 to missions. In two years 
they had three hundred members and 
had greatly Increased their pastors 
salary. .Many a Christian has been 
prospered, Just as he has made Christ's 



The Christian Life. — 302 — Missions. 



kingdom a sharer in his income. "We do 

not give to get back, but when we give 
out of love to Christ, he blesses us, in 
heart, in joy, in character, and often in 
our basket and store. 

2101. Every once in a while I hear 
someone growl against foreign missions, 

because the money and the strength put 
into them are needed at home. I did it 
myself when I did not know better. 
God forgive me. I know better now: 
and I will tell you how I found out. I 
became interested in a strong religious 
awakening in my own city of Copenha- 
gen, and I set about investigating it. It 
was then that I learned what others had 
learned before me, and what was the 
fact there, that for every dollar you give 
away to convert the heathen abroad, 
God gives you ten dollars' worth of pur- 
pose to deal with your heathen at home. 
■ — rJacob Riis. 

2102. The following figures show the 
progress of missions in Central Africa in 
the past thirty years. In Central Africa 
there are now 100 native pastors 2,000 
churches and schools, 60,000 converts, 
and 300,000 native children in Christian 
schools. In Uganda there are 1,000 
places of worship, including one cathe- 
dral seating 4,000 people. Yet it is 
but a -few years since Henry M. Stanley 
made his appeal for one missionary for 
Central Africa. 

2103. At the beginning of the 19th 
century there was a large stone in Tahiti, 
red with the blood of slain children. 
Years ago it was hollowed out and is 
now used as a baptismal font in a 
Christian church. 

2104. It was Dr. John Hall, I think, 

that spoke that sensible sarcasm about 
the supreme sympathetic value of a tear 
in the eye — of a committee. A man must 
be in personal touch with missionary 
work, or it will mean little or nothing 
to him. It cannot be entirely deputed 
to boards, secretaries, and committees. 

2105. "How can a weakened church 
best become virile and vigorous?" "Let 
it double and quadruple its sacrifices 
for the benefit of the distant heathen." — 

Samuel Miller, D. D. 

2106. A Chinaman wheeled his moth- 
er 1000 miles in a wheelbarrow to have 
her treated for a cataract at a medical 
mission. 

2107. Judson, with work pressing in 
Burmah, and without sufficient funds, 
wrote in an agony to his fellow Chris- 
tians in the United States; "I thought 
they loved me, and they would scarce 
have known it if I had died: I thought 
they were praying for us; and they have 
never once thought of us. 



2108. The two greatest missionary 
documents are the Lord's Prayer and 
the parable of the Prodigal Son. If you 

have ever read the parable of the Prod- 
igal Son as the agony of a bereaved 
father's heart you will find that mis- 
sions are placed in the very heart of our 
God and Father whose name we bear. 
And if you have ever said, "Our Fath- 
er," you have felt the call and passion 
of brotherhood that runs through the 
whole of the missionary movement. It 
is there that Jesus laid the foundation 
of all this missionary enterprise. — Prof. 
O. E. Brown. 

2109. When the first American mis- 
sionaries reached India, the English 
government refused them a landing. 

"Go back," was the imperious order; 
"go back in the ship in which you came." 
In the General Assembly of the Church 
of Scotland, when it was first proposed 
to send the Gospel to the heathen, rev- 
erend gentlemen declared against the 
scheme. But a century has passed since 
that time; yet now all Christendom 
rings with gratulation over the achieve- 
ments of Christian missions; and no 
other class of men are so reverently can- 
onized in the affections of the Church 
as her missionaries to the heathen world. 
— Prof. Austin Phelps. 

2110. On many occasions the Rajah 
of Charaba, says Dr. Hutchieson, has 
given evidence of his good will toward 
the mission, and when the time came for 
a new church to be built, Dr. Hutchie- 
son sent his highness full particulars 
of the proposed building. In less than 
twenty-four hours the rajah replied, 
asking to be allowed to bear, the entire 
cost of the building of the church for 
Christian subjects. "If an Indian prince 
could show such kindness," says the 
doctor, "what is our duty, who owe all 
we have to Christ?" 

2111. It was on a rainy night in Bos- 
ton, in the year 182 3, that a young Bap- 
tist minister, who had spent weeks in 
the preparation of a missionary sermon, 
came into the church to preach it to a 
'disappointing little gathering. And he 
preached his sermon on "The Moral 
Dignity of the Missionary Enterprise", 
and went away that night much dis- 
heartened, because he thought that all 
his labor had been spent in vain. Row- 
land Hill read that sermon, and he said, 
"The man who wrote that sermon has 
in him the power to do great things." 
The trustees of Brown University heard 
of that sermon, and they thought the 
young man was the man to take hold of 
the work they wanted done, and Way- 
land began his mighty service. "The 
moral dignity of the missionary enter- 
prise'" — there is nothing like it. There 



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— 303 — 



Missions. 



is no other enterprise in life that can 
compare with it. — Northfield Echoes. 

2112. A missionary of the Church of 
England Zenana Missionary Society tells 
of a native lady in India who was or- 
dered by her father to repeat the Mo- 
hammedan confession of faith. She 
refused although a hot iron was pressed 
upon her bare foot as a persuasive. "I 
cannot," she said. "You will not," thun- 
dered her angry father, and with that 
he heated the iron in the fire again. 
Pressing the hot iron upon the other 
foot, he triumphantly shouted, "Nov." 
you will!" The brave woman, white to 
the lips from pain, answered, "No, I 
cannot, for I am a Christian." A con- 
clusive answer. Cut let us envy the 
sturdiness back of it. 

2113. The missionaries go as volun- 
tary exiles from home and church, from 
all the social connections, from all the 
literary surroundings, which are as dear 
and delightful to them as to you and me. 
They go out for an isolated work, seem- 
ingly dreary and desolate, as those tar- 
rying behind look upon it. And yet 
they are full of gladness and of triumph, 
from the beginning onward. They are 
the most self-sacrificing, as we say, of 
the disciples of the Master, and also the 
most full of jubilant rejoicing and of tri- 
umphant courage. — Dr. R. S. Storrs. 

2111. "Well, I have God, and his word 
Is Mire; and though the superstitions of 
the heathen were a million times worse 
than they are, if I were deserted by all, 
ami persecuted by all, yet my hope, fixed 
on that word, Mill rise superior to all 
obstructions, and triumph, and I shall 
come out of all trials as gold purified by 
fire." Thus wrote the heroic Carey 
when discouraging circumstances pressed 
thickly upon him. 

2115. But the greater blessing of giv- 
ing to missions consists in the larger 
man. for in giving he has dethroned 
selfishness and made his heart a more 
lit dwelling-place for the Holy Spirit. 
A man riding along the street dropped 
a Quarter into the outstretched hand of 
a beggar woman, but as he rode away 
he began to repent his good deed, say- 
ing: "How do I know that the woman 
Is worthy? She may take that money 
and spend It on drink;" and he rode 
back and asked the woman to return 
the money; the astonished woman did 
so. and was more astonished to receive a 
five-dollar bill. As the man rode away 
a second time he was heard to murmur: 
'•There, sell'. I guess you wish yon bad 
kept quiet." I know of no better wa> to 
down the selfish man in all of 08 than 
hearty, systematic, and prayerful K^inu 
to missions. — Missionary Review. 



2116. Mrs. Maud Balling-ton Booth 
once wrote an article on "Child Life in 
the Slums." One morning she received 
a letter from India, telling how that 
article had been read to a group of Hin- 
dus, and their hearts were so touched 
by the story of suffering and sorrow 
that they subscribed and sent to her 
twelve dollars for her work among out- 
east babies. 

211". A Greek woman employed in 
the American Hospital in Cesarea. Tur- 
key, was stirred by a revival. She 

straightway asked leave to visit a woman 
whom she had injured and to whom she 
had not spoken for ten years. When she 
trudged through the snow three or 
four miles to ask her "enemy's" forgive- 
ness, her relatives were sure she had 
gone daft. But the next day, when she 
came back to the hospital, she said, "We 
made peace, and the stone in my heart 
is gone." 

2118. There are about 300.000 Mor- 
mons in America. They are found chief- 
ly in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, 
and Colorado. They call themselves 
Latter Day Saints, and all persons who 
are not Mormons they call Gentiles. 
Mission work among them is done main- 
ly through day schools and Sunday- 
schools. Another phase of the work is 
furnishing schools for those people in 
Utah and Idaho who are not Mormons, 

• and who do not wish to send their chil- 
dren to Mormon schools. The Mormons 
send out great numbers of missionaries, 
not only in the United States, but also in 
other countries, as far East as Turkey. 

2119. A missionary recently -aid: 

the interior of Laos I saw shops with 
long rows of bottles labeled 'Scotch 
Whiskey.' 'French Brandy, 1 and Austra- 
lian Beer.' In liangkok I read the 
English sign, 'Place for drinking of the 
delightful juice.' Near the Silliman In- 
stitute, where we are teaching Filipino 
boys, there is a building bearing the 
infamous inscription, 'American Saloon." 
That was a great day on which Congress 
passed the law 'forbidding any Ameri- 
can to sell intoxicants, opium or fire- 
arms in any islands of the Pacific not 
governed by a civilized power. 1 Why in 
Islands why Is it not wrong and pre- 
ventable to debauch the Pacific Con- 
tinentals? Why should the streams 
of Influence pouring into Asia and Afri- 
ca from Christian nations be polluted 
by slime from the pit?" 

2120. The most dramatic scene of ti e 
llilo revival was on the lirst Sabbath 
c.r July. 1H3S. On this day Dr. loan 
bapti/cd 1,108 persons and received 
them into the communion of tin- church. 

I Until this time comparatively few of the 



The Christian Life. 



— 304 — 



Missions. 



converts had been admitted to the priv- 
ileges of church membership. Lists of 
inquirers were kept, and they were 
watched over and instructed with all 
possible care. Dr. Coan says "they 
were sifted and resifted with scrutiny, 
and with every effort to take the pre- 
cious from the vile. The church and 
the world, friends and enemies, were 
called upon and solemnly charged to 
testify without concealment or pallia- 
tion, if they knew aught against any of 
the candidates." From a list of more 
than 3,000 candidates so tested, 1,705 
of the best prepared were selected as the 
first class to receive baptism. They were 
assembled in the great native church in 
divisions, according to the villages and 
districts to which they belonged. Every 
name was called and checked off, that 
there might be no omissions or mis- 
takes. When all was prepared, Dr. 
Coan passed along the lines, sprinkling 
the brow of each individual with water, 
and then, standing in the center of the 
great assembly, solemnly pronounced the 
words, "I baptize you all into the name 
of the Father, and of the Son, and of 
the Holy Ghost. Amen." By the close 
of the year 1839, Dr. Coan had received 
more than 5,000 members into the Hilo 
Church. 

2121. - The foreign travelers and resi- 
dents of the South Sea Islands, who write 
with such hostility of missions there, are 
men who find the missionary to be an 
obstacle to the accomplishment of their 
evil purposes. — Charles Darwin. 

2122. The strength of missions has 

been found, by prolonged and most var- 
ied experience, to consist of these three 
things: The belief in the necessity of the 
New Birth, the belief in the necessity of 
the Atonement, the belief in the neces- 
sity of Repentance in this life." — Joseph 
Cook. 

2123. A confirmed opium user said: 

"I will go down to Amoy and try to 
retrieve my fortunes." Fancy an opium 
smoker going to retrieve his fortune, 
with no God, no great principle in him 
to help him day or night. He came into 
the neighborhood of one of our church- 
es: he heard the Gospel, and in a month 
he was cured and his first impulse was, 
"I must preach; I must go to my fam- 
ily in my village, and tell them about 
this wondrous Gospel that has changed 
me." Men said to him, "You have not 
made your fortune: where is the money 
to buy back your acres?" But he said, 
"I want no fortune, I have God; I have 
Christ; I have this wondrous Gospel; 
and I want no more." He went back 
and preached and today there are in 
that region eleven churches and seven 
mission stations. Ten of those churches 



are self-supporting. — Rev. J. Mac- 
Gowan. 

2124. General Howard said that it 
costs $100 to fire a twelve-inch gun, 

but nobody complained when several 
hundred thousand dollars' worth of am- 
munition was hurled against the Span- 
ish earth-works with comparatively lit- 
tle result. On Thanksgiving Day we eat 
$14,000,000 worth of turkeys, and in a 
year we pay for poultry and eggs $560,- 
000,000, but no one objects. The money 
which one of our largest denominations 
puts into foreign missions for an entire 
year would not build a third-class war 
vessel. It would not run a metropolitan 
daily newspaper six months. If we 
ungrudgingly pay such prices for other 
things, how much ought we to pay for 
souls? — Rev. A. J. Brown. 

2125. Missionaries went to Greenland, 
and labored ten years trying to civilize 
natives without the Gospel, but met with 
no success. But when they turned to it, 
and tried it, they succeeded rapidly. 

2126. Bear Christ to the heathen, and 
you will be borne by Christ, uplifted, 
strengthened, and divinely impelled in 
your work. Hence, observe the divine 
order: not, "Ye shall be ,witnesses unto 
me," as in our common version, but, 
"Ye shall be my witnesses." We are not 
to stand in the world, and testify to 
Christ, but stand in Christ, and testify 
to the world. . . . Not philanthropy, the 
love of man, but philo-Christy, the love 
of Christ, constitutes the greatest mis- 
sionary motive. — A. J. Gordon, D. D. 

2127. The population of the world is 
computed at 1,550,000,000, so that the 
Christians form slightly more than one- 
third of the whole; and there are still a 
thousand million souls outside the Chris- 
tian religion. Within the English em- 
pire there are 400,000,000 people, of 
whom less than a quarter are listed as 
Christians. Truly the fields are white 
and ready for the harvest. 

2128. One day a missionary was 
preaching in the city of Benares. The 

large crowd was civil and attentive. At 
length a Brahman said: "Look at those 
men and see what they are doing." 
"They are preaching to us", replied the 
people. "True. What has the sahib in 
his hand?" "The New Testament." 
"Yes the New Testament. But what is 
that? I will tell you. It is the Gospel 
ax, into which a European handle has 
been put. If you come today you will 
find them cutting; if you come tomor- 
row you will find them doing the same. 
And at what are they cutting? At our 
noble tree of Hinduism — at our religion. 
It has taken thousands of years for the 
tree to take root in the soil of Hinduism; 



The Christian Life. 



— 305 — 



Missions. 



its branches spread all over India; it is 
a noble, glorious tree. But these men 
come daily with the Gospel ax in their 
hand; they look at the tree and the tree 
looks at them. But it is helpless. The 
Gospel ax is applied daily, and, although 
the tree is large and strong, it must 
give way at last. Xo sooner does a han- 
dle find it can no longer swing this ax 
then it says: 'What am I doing now? I 
am getting worn out; I can no longer 
swing the ax; am I to give up cutting? 
No, indeed!' He walks up to the tree, 
looks at it, and says: "But here Is a fine 
branch of which a handle might be 
made'. Up goes the ax, down comes the 
branch; it is soon shaped into a handle; 
the European handle is taken out. and 
the native handle put in, and the swing- 
ing commences afresh. At last the tree 
will be cut down by handles made of 
it- own branches." 

2129. Her Majesty the Qneen visited 
the metropolis in 1812. Scarcely had 
the twilight darkened into night, when, 
from every hill surrounding that most 
magnificent of cities, there seemed to 
rise simultaneously a crest of fire. Each 
mountaineer lifted up in his hand a 
torch; and from Berwick to Fife and 
Fife to Sterling, the great frith was at 
once illuminated. It was a witness, it 
was a token to the land that its sov- 
ereign was near Thus, when the Gospel 
beacons from California to Japan are 
fully lit. it will be a witness, a token to 
the earth, that the end i- approaching. 
Our part, meanwhile, is surely to go for- 
ward, and light up from land to land 
the signals of this great and blessed ad- 
vent. — Dr. George Gilfillan. 

21:50. A medical missionary was sum- 
moned to a Zenana. One of the Prince's 
wives refused to take the medicine pre- 
scribed. The missionary writes: "Sit- 
ting down on the ground by the side of 
my patient, I take her little emaciated 
hand between my two large palms; with 
low-pitched voice I begin talking to 
her. I tell her about my home in 
America, and my family and friends 
there; I tell her about the I^ord .Je-u- 
Christ and his love for her and for me; 
how he left his home in heaven to come 
to earth to suffer and die for our sakes. 
I assured her of my love for her, my 
great interest in her, my sympathy for 
her in her sufferings, and my desire to 
help her. She weeps so much that I 
feel obliged to discontinue my talk lest 
she injure herself. When finally she Is 
calm again I ask her why she did not 
take my medicine, and why she refused 
the nourishment which T had prescribed. 
At this question sin- puts her little ema- 
ciated hands together in a respectful 
salaam and says, while her voice trcm- 
20 Prnc III. 



bles with emotion: 'O doctor Sahiba, do 
not ask me to take your medicine: Do 
not ask me to take the nourishment! If 
I take your English medicine, and I take 
the food which you have prescribed for 
me, I shall get well; and O, I do not 
wish to get well! O, don't — please don't 
— ask me to take it.' " — Missionary Com- 
ments. 

2131. A missionary of the A. B. C. F. 
M. reports that one of the chief obstac- 
les to his efficiency at Beira, Portuguese 
East Africa, is — not fever, but the liquor, 
trade. Rum is sold to natives without 
conscience and without limit. 

2132. In Chinese Characteristics. Dr. 
Smith, analyzing the Chinese character, 
shows the lack of any connection be- 
tween their religious worship and daily 
living. "While it is true that the teach- 
ing of Confucius on human duty is won- 
derful and admirable, yet, on the other 
hand, we learn that if the Chinese ever 
did recognize the true God. that knowl- 
edge has certainly been most effectually 
lost. All the gods of China may be said 
to have been dead men, and by the rile 
of ancestral worship it may be affirmed 
that in a sense all the dead men of China 
are gods. To 'reverence the gods, but 
to keep at a safe distance from them' 
was the advice of Confucius. While 
there may be exceptional instances, 
there is no hesitation in affirming that 
the absence of sincerity ainoiin the 
Chinese i" their relation- to one another, 
applies with even greater force to their 
worship. A Chinese is anxious to take 
advantage of the man with whom he 
makes a bargain, and he is not less 
anxious to take advantage, if he can, of 
the god with whom he makes a bargain, 
or the god to whom he prays." Dr. Smith 
quotes Sir Thomas Wade, who says, 
"If religion Is -aid to mean more than 
mere ethics, I deny that the Chinese 
have a religion". Further on the author 
quotes an eminent Chinese scholar who 

says, "Confucianism recognizes n<> re- 
lation to a living god." While not wholly 
agreeing with either author. Dr. Smith 
adds: "Oil a's absolute Indifference to 
the profoundesl spiritual truths in the 

nature of man. is the most melancholy 
characteristic of the Chinese mind. 

2133. The chief difficulty that we en- 
counter with our pupils, says a teacher 
in a Chinese mi— ion of t'hicago. is the 
fact that they are SO well versed In Coii- 
fucianiMn. I recall a case of recent oc- 
currence, and there have been others 
like it, in which one of my pupils for a 
long time answered all my arguments 
and persuasions by saying, "Confucius 
tell allee same." Finally, and after more 
than a year of arguing, all without any 
apparent effect; he said to me one day: 



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Missions. 



"Confucius tell allee same about this 
life. No tell about other life." A little 
later he told me he was ready to be 
baptized. 

2134. Christianity must precede civil- 
ization. The great Empire of China will 
not receive and keep your locomotives 
and telegraphs until she has bowed the 
knee to your -Christ. — Ex-President An- 
gell. 

2135. In China 400 millions worship 
idols. The cost is not less than one hun- 
dred millions per year and in ten years 
one billion of dollars. Look at some 
more facts. Idolatry is sheer delusion. 
It is one of the devil's masterpieces. Go 
into one of the 500 temples in Canton 
and see the hundreds of women sleep- 
ing on the floor in order to gain early the 
favor of the' dirt-begrimed caricature of 
humanity which they are eager to wor- 
ship. Why are they there? Because 
they believe that the dirty wooden idol 
has power to relieve their sorrows and 
give them offspring. Go into the new 
temple just built across the Pearl River 
at a cost of $100,000 and see the tens of 
thousands of gilded boards presented 
by women to the little black idol as 
thank offerings for blessings received. 
Thousands of these women live on the 
coarsest food, that they may be able to 
pay their vows to these lying idols. Mil- 
lions of women and little children walk 
long distances to reach these temples. 
Now keep in mind that all this cost in 
time, strength and money is for an ab- 
solute delusion. The hungry man who 
pursues a mirage in a trackless desert, 
in the belief that he sees water and food, 
is not under a deeper delusion than 
these deceived worshippers that pros- 
trate themselves before a stone block to 
satisfy the hunger of the soul. — Rev. A. 
A. Fulton, Westminster. 

2136. After a missionary meeting in 
Brighton, England, a poor widow of the 

parish presented herself before the pas- 
tor and gave him a sovereign. He knew 
the poor woman's great poverty, and ac- 
cordingly refused to accept the coin, re- 
marking at the same time that it was 
too much for her to give. The widow 
seemed disconcerted and afflicted, and 
with the irresistible eloquence of an 
overflowing heart, she begged him to ac- 
cept it. "Oh, sir," added she, "I have 
often given pieces of copper to the Lord. 
Two or three times I have had the joy 
to give him pieces of silver; but it was 
the grand desire of my life to give him a 
piece of gold before I die. For a long 
time I have been putting by all that I 
was able, to make this sum. Take it, I 
pray you, for the missionary cause." 
The minister did not refuse further. He 



added to the collection this precious of- 
fering of a loving heart. 

2137. The reflex influence of the 
knowledge of and interest in missions 
through the Holy Spirit is strikingly 
shown in a letter which Phillips Brooks 
wrote from North Andover, in July, 
1888, to the Rev. A. A. Lefroy, a mem- 
ber of the Cambridge Mission at Delhi, 
India. Mr. Brooks says: "We are neither 
impatient nor reluctant at the thought 
of the day when we shall have finished 
here and go to higher work. But dear 
me, what right have I to say all this to 
you, who know it so much better, who 
are putting it so constantly and richly 
into your life and work? I grow 
stronger for Boston when I think of 
Delhi." 

2138. A gentleman high in commer- 
cial circles in a Western city, was relat- 
ing some of his experiences to a group 
of friends. "I think," said he, "the most 
singular thing that ever happened to me 
was in Hawaii. My father was a mis- 
sionary in those islands, and I was born 
there. I came away at an early age, 
however, and most of my life has been 
spent in this country; but when I was a 
young man — and rather a wild young 
man — I went back there on a visit. The 
first thing I did was to drink more than 
I should have done. While I was in this 
condition an old man, a native, persuad- 
ed me to go home with him. He took 
me into his house, bathed my head, gave 
me some coffee, and talked soothingly 
and kindly to me. 'Old man,' I said, 
'what are you doing all this to me for?' 
Well,' he answered, 'I'll tell you. The 
best friend I ever had was a white man, 
an American. I was a poor drunkard. 
He made a man of me, and, I hope, a 
Christian. All I am, or ever hope to be, 
I owe to him. Whenever I see an Amer- 
ican in your condition, I feel like doing 
all I can for him, on account of what 
that man did for me.' What is the 
name of the man?' I asked him. 'Mr. 

B , a missionary.' 'God help me,' 

I said, 'He was my father.' 

"Gentlemen, that sobered me — and, I 
hope, made a man of me. It is certain 
that whatever I am today I owe to that 
poor old Sandwich Islander." — Cook's 
Weekly. 

2139. When the mother of Professor 
Drummond met a young friend who had 
offered his services as a missionary, but 
was declined, and was obliged to take a 
position in a commercial house in a for- 
eign land, she suggested: "My dear boy, 
you can be a merchant missionary." In 
like manner Commodore Perry, when 
introduced to a foreign missionary in 
Japan, added, "I also am a missionary." 

2140. King Andereya, of Bunyoro, 



The Christian Life. — 307 — Missions. 



(Uganda Protectorate), wrote to his 
former teacher (of the Church Mission- 
ary Society) as follows: "I am writing to 
tell you that I send you an offering to 
God for his Church, that is 100 rupees. 
For to-day I have come into possession 
of my portion of the yearly taxes. Who 
is it that has given me greatness and 
glory and riches, all to be possessed by 
me? Oh, my father, it is well that you 
should pray for me without ceasing, that 
he may grant me wisdom to walk ever in 
his path of righteousness, and that I 
may ever fear and love him. I praise 
him much that he has given me today 
these tokens. Farewell, my father." 

2141. Africa is coming to be belted 
with brickyards out of whose product 
houses, churches, schools, and all the 
structures of civilization are built. The 
artisans who built the splendid edifice of 
the Free Church of Scotland at Blantyre, 
were natives whose fathers had never 
seen a white man. It is the genius of 
the religion to civilize where it touches. 
— Cyrus C. Adams. 

24 12. By an eternal law, home work 
and foreign work nourish or decay to- 
gether. Contributions to home work 
have never been diminished because the 
work of the church abroad has taken its 
proper place in our parochial organiza- 
tions. On the contrary, they will grow 
and increase, for foreign work acts and 
re-acts on the home work. Schools. Bi- 
bles, classes, services in church, are all 
stronger, brighter, healthier In propor- 
tion as the duty to preach the Gospel 
lo the heathen is recognized. 

■1 1 13. The memorial lablct of Dr. Ged- 
die, at Aneitium (New Hebrides) bears 
the words: "When he landed in 1848, 
there were no Christians here; when he 
left in 1872, there were no heathen." 

2111. "Whether the savages spare me 
or kill inc. I will land among them: I 
am in his hand" — the words of a native 
worker who leaped into the sea to go to 
a cannibal island. 

21 15. That the blood of the martyrs 
i- the seed of the church finds new illus- 
tration in China since the attempt at the 
extermination of the Chinese Christians 
by the Boxers. For example, the China 
Inland Mission showed, in Its annual re- 
port for 190", that in the thirty years 
which preceded 1900, the Boxer year, 
some 13,000 converts were baptized and 
some 15,000 in the seven years after that 
time of martyrdom. And the best of it 
is that the Christian Church Is far more 
Chinese and self-determined now than it 
has ever been. 

21 Mi. There Is a small temple on (he 

roadside near Peking in which there Is 
no idol apparently but only a log of 



wood such as is usually sawed into 
planks for building purposes. How- 
came it there and why is it worshiped? 
Some years ago this log was being 
hauled into Peking by a number of 
mules. When this piece of timber 
reached the spot it stuck fast and ab- 
solutely refused to move another inch. 
Thereupon some of China's "wise men" 
were consulted. They looked into the 
case and solemnly declared that the log 
of wood had become possessed by some 
spirit, and that the wisest plan would be 
to build a temple over it and henceforth 
to worship the log. They did so, and 
now two or three priests live upon the 
offerings presented at this singular 
shrine. 

2147. America, through the American 
Board, expended in fifty years $1,250,000 
to evangelize Hawaii, and during that 
time received about $4,000,000 a year in 
trade. England's missions are said to 
bring back $50 in trade for every $5 
given to convert the heathen. — Gen. 
Armstrong. 

2448. Missions' reflex influence: When 
societies began to send missionaries out 
into the world; when they were willing 
to give their property, and to send their 
sons and daughters abroad in all the 
world to take care of the vulgar and poor 
and miserable; then there sprang up a 
large beneficence, and a consideration of 
the wants of the working-man and the 
poor man, out of which has come that 
literature which is but a twilight of the 
Gospel. — Beecher. 

2119. Some years ago a missionary, 
just returned from Africa, and a native 
worker, were traveling by rail in Eng- 
land. The former fell into conversa- 
tion with another passenger, who, in the 
course of his remarks sneered at mis- 
sion work. He said: "What are the 
missionaries doing abroad? We do not 
hear about their movements. We pay 
them pretty well, but hear nothing of 
them. I suppose they are sitting down 
quietly and making themselves com- 
fortable." The native worker, who had 
quietly listened to the conversation, 
asked his companion to permit him to 
give the answer. "Sir," he said, "allow 
me to present myself to you as a result 
of the labor of the missionaries whose 
work you have been depreciating. I 
am an African, and this man Is the 
means of my having become a Christian 
and my coming to this country in the 
capacity of a Christian minister." The 
objector was silenced. The black man 
was the noted Bishop Crowllier. who. 
from a wretched slaveboy. had risen to a 
position of great usefulness In the 
church. 



The Christian Life. 



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Missions. 



2150. Seventeen years after Carey 
translated the New Testament into Ben- 
gali there were found several distant 
villages of Hindoo-born peasants, who 
had given up idol-worship, were re- 
nowned for their truthfulness, and as 
searching for a true teacher come from 
God. They traced their new faith to a 
much worn book kept in a wooden box 
in one of the villages. No one could 
say whence it had come; all they knew 
was that they had possessed it for many 
years. It proved to be Carey's transla- 
tion of the New Testament. — Mackenzie. 

2151. "For three years I was prac- 
tically alone in Central Africa, at work 
with a tribe that had never seen a mis- 
sionary before and whose language I 
was trying to learn, so that I could tell 
the Gospel story to them. During all that 
time I had been listening and praying, 
to hear some word which would express 
the idea of 'Saviour,' but I never heard 
it, and I was almost in despair. On 
Christmas Eve I was sitting at a camp 
fire, thinking of home. Suddenly into 
my reverie came the guttural talk of 
the natives. One of them was telling 
how he escaped from the jaws of a 
crocodile, and he used a word that con- 
veyed the idea of one who saves. I 
leaped to my feet and shouted and sang 
for joy. The men thought I had gone 
crazy. I have been thirty times stricken 
with fever, three times attacked by lions, 
and several times by other savage beasts, 
and ambushed by still more savage na- 
tives. For fourteen months I never saw a 
piece of bread, and I have eaten every- 
thing from ants to rhinoceros flesh, 
but I would gladly go through it all 
again if I could have the joy of again 
bringing that word 'Saviour' and flashing 
the Christmas story into the darkness 
that envelops another tribe of Central 

, Africa."— Rev. Willis R. Hotchkiss. 

2152. Forty years after John Williams 
was murdered on Erromanga, the son 
of his murderer was laying the corner- 
stone of that martyr's memorial, while 
another son was preaching the Gospel 
for which he died. 

2153. Years ago apiarists found that 
the Italian bee had qualities which made 
it, for the production of honey, greatly 
preferable to the native insect of this 
country, which was quarrelsome to han- 
dle, and less fertile, docile and dependa- 
ble. The Italian bee has now generally 
supplanted the native. But to accom- 
plish this result it was not necessary to 
substitute the foreign swarm for swarm 
and hive for hive. The bee-keeper wrote 
to Italy for a few queens, to be sent 
here by mail, enclosed in a bit of wood 
with holes covered with wire gauze. By 

• skill in manipulation a queen was intro- 



duced in each hive, and the native quean 
removed. Here was a new living power 
for renovation introduced among old 
conditions. The new brood replaced the 
former one and in a season the whole 
swarm was transformed. These queen 
bees are alive; the word is alive with 
the life of the spirit of God. Men want 
that which is more valuable than the 
thing which they possess. They get a 
glimpse — or even merely hear the ru- 
mor — of the pure, attractive home of the 
missionary; they see the work of the 
school in the amazing alteration of the 
children's behavior; they learn of the 
merciful doings of the hospital, the won- 
ders of the press, the book, the paper. 
Famine work and a hundred other ex- 
periences are as that which the woman 
"took and hid." The influence of 
Christ's spirit and teaching is set be- 
fore them in a few lives which have 
yielded themselves to it. Irresistibly it 
asserts itself as a marvelous power, of- 
fering what cannot but be recognized as 
infinitely to be coveted. The spirit and 
life of Christ are in it. — Dr. Swinnerton 
in "Christian Work". 

2154. Until I went to the Orient, until 
there was thrust upon me the respon- 
sibilities with reference to the extension 
of civilization in those far distant lands, 
I did not realize the immense im- 
portance of foreign missions. The truth 
is, we have got to wake up in this 
country. We are not all there is in the 
world. There are lots besides us, and 
there are lots of people beside us that 
are entitled to our effort and our money 
and our sacrifices to help them on in 
the world. No man can study the move- 
ment of modern civilization from an im- 
partial standpoint and not realize that 
Christianity and the spread of Christian- 
ity are the only basis for hope of modern 
civilization in the growth of popular 
self-government. The spirit of Christi- 
anity is pure democracy. It is the equal- 
ity of man before God — the equality of 
man before the law, which is, as I un- 
derstand it, the most Godlike manifesta- 
tion that man has been able to make. — 
William H. Taft. 

2155. If the Church of God should de- 
liberately turn her back on a perishing 
world, and abandon her mission and 
commission, it would not be one hour 
before the Church would be swept from 
the face of the earth. — Bishop Thoburn. 

2156. Dr. J. E. Clough, a civil engin- 
eer, went out to the Telugus in India. 
The famine of 1877 came, and his ser- 
vices as a civil engineer were used in the 
completion of a half-built canal by 
which hungry men got work, wages, and 
food. In the evenings Mr Clough would 
gather his gangs of workmen and preach 



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Missions. 



to them the Gospel, then encourage the 
converts who accepted it, to go and tell 
the news to others. And so God used 
even famine as his evangelist. Xex 
year, in one day, 2222 were baptized; in 
thirty days, 5,000, and within a twelve- 
month, 10,000. 

2157. In our passage across the Pa- 
cific we only touched at Tahiti and Xew 
Zealand. Tahiti is a most charming 
spot. Delicious scenery, climate, manner 
of the people, all in harmony. It is 
moreover admirable to behold what the 
missionaries both here and at Xew Zea- 
land have effected. I firmly believe they 
are good men %vorking for the sake of a 
good cause. I much suspect that those 
who have abused or sneered at the mis- 
sionaries have generally been such as 
were not very anxious to find the natives 
moral and intelligible beings. They for- 
get, or will not remember, that human 
sacrifice and the power of an idolatrous 
priesthood; a system of profligacy un- 
paralleled in any other part of the 
world; Infanticide, a consequence of that 
system: bloody wars, where the con- 
querors spared neither women nor chil- 
dren — that all these things have been 
abolished, and that dishonesty, intem- 
perance, and licentiousness have been 
greatly reduced by the introduction of 
Christianity. In a voyager to forget 
these things is a base ingratitude; for 
should he chance to be at the point of 
shipwreck on some unknown coast, he 
will most devoutly pray that the lesson 
Of the missionary may have extended 
thus far. — Darwin. 

2158. I should not like you. if meant 
by the Kilts of God for a great mission- 
ary, to die a millionaire. I should not 
like it, were you fitted to be a mission- 
ary that you should drivel down into a 
king. What are all your kings, all your 
nobles, all your stars, all your diadems 
and your tiaras, when you put them al- 
together, compared with tin- dignity of 
winning souls lor Christ, with the spe- 
cial honor of building for Christ, not on 
anotber man's foundation, but preach- 
ing Christ's gospel in regions far be- 
yond? I reckon him to be a man hon- 
ored of men who can do a foreign work 
for Christ; but he who shall go farthest 
In self-annihilation and in the further- 
ance of the glory of Christ shall be a 
king among men, though he wear a 
crown no carnal eyes can see. — Spur- 
geon. 

215!). There i» a curious fact in bot- 
any. The exogenae receive their in- 
crease of matter by external accretions 
of outermost layers. Buds, which are 
the organs supplying materials consti- 
tuting the stem, -exist In the exogenous 
plants in indefinite quantity, and so the 



destruction of one or more does not in 
the least imperil the life of the plant or 
tree. But in the endogeiwus growths, 
one bud alone keeps up the supply of 
matter needful to perpetuate plant life: 
the newly formed fibre descends 
into the innermost part of the 
stem, and hence any injury here is a 
fatal one. For example, if a large sea 
snail is laid on the crown of the co- 
coanut tree and left there to rot around 
the tender sprout, or if with a stone the 
crown is crushed, the tuft of plume- 
leaves which adorns the top of the tree 
fades and falls, and the trunk stands 
leafless and barren, never more to 
sprout. The Church of God belongs to 
the endogenous order, and its solitary 
vital buil is the missionary spirit. Upon 
this depend its vitality, its energy, its 
fertility, its increase. And the blow- 
that injures. that bud is fatal to the 
whole tree. Kill the missionary work of 
the Church, blast her service for souls, 
destroy her delicate zeal for the perish- 
ing, and ber life languishes and perishes 
also. — Pierson. 

2100. At Tahiti, for sixteen years the 
missionaries, Mr. Henry and Mr. Xotl, 
seemed to have expended their strength 
in fruitless and hopeless toil, spending 
themselves for naught. Their tireless 
zeal, their constant journeys, their 
faithful testimony, seemed like blows 
of a feather against a wall of adamant. 
Xot one conversion took place; the idol- 
atries of the natives were an abomina- 
tion, and their wars a desolation. The 
directors of the London Missionary So- 
ciety seriously thought of abandoning 
the work. But there were a few who 
rightly read the lesson of this apparent 
failure. God was rebuking unbelief, 
and challenging faith in his unchanging 
Word of promise. Dr. Haweis sent an- 
other £2 00 sterling to the missionary 
treasury, remonstrating against giving up 
the mission. Rev. Matthew Wilks, John 
Williams' own pastor, said, with charac- 
teristic zeal and devotion: "I will sell 
my garments from my back rather than 
that this mission shall be given up:" and 
instead of a cowardly withdrawal, he 
proposed a special season of prayer for 
the blessing ol the Lord of the harvest. 
His proposal was accepted; letters of 
hope and encouragement were written to 
the disheartened laborers, and prayer 
went up to Almighty God with tears of 
sorrow for past unbelief . that had made 
mighty works impossible. And n<>w 
mark the result. While tin- vessel tli.it 
bore these lettem was on her way to Tu- 
hitl, the ship that crossed her track on 
the way back to KnKland carried the 
news, not only of a beginning of a work 
of grace, but of Hie entire overthrow of 
idolatry; and, with these tidings of the 



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Home Missions. 



new Pentecost, bore also the rejected 
idols of that people! "Before they call 
I will answer, and while they are yet 
speaking I will hear." No promise was 
ever more literally fulfilled. — Dr. A. T. 
Pierson. 

2161. A convention speaker said: 
"Missionary interest first struck the 
head, and after a while got as far as 
the mouth, then the heart, conscience 
and will, and by and by the pocket, and 
last of all the legs and feet! 

2162. "Foreign missionary" is an un- 
fortunate term. To the Lord Jesus up 
there in heaven there is no home mission 
and no foreign mission. He sees at 
once on both sides of the wall of China, 
and to him it is all one field and one 
work; and slowly we are beginning to 
see through his eyes and to find out that 
work at home and work abroad are not, 
so to speak, two things, but one; that 
this we ought to do, and not leave the 
other undone; and that what we call 
foreign mission work is not a thing to 
be done by and by, when we get a lot of 
other things done, but that it ought to 
be going on all the time. — J. Campbell 
White. 

2163. It has been said of Dr. Peter 
Parker, who was the real founder of 
medical missions, a man of singular beau- 
ty of character and eminent ability, that 
"he opened China to the Gospel at the 
point of his lancet." Thousands flocked 
to him for the recovery of their sight, 
and for healing of every sort of disease, 
until it was quite impossible for him to 
attend to the multitudes who claimed his 
care.- — Missionary Review. 

2164. When I arrived at the Fiji 
group, my first duty was to bury the 
hands, arms, feet and heads of eighty 
victims whose bodies had been roasted 
and eaten in a Cannibal feast. I lived 
to see those very Cannibals, who had 
taken part in that inhuman feast, gath- 
ered about the Lord's table. — Rev. 
James Calvert. 

2165. David Livingstone uttered pro- 
phetic words when he said the night be- 
fore his departure for Africa: "The time 
will come when rich men will think it an 
honor to support whole stations of mis- 
sionaries, instead of spending their mon- 
ey on hounds and horses." 

2166. A trader passing a converted 
cannibal in Africa, asked him what he 
was doing. "Oh, I am reading the Bi- 
ble," was the reply. "That Book is out 
of date in my country," said the for- 
eigner. "If it had been out of date 
here," said the African to the European, 
"you'd have been eaten long ago."— 
Baptist Commonwealth. 



2167. Do missions pay? The native 
Christians of Smyrna contribute twice as 
much to the support of evangelical work 
as they receive from the mission boards. 

2168. Our trade with the Sandwich 
Islands is over $6,000,000 a year. It has 
cost the United States government 
$1,000,000 and twenty-five lives for every 
Indian killed. The average cost of 
Christianizing one Indian lias been $200. 

2169. If the cause of foreign missions 
reacted in no other way than in promot- 
ing the fruits of the Spirit, the Church 
at home would receive ample compensa- 
tion. Missionary work is peculiarly a 
work of faith and its prosecution is both 
the evidence and strengthening of that 
faith. 

2170. Dr. Milne, an associate of Dr. 
Morrison, made bold to prophesy towards 
the close of his life that it was not too 
much to suppose that possibly at the end 
of one hundred years there might be 
one thousand Chinese Christians. Be- 
fore the time has expired we find near- 
ly 200,000 Chinese Christians. — Brock- 
man. 

2171. Some years since, Lough Fook, 
a Chinese Christian, moved with com- 
passion for the coolies in the South 
American mines, sold himself for a term 
of five years as a coolie slave, and was 
transported to Demerara, that he might 
carry the Gospel to his countrymen 
working there. He toiled in the mines 
with them and preached Jesus while he 
toiled, till he had scores of whom he 
could speak as Paul of Onesimus, 
"whom I have begotten in my bonds." 
Lough Fook died; but not until he had 
won to the Saviour nearly 200 disciples, • 
whom he left behind in membership 
with the Christian church. Where in 
the centuries has that lowliest feature in 
the condescension of the Man of sorrows 
— "He took upon him the form of a 
slave" — been so literally reproduced as 
here? 

Home Missions. (2172-2184) 

2172. Speaking of home missions Gov. 
Hoeh of Kansas said: "He reads Ameri- 
can history, in my judgment, with very 
defective vision who does not see upon 
every page of it the impress of Provi- 
dence. I firmly believe that the Ameri- 
can people are as much the chosen peo- 
ple of God today to carry on his great 
purposes in the world as were the Isra- 
elites of old his chosen people to exem- 
plify his will in their time. In propor- 
tion as we measure up to this high ideal 
I am sure we will prosper as a people ( 
and in proportion as we fail in this sub- 
lime mission we shall suffer morally and 
materially. The white man's burden is 



The Christian Life. 



— 311 — 



upon us. We cannot with safety to our- 
selves shirk its responsibilities. The 
Christian civilization committed to our 
care, typified by our flag, will ultimately 
encircle and dominate the globe, if this 
nation does its duty. Our first duty, 
then, is to ever remember that right- 
eousness exalteth the nation. Every 
dollar, therefore, wisely spent for home 
missions to lift the standard of American 
citizenship is sanctioned not only by 
every religious consideration, but also 
by every consideration of highest states- 
manship." 

2173. The Congregational Church had 
a home missionary to whom they appro- 
priated a supplemental salary of three 
hundred dollars. This young man, as 
the mission church was building its 
mission house, boarded himself in a lit- 
tle upper room on a dollar and fifty 
cents a week, and put all the rest of his 
Income into the building. When the 
mission board was in debt in 1895, they 
had a missionary who, in order to stand 
by his work, put a mortgage on his 
household goods, and used that money 
for his support in that time of trial. — 
Dr. Smith. 

2174. The Importance of Cities is 
growing upon all thinking men. They 
are becoming more than ever the cen- 
ters of population and the sources of in- 
fluence. Plcton's maxim was: "Always 
keep your center strong: put your best 
men there." The maxim that is good in 
war is good in peace. The "best men" 
are not the most brilliant, hut the most 
heroic; not those who draw the biggest 
crowds but who are most drawn to the 
most destitute and neglected. Some 
men and women who are the salt of our 
city population are not known in the 
public prints, but they are known in the 
back alleys anil slums. 

2175. The fir-t missionary in San 
Francisco was T. D. Hunt, who in 1848 
was elected by the people to be "chap- 
lain of the town for one year." 

217B. When In 1850 that great mis- 
sionary to California, James II. Warren, 
was ordained, he was counselled, though 
rivers of gold ran at his feet, to die a 
poor man if thus he might point Others 
to the true riches. 

2177. Norman McLeod, pioneer mis- 
sionary to the Mormons, boldly preached 
for two years under threats of death, 
and left only upon the murder of his de- 
voted assistant, King Robinson. 

2178. Dr. A. L. Lintlslcy crossed the 
plains in 18fi8 to take charge of a little 
church of eighty members in Portland, 
Oregon. Kight churches in Portland 
sprung from that one little church. 



2179. The heathenism in our great 
cities is absolutely appalling and awful; 
and one of the most encouraging signs 
is the growing thought given to the 
question of how to take care of the poor 
and outcast classes of society. Abject 
misery, poverty — all the worst features 
of heathenism — hide in the alleys and 
lanes and crowded tenements of our 
great centers of population. Xo outside 
organizations, no district visitations, no 
organized charities, no mission Sunday- 
schools, mission halls or mission church- 
es, will reach the evil, though they may 
serve to mitigate and alleviate it. 

2180. We in Xew York let our city 
grow up as it could, not as it should, and 
we woke up to find ourselves in the 
grasp of the slum, to find the population 
of 2,000,000 souls living in an environ- 
ment in which all the influences made 
for unrighteousness and for the corrup- 
tion of youth. We counted thousands 
of dark rooms in our basements in 
which no plant could grow, but in which 
boys arrn girls were left to grow into 
men and women, to take over, by and 
by, the duties and responsibilities of 
citizenship. That was our sin and we 
paid dearly for it, paid in a tuberculosis 
mortality of 10.000 deaths in a year, half 
of which were due directly to the dark 
and airless bedrooms; paid in an indif- 
ferent citizenship that was a dead weight 
upon all efforts for reform for years. 
You could not appeal to it, for it had 
lost hope, and we have paid for it in 
treasure without end. It is a costly 
thing to forget jour neighbors. — Jacob 
Riis. 

2181. There is a fourfold reason for 
mission work in America. Fir-t of all. 
tic salvation of the individual :.oul. < >nly 
21.000,000 out of 87,000,000 in our coun- 
try are members of the Protestant 
Church. Home mission work aims at 
the salvation of these millions. The 
second reason for home mission work is 
the safety of our country: the third, the 
life of our denomlnatloni the fourth, the 
salvation of the world. 

2182. The only hope for America i- 
found In the assimilation of these for- 
eign elements. They must be brought 
into unity as parts of one body politic. 
And history shows that but one assimi- 
lating power is equal to such a task — 
namely, a common religions faith. We 
must Christianize pagans, or they will 
paganize f'hrlstians. We must elevate 
this foreign population, or they will de- 
grade us. — Missionary Review. 

2183. In 1820 the cities had scan , ly 
5 per cent of the population; in 1S40. 
over 8 per cent: in 1860, over 1<*> per 
cent; In 1880. over 22 per cent: In 1S90. 
about 30 per cent: In 1900, over 33 per 



The Christian Life. — 3 



cent; and today it is nearly 40 per cent, 
and the end is not yet. 

218J. Christianity, says Leslie's Week- 
ly, is the greatest creator and conserver 
of values; sin is the greatest destroyer 
of values. The cost of crime to New 
York City for one single year is enough 
to pay in two years the whole cost of 
widening the Erie Canal from Buffalo to 
Albany. The cost of crime to the United 
States is enough, if our people were 
righteous for two years, to pay the 
whole national debt.- 

The Immigrant. (2185-2192) 

2185. A German immigrant years ago 
arrived in New York friendless and with 
little money. He had his way to make 
in the world, and his only capital was a 
small stock of English words and a 
great store of latent manliness, perse- 
verance and energy. He had also a 
trade which he had learned in the old 
country. He was a cigar-maker, and 
readily obtained employment when he 
.landed. He was quick with his hands, 
and commanded fair wages as soon as 
he had a chance to show how many 
cigars he could make a working day. 
He was not content, however, with ordi- 
nary success in earning a living by ex- 
pert labor. He was willing to make ci- 
gars, but he wanted to do better work, 
and was determined to educate himself 
for it. The Cooper Union night classes 
offered him an opportunity of which he 
was quick to avail himself. He short- 
ened his hours of manual labor in order 
to prepare himself for entering these 
classes, and for several years attended 
them zealously, perfecting himself in 
English, and obtaining a practical edu- 
cation which was indispensable to future 
success. He persevered until he became 
one of the largest tanners and leather- 
dealers in the country, making an hon- 
orable reputation for thrift and enter- 
prise, and acquiring a well-earned for- 
tune. A crisis arose in the public af- 
fairs of the city where he lived, and an 
independent candidate was required at 
the eleventh hour for setting the polit- 
ical house in order and for conducting 
municipal administration on plain busi- 
ness principles. The nomination was 
forced upon him, and he was elected af- 
ter a straightforward canvass. So the 
poor boy, who had started in the New 
World without a friend, or even an edu- 
cation, became not only a successful 
merchant and manufacturer, but the 
ideal mayor of a great city, with an ad- 
ministration as free from reproach as 
his own character and business career. 

2186. 18 languages were spoken in 
New York before the War of the Revolu- 



12 — The Immigrant. 



tion and that number has now risen to 
66 or 67. There is a school in the Syrian 
district of the city in which, it is report- 
ed, 2 9 languages and dialects are used! 
The greatest problem to be solved in New 
York, not only as a municipality but as 
the gateway to the United States, is the 
naturalizing of this host of children — 
not by forms of law, but in spirit, tem- 
per, habit and speech. How is this ar- 
my of children from Europe, or of re- 
cently immigrated children, to be trans- 
formed into an army of American citi- 
zens? 

2187. Dr. Wilbur P. Crafts makes the 
following excellent suggestion: Plans 
for restricting immigration must not 
violate the brotherhood of man. The 
first exclusion to be accomplished is the 
exclusion of race prejudice from our- 
selves. A Pennsylvania law to put an 
extra tax of 3 cents per day on all alien 
laborers — that is, all foreigners not na- 
turalized, was in 1897 decided unconsti- 
tutional by the State supreme court, but 
not until a large number of the 140,000 
immigrants thus threatened with this 
annual tax of $10 had hastened to be- 
come citizens only to save money. It 
would be strange indeed if they should 
not sell a suffrage thrust upon them. We 
would exclude immigrants that would 
be likely to corrupt our own people; 
for instance, Mormons, anarchists, and 
criminals, on the same principle that we 
should avoid evil companions. Inas- 
much as there is no present prospect 
that the ballot box will be protected 
against illiterate immigrants, they should 
be excluded to protect our imperiled 
suffrage. Appeals should also be made 
to judges to use their great powers to 
exclude from naturalization all unfit ap- 
plicants. So far as unfit immigrants get 
in (as they will in spite of all laws), the 
churches must Christianize them rather 
than move away from them. 

2188. By the census of 1890, 55.03 per 
cent of the total white population are 
of native parentage and 32.77 per cent 
are of foreign parentage. Instead, there- 
fore, of being responsible for but 43.19 
per cent of the crime committed in the 
United States, the proportion chargeable 
to the native white element on the basis 
of population should be 55.03 per cent, 
while the foreign born element by the 
same standard of comparison would 
commit but 32.77 per cent of the crime 
instead of 56.18 per cent as is now the 
case. When these facts are remem- 
bered the profound significance of these 
figures will be perceived. — Patriotic 
Studies. 

2189. Immigration tends to lower the 
standards of morality, and young men 
are the first to become influenced. While 



The Christian Life. 



— 313 — 



Christian Nurture. 



some of our best citizens have come to 
us from across the sea, yet a constant 
stream of degenerates swarms from 
other lands into America. It is an eco- 
nomic policy of Europe to send to our 
shores its moral and social dehris. Near- 
ly three-fourths of the discharged Irish 
convicts find their way to America. Im- 
migration will not cease. Europe could 
send us 2,000.000 emigrants annually for 
a century and then increase her own 
already over crowded population. The 
last Census shows that foreigners are 
three times as criminal in their natures, 
and that they are five times more apt 
to become paupers than American born 
citizens. — Manhood's Morning. 

2190. God's providence lias brought a 
great host of 25.000.000 foreigners to 
our shores since this republic was found- 
ed. "What have we done to make them 
good citizens or to gather them into the 
kingdom of Christ? Today to reach 
these foreigners in America we must 
preach the gospel in thirty different lan- 
guages and dialects. A sacred obliga- 
tion rests upon us to give the gospel and 
the means of grace to this vast immi- 
grant population. — Alexander Henry, 
D. D. 

2191. Immigrants are composed chief- 
ly of young men. They come in contact 
with American young men and the in- 
fluence is vicious. The influence of the 
foreign element in creating a disrespect 
for religion, for law and order, and in 
corrupting politics is constant and pow- 
erful. The amalgamation between the 
races of the earth, constantly going on 
in America, has no parallel in human 
history. We are creating a new people. 
The English, Irish, German, French, 
Italian, Russian, Swede and Spanish; 
the Protestant, Catholic, Jew and nonde- 
script, meet, commingle and marry, and 
out of the amalgam is developing a new 
race. The nations of the earth are for- 
feiting their identity upon American soil, 
and whether the reward will be a fate- 
ful sacrifice or a rich and blessed har- 
vest the future alone can reveal. — Man- 
hood's Morning. 

JI!>2. The political head of a city in 
Southern Italy, in an address of wel- 
come to the King of Italy, said, "We 
welcome you in the name of our 5,000 
inhabitants, 3,000 of whom are in Amer- 
ica." 

Ex-president Fllot of Harvard Uni- 
versity has said that self protection Is 
not the highest motive that should ap- 
peal to our American institutions and 
that if we have that which Southern 
Europeans have not. we are obliged to 
share that thing with them. 

On the other hand Andrew Carnegie 
Insists that there is no "Immigration 



problem." That the percentage of new- 
comers is not greater than fifty years 
ago; that our Country is a tuition of 
alien-born people and always has been: 
that our present condition is the natural 
outgrowth of the past and is in no sense 
a menace. 

THE YOUNG. (2193-2313) 

Christian Nurture. Childhood. 

(2193-2231; 

2193. There are 10.000 boys in the 
reform schools of this country under 
seventeen years of age. Most of the 
criminals of this country are under 
twenty. Jonathan Edwards was only 
eleven when he was converted. Wesley 
and Luther were about the same age. 
and Spnrgeon was fourteen. You can 
not tell what the boy may become. Do 
not be afraid to work for him. A bishop 
once remarked: "If the Church neglects 
the children, the devil will not." There 
is much truth there, for the devil neg- 
lects not for a single minute. Never 
give a boy up, no matter how bad you 
may think him. Wild boys often make 
the best men. 

2191. There is a striking story of 
a certain missionary who was sent for, 
on one occasion, to go to a little village 
in an out-of-the-way corner of India 
to baptize and receive into church fel- 
lowship seventy adult converts from 
Hinduism. A boy about lifteen years 
of age came forward. "What, my boy! 
do you want to join the church?" "Yes. 
sir." 

On the score of his youth he urged the 
lad to wait until his return in six months. 

Then all the people said, "Why. sir, 
it is he that has taught us all that we 
know about Jesus Christ." And so it 
turned out to be. This was the little 
minister of the little church, the hon- 
ored instrument In the hand of God for 
saving all the rest for Jesus Christ. — 
Milliard. 

2195. Hiram Powers used to show a 
marble copy, which he had made many 
years before, of the chubby band of his 
little daughter, saying signilicantly : "I 
Stopped that there." 

219B. Amid the terror-, of a sudden 
shipwreck a returning miner, carrying 
935,000 in gold-dust in his belt, was 
about committing himself to the sea. 

■•<) save tne! save me!" cried a weeping 

child, whose protectors had been swept 
away. What Bhould he do? The wemht 
of both the gold and the child would 
sink him. He tore olT Ills belt and flung 
it away. and. bidding the little girl 
mount on his shoulder* and clasp his 



The Christian Life. 



— 314 — 



Christian Nurture, 



neck and hold hard, plunged into the 
surf. Hours afterward he woke to con- 
sciousness in a fisherman's hut, and felt 
the patting of small hands and a kiss 
upon his cheek, and heard a soft voice 
say: "Thank you for saving me. I love 
you." 

2197. I have a friend. Mr. W. J. 

Pearse, who has had remarkable success 
in training "difficult" horses. Some time 
since, at his home in Port Wayne, he 
showed me a magnificent specimen of 
horseflesh, named Silvertip, — a chestnut, 
with white mane, tail and feet. One 
year previous the horse was considered 
unmanageable, and was placed under his 
care. Simply by kindness and patient 
skill he had changed that so-called 
"vicious" horse, six years old, into the 
most docile and tractable of animals. 
He told the stable boy to bring him out 
into the large yard, and he came out 
prancing and full of spirit. His trainer 
greeted him kindly and said; "Silvertip, 
sidestep to the right," and he did so, the 
whole length of the yard. Then he told 
him to "sidestep to the left," and the 
beautiful horse obeyed. His master told 
the boy to bring out a block for a pe- 
destal, and commanded the horse to 
make a statue of himself. At once he 
placed his fore-feet upon the block and 
struck the pose of an equestrian statue, 
looking around at us directly, to see 
what impression he was making. Mr. 
Pearse said, "Come here and let me 
mount you." The horse came and kneel- 
ing down so that his trainer could throw 
his leg over the horse's head and seat 
himself in the saddle, he rose and 
pranced up and down the yard with him. 
If training will do that for a horse, what 
wonders it will do for a child!" 

2198. One day when Plato looked up 
from his desk in the Academy, after 
reading and explaining one of his great 
dialogues, he found but one student left 
in the classroom; but that student was 
Aristotle. 

2199. When a thoughtful child was 

asked why a certain tree in the garden 
was crooked, he said he "sposed some- 
body must have stepped on it when it 
was a little fellow." 

2200. When I was a child, there was, 
in the readers, a story about Mr. Dustin, 
whose house was burned, and his wife 
captured by the Indians, and he attempt- 
ed to flee with his little flock of children. 
He had decided to select one of the 
children out of the number, and, placing 
that child on the horse with himself, to 
fly to a place of safety. He rode up to 
the little group of children with that 
purpose in mind, and at first thought he 
would take the elder boy; for that boy 



was dear to his heart, and was the pride 
of his life. But he saw that that boy 
was holding by one hand the tiny little 
girl, only about two years of age; and 
holding the other hand was a larger girl, 
and the boy and the girl were dragging 
the little one along; and he said, "I 
cannot take the boy." Then he thought 
he would take the little one; and when 
he saw her sweet face turned up to him, 
he said, "She is my joy." But as he drew 
near the tiny child, the great hazel eyes 
of the elder girl were turned up to him, 
and he saw the face and eyes of his wife; 
and the man cried "Never! I will save 
the other children too." He then turned; 
and bidding the children fly for their 
lives, he became like a tiger at bay: — 
and turning toward the savages, under 
his unerring aim and steady and strong 
blows the savages went down; and all 
the other children were saved with the 
one he had purposed to save. In your 
work there is another child, and yet an- 
other child, and yet another child; and 
God's thought goes out for all these 
other children. The one thing for each 
one of us to say, is this: "I will stand 
between all the children of this earth 
and hell itself. — Rev. R. L. Greene, D. D. 

2201. Living on the brink of the Grand 
Canyon of Arizona, there was, a few 
years ago, an old man who was a lumin- 
ous character. He lived all alone with 
himself and the canyon, and he found 
very good companionship in both. He 
never tired of watching the effect of the 
changing lights and shades, — the sun- 
rises and sunsets, and drifting cloud 
shadows, — on the wonderful coloring of 
the rocks in the mighty old gorge. He 
earned his own living; and one day, 
when he was at work all alone, a com- 
pany of tourists, at a little distance, 
heard him laughing very heartily. They 
hastened to him, asking, "What is the 
matter? What are you laughing at?" He 
replied, "Oh, nothing! I was just telling 
myself a funny story." Happy is the 
man who can be a good companion to 
himself: who can tell himself entertain- 
ing things while he works! This is what 
we should aim at in the training of chil- 
dren. And in order to attain it in our 
children, we must attain it in ourselves. 
We cannot live one kind of life, and 
train our offspring to another. — Bayliss. 

2202. Mirabeau said that the best 
Way to instil liberty into the hearts of 
the people is to begin with the infant 

in the cradle and let the first name it 
lisps be Washington. 

2203. P. P. Bliss made public confes- 
sion of Christ at the age of twelve, 
though from infancy he had given signs 
of being regenerate. Spurgeon once 
said that many of the most devoted 



The Christian Life. 



— 315 — 



Christian Nurture. 



meml>ers of his church were publicly 
received when only eight years old. 
Among the Moravians children are 
trained in Christian truth so early, that 
few of them remember when their re- 
ligious life began. 

2204. What a vast difference wise 
child-nurture would have made in By- 
ron's life! Schopenhauer had reference 
to this when he said, after being told 
that he had been sitting next to the 
poet's mother. Lady Byron, at dinner; 
'•I wish I had known it at the time: I 
should have liked to be rude to her." 

220.">. A rich Crow Indian in Montana, 
named "White Arm," had in some way 
gotten hold of the true idea of "pos- 
sessions." A missionary needed some 
land to establish a school farm to teach 
the little Indians how to work as well 
as pray. He applied to the government 
agent and found all the land thereabouts 
had been allotted to the Indians. "Take 
my land.'' said "White Arm." He gave 
them one hundred and sixty acres. An- 
other missionary, on arriving in the 
place, happened to say, "I wish I had 
my wife and children here!" "Why 
don't you?" asked "White Arm." Be- 
cause I have no place to put them." 
"Take my house." paid "White Arm." In 
spite of the missionary's protest he 
moved out into a tent and left his house 
empty and open, so that the missionary 
could not refuse to take it. Afterward 
he said that he did all for the children 
of his tribe, that the missionary might 
lead them and their parents to the true 
God. — Crafts. 

2200. Among the native tribes of South 
Australia and the Indians of South 
America and parts of North America the 
hoy was sent away Into the woods to 
remain there alone exposed to all weath- 
ers, and enduring hunger and thirst, to 
spend solitary days and nights in ex- 
pectant meditation, awaiting "the divine 
revelation which entitles him to call 
himself a man." The girl was subject- 
ed to similar severely Impressive disci- 
pline, being sent on the incipiency of 
womanhood into long seclusion in the 
hills or forests, to commune alone with 
her guardian spirit, who might be ex- 
pected to make known to her in visions 
something of the meaning of life; which 
revelations she sometimes recorded by 
symbols on the rocks, where traces of 
them still remain for us to study. — 
Kelly. 

2'2<>7. A farmer in North Carolina 
drove into a neighboring city with a 
spirited team of horses, stepped out on 
the street and suddenly the horses be- 
came frightened and started to run. He 
grasped hold of them and finally drew 
himself up until he had the bridle rein, 



but he could not stop them. On they 
rushed through the streets until they 
I came to a barrier which made it im- 
possible for them to go on. They sprang 
up into the air and stopped, but they 
came down upon the hotly of the man. 
Bruised, bleeding, dying, his friends 
drew him forth from beneath their feet 
and they said, "Why didn't you let them 
go? With a whisper he said, "Look in 
the wagon," and in the wagon was his 
boy. I can quite understand- this, as 
fathers we would give up our very lives 
for our children. 

2208. Think you that there would be 
a jar or a wrench when the child natur- 
ally at the age of discretion steps into 
true relationship with God. his Father? 

I shall never forget the story of little 
Mary, a Scotch girl, not many months 
over, and raised in the church of her 
fathers. The village was on fire with 
the sensation of a great revival, and a 
special preacher was holding forth. He 
was stopping at the house where Mary 
served, and one afternoon he met her 
in the yard, and seeing her at work 

i asked her abruptly, "Mary, have you 
found Jesus?" Her eyes opened wide, 

i her armful of kindling wood dropped to 
the ground, her lips parted in amaze- 
ment as she breathlessly responded, 
"Why. I dinna ken that I had lost him." 

2209. President Geo. B. Stewart says. 
"No amount of organized work among 
children will take the place of personal 
relationship— a pastor must aim to keep 
in touch with the children." And I>r. O. 
E. Jefferson, of Xew York City, declares, 
"I think there is a deep feeling that the 
pastor and the children belong together 
— it is very desirable that the minister 
should preach to the children special 
sermons." 

2210. Child training is mightier than 
heredity and primarily a parental duty. 
It is now generally admitted that hered- 
ity has been overestimated. Its Influ- 
ence is chiefly physical and mental, not 
moral. When the children of the slums 
are placed early in good country homes 
by home-fliiding societies, they usually 

become mora 1 1. \ more like their adopted 
parents than like their own. But God 
holds parents responsible for child- 
training, of which conversion is the only 
safe basis. — Crafts. 

2211. tin four Ennlish-speaklng con- 
tinents I have been for a Quarter of a 
century trying to deal with men and 
women and children, and, oh. how many ' 
boys and girls have come to me and 
said, when life had become ruined for 
them, "Ah, Mr. Smith! my life would 
have been different IT my father had 
prayed, but 1 have not a praying father, 



The Christian Life. 



— 316 — 



Christian Nurture. 



and that makes a difference." — Gipsy 
Smith. 

2212. Albert Barnes said he could 
have bought all the children's literature 
in his boyhood for less than the cost of 
Franklin's whistle. He was born at the 
close of the eighteenth century. Now there 
are tens of thousands of libraries con- 
taining millions of books in the Sunday- 
schools of the world. Most of us may 
have caught the first glimpse of a libra- 
ry in the little enclosure in a corner of 
a Sunday-school room. — G. W. Richards, 
D. D. 

2213. Adolescence is peculiarly the 
time of criminality. Statistics show that 
the greater number of arrests occur dur- 
ing adolescence. It is also the time of 
strong religious impulses. The life often- 
times seems to vacillate between these 
two potencies. Some morning the child 
wakes up to find himself capable of 
committing crimes he never dreamed of 
before. Some morning he finds himself 
a spiritual consciousness. These are the 
natural development, and the teacher 
and the parent should look forward to 
this period with prescience, fully assured 
that they have the golden privilege of 
directing the incompetent feet of youth 
away from the dalliant path of vice into 
the highway of holiness. It is estimat- 
ed that the sun never shines without 
some boy or girl in these United States 
takes his or her own life, driven tlvereto 
by the emotional potency peculiar to 
this age. And the most depressing 
thought is that the destructive volcano 
slumbering in the youth is set into erup- 
tion by the thoughtless word or deed of 
a teacher or parent. — Prof. Jacob R. 
Street, Ph. D. 

2214. The great, world-famous sculptor, 

Story, was a lawyer in earlier years. 
One day the smouldering fires of an ar- 
tist's instinct, burst forth within him, 
and he threw up his lucrative practice 
and went to Rome at the behest of his 
"Voices." Years afterwards, a utilitar- 
ian American friend visited him at his 
studio one morning, and after watching 
him at work upon his clay for some 
time, exclaimed, "Story, what under the 
heavens, made you give up your splen- 
did practice in America, and come here 
to pinch mud?" Story did not even try 
to tell him. In this same way many 
fail to realize the importance of work 
for the shaping of young lives. 

2215. Spurgeon's mother said to him: 

"I have trained you in righteousness. 
Your father and I have set you right 
examples. We have taught you the Gos- 
pel. We have shown you the way of 
peace. My son, if you do not live a god- 
ly life I will stand before God hi the 



day of judgment and bear witness 
against you." 

2216. Lord Shaftsbury stated in a 
public meeting in London, that, from per- 
sonal observation, he had ascertained 
that of adult male criminals of that 
city, nearly all had fallen into a course 
of crime between the ages of eight and 
sixteen years; and that if a young man 
lived an honest life up to 2 years of 
age, there were 49 chances in favor and 
only one against him as to an honorable 
life thereafter. From eight to sixteen — 
in these few years — are the destinies of 
children fixed in 49 cases out of 50, — 
fixed by the parents! I heard the gover- 
nor of Massachusetts say not long ago, 
that of the 700 inmates of the State pris- 
on, the average age of COO was less than 
21 years. "These are not good men fallen 
after high training, but mostly young 
men who never were trained." 

2217. The reformers saw that their 
work would become permanent only by 
the education of the people. Luther 
said: "God maintains the church through 
the schools." Catechisms and religious 
handbooks for teachers and parents 
were prepared by Zwingli, Luther and 
Calvin. Protestantism and popular edu- 
cation stand and fall together. The Ro- 
man Catholics detected the secret of 
Protestant success and adopted it. In 
the catechism of the Council ' of 
Trent we are told: "The heretics 
have chiefly made use of the cate- 
chism to corrupt the minds of Chris- 
tians." Francis Xavier went through 
the streets of Genoa ringing a bell and 
crying to parents to send their children 
to be taught in religion. Borromeo de- 
voted his life to teaching children in 
Milan. At his death, in 1854, he left 
743 Sunday-schools, 3,000 teachers and 
40,000 Sunday-school scholars. — G. W. 
Richards, D. D. 

2218. Another suggestion as to the 
value of Christian nurture in Sabbath- 
school work is found in the remark 
made by that very successful lay mis- 
sionary among the depraved classes in 
New York City, Jerry McAuley. He 
made the statement" more than once, 
that he never knew a man permanently 
converted unless he had a good mother. 
We are not called upon to accept that 
remark as stating a rule in the history 
of conversions. But that Jerry McAuley 
should have made it as a result of close 
observation of his converts is a sufficient 
reason why Sabbath-school officers and 
teachers should give close attention to the 
scholars who have good mothers. — W. 
H. Roberts, D. D. 

2219. The religious revivals in the 
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries be- 
came effective through organized reli- 



The Christian Life. 



— 317 — 



Christian Nurture. 



gious teaching. The "churchlets in the 
Church" arose under the pastorates of 
Spener and Franke, the leaders of Ger- 
man pietism. In these gatherings bib- 
lical subjects were discussed and the 
members edified one another. Zinzen- 
dorf organized his followers into bands 
of not fewer than five and not more than 
ten, who were under the care of a leader 
or teacher. Through Bishop Boehler in 
London and by a personal visit to Herrn- 
hut in Germany, Wesley became ac- 
quainted with the Moravian system, and 
adopted it in the form of the class- 
meeting of Methodism. Lecky said of 
the Wesleyan movement: "The Metho- 
c i i — t — appear to have preached especially 
to children." — G. W. Richards, D. D. 

2220. One of the stories about the 
Knights of the Round Table is that of a 
dwarf remarkable for his smallness and 
deformity, who used to go around the 
court of King Arthur, carrying a drawn 
sword, and imploring the knights one 
after another to take it and cut off his 
head. He was a poor wretch, apparent- 
ly of no value in the world; but he had 
never clone anybody any harm, and so 
they naturally declined to gratify what 
seemed his crazed desire. At last he 
came to Sir Gawain, as noble and true a 
knight as ever breathed, and said, "Ga- 
wain. do you love me?" "Why, yes," 
replied the knight, "you know that I 
love you, and what would you have me 
to do for you to show my love?" "I 
would have you take this sword, and 
with it cut off my head," was the an- 
swer. Sir Gawain, like all the others, 
shrank from such a deed. But there 
was something in the dwarf's tone so 
imploring that he finally consented, and 
with a single blow cleft the head clear 
of the body, and down the two parts fell 
prone to the earth. But, lo! as soon as 
the earth was touched, out of the little 
deformed dwarf there sprang up a tall 
and graceful knight, full of all strength 
and goodness, who had been imprisoned 
In It many years before by a great magi- 
cian's skill, and who from that hour 
went forth to do God and the world a no- 
ble service. And in this same way the 
man is potential!] In the boy, waiting 
to be liberated. 

2221. For the sake Of good parents 
blessings conic to children. To them 
belong much of the credit their sons 
achieve. This is illustrated in the case 
of Bishop I'oss. The bishop was the 
son of a Methodist preacher, who rode 
hard circuits and never had a salary of 
more than $400 in one year, and who, at 
the age of forty-two, because of falling 
health, became superannuated. He then 
bought a little stony farm of thirty-two 
acres and set his sons to work. The 



story-and-a-half farmhouse was a fa- 
vorite stopping place for presiding elders 
and circuit-riding preachers, and many 
a time on a Saturday evening the boy, 
who was to be the future bishop, would 
sit in the chimney corner and listen to 
the talk of his father with such a visitor 
about the good things of the kingdom. 
The result was that from his earliest 
recollection the boy was a Christian, and 
that when he grew up he became the 
influential clergyman that he has been. 

2222. What adolescence can promise 
for future years depends upon health, 
individual temperament, heredity ten- 
dencies, education, and personal morals. 
These great throes of the soul will find 
expression. It may be in love affairs, 
poetry writing, business activity, philan- 
thropy, fanaticism, perversity, precocity, 
moral depravity; largely according to 
the home and school bias of training. 

The psychical aspect of adolescent e is 
even more suggestive than the physical. 
In fact, the psychical manifestations 
seem to be closely joined to the physical 
changes of which mention has been 
made above. The greatest physical 
change is puberty itself, but this is ac- 
companied by a veritable intellectual 
revolution. The processes of thinking 
which hitherto have been of the ob- 
jective, concrete, accumulative type now 
become inductive, assimilative, and am- 
plili< alive; empiricism gives way to re- 
flection, dogmatic forms of thought to 
the rational. New desires, emotions, im- 
pulses manifest their presence. In the 
midst of these great physical and psy- 
chical upheavals it is not surprising to 
find the child's character inchoate. lack- 
ing in definiteness of ideal and persisten- 
cy of purpose. — Street. Homiletic Re- 
view. 

2223. The child-nature is peculiarly 
susceptible to the touches of a loving 
heart. A recent writer cites the case of 
Mozart, who, when he was a child, would 
go about from one to another, clinging 
around their necks, and pleading pite- 
ously. "Do you love me?" And of that 
wonderful child in whom Walter Scott 
was so much delighted, Margery Flem- 
ing, who at six years had a most wild 
hunger to lo\e and to be loved 

2221. A man who had been the gov- 
Ornor of one of the great states of the 
I'nion heard, when he was over sixty 
years o| at;,., a sermon on (lie relation of 
the children of Christ in n parent- lo the 
church. He thought upon the whole sub- 
ject carefully, and then appeared before 
the session of the Presbyterian church of 
the city in which he resided. When (hey 
asked him when he became a Christian, 
he replied that he was the child of 
Christian parents; that he had been 



The Christian Life. 



— 318 — 



Christian Nurture. 



carefully trained in youth; that as a man 
he had been faithful in all duty as a 
member of the congregation; that a cer- 
tain visiting minister had preached a 
sermon on the relation of children to 
the church not long previous, and that 
after careful thought he had come 
to the conclusion that he had been a 
Christian since early youth. "My great 
regret," he added, "is that I have been 
left to find out the fact until I am over 
sixty years of age." — Wm. H. Roberts, 
D. D. 

2225. A century ago an English deist, 
calling upon Coleridge, inveighed bitter- 
ly against the rigid instruction in Chris- 
tian homes. "Consider," said he, "the 
helplessness of a little child. Before it 
has wisdom or judgment to decide for 
itself it is prejudiced in favor of Chris- 
tianity. How selfish is the parent who 
stamps his religious ideas into a child's 
receptive nature, as a molder stamps the 
hot iron with his model. J shall preju- 
dice my children neither for Christianity 
nor for Buddhism nor for atheism, but 
allow them to wait for their mature 
years. Then they can open the question 
and decide for themselves." Later the 
poet led his atheistic acquaintance into 
the garden. Suddenly he exclaimed: 
"How selfish is the gardener who ruth- 
lessly stamps his prejudice in favor of 
roses and violets and strawberries into 
a receptive gardenbed. The time was 
when in April I pulled up the young 
weeds, the parsley, and thistle, and 
planted the garden-beds out with veg- 
etables and flowers. Now I have decided 
to permit the garden to go until Septem- 
ber. Then the black clods can choose for 
themselves between cockleberries and 
currants and strawberries." — Hillis. 

2226. A mother once asked a wise and 
good man, when she should begin to ed- 
ucate her child, then four years 
old. He replied, "If you have not 
begun already, you have lost four 
years. From the first smile that gleams 
upon an infant's cheek its education 
begins." Its religious education be- 
gins almost as soon. Not that it then 
may receive definite religious instruction 
— but impressions of character and con- 
duct by which its own spiritual nature 
is powerfully influenced and moulded. 
A lake is not so responsive to the least 
breeze that ruffles its surface, as the 
heart of a child to the example of piety 
or impiety at home. If its parents are 
Christian people, if they are conscien- 
tious, gentle, truthful, and godly, the 
child will take this impression of their 
lives to be fashioned in spirit like them. 
Many a soul's history is contained in a 
poet's acknowledgment of what he owed 
to his mother. "Looking on her taught 



me," he says, "to love the beautiful; and 

I had thoughts of paradise, when other 
men have hardly looked out of doors on 
earth." — Monday Club Sermons. 

2227. The future state of the child de- 
pends in a great measure upon the home 
in which he is born. His soul is nour- 
ished and grows, above all, by the im- 
pressions which are there left upon his 
memory. My father gave me the ex- 
ample of a sincerity carried even to 
scrupulousness; my mother, of a good- 
ness rising to devotion the most hero- 
ic. . . I drank deep from my mother's 
mind; I read through her eyes; I felt 
through her impressions; I lived through 
her life.- — Lamartihe. 

2228. Fortunate is that child whose 
training is in the hands of parents daily 
seeking wisdom from on high. If there 
are any who need a heavenly guiding, 
it is those charged with the training of 
a child for an eternal destiny. A father, 
not a man of prayer, and seeking daily 
to know from God's word the path along 
which he and his child should journey! 
A mother, with no closet into which she 
daily enters to breathe the air of heaven, 
to drink from living fountains, and feed 
on hidden manna, that thus she may 
rightly give to the child whose spiritual 
life she nourishes! Who shall hope to 
place an arm of safety around a child, 
imperiled in this world of sin, unless 
that arm be uplifted for a heavenly 
strengthening? A home walled about by 
prayer and the Bible is the surest de- 
fense of childhood. In after life none 
are so strong to resist temptation as 
those in whose mind lingers the mem- 
ory of an early fireside where stood an 
altar and God's open word. 

2229. Calvin said to Edward VI, king 
of England: "It is a great thing to be a 
king, especially of such a country; and 
yet I doubt not that you regard it as 
above all comparison greater to be a 
Christian." The underlying principle of 
all true culture is the planting of this 
great truth in the child-heart. 

2230. Parents can control the child's 
surroundings so as to make them the me- 
dium of good suggestions, physical, men- 
tal, moral and spiritual. — They can, by 
example and story, fill the child's mind 
with inspiring, lofty and Christian ideals. 
— They can form habits of moral and re- 
ligious value, and allow none others to 
be acquired. They can feed the child's 
mind with ideas, the character of which 
they can wholly control. — They can ex- 
ercise and strengthen the child's moral 
powers by circumstances which they can 
arrange, taking care that the trial is not 
too hard. — They can, by watching heredi- 
tary tendencies, foster one and restrain 



The Christian Life. 



— 319 — 



The Sunday School. 



another, so as to produce a more even 
character. — They can strengthen the will 
and make it act with energy and decis- 
ion. — They can educate and train the 
moral sense; keeping it sensitive and 
tender to evil, and must only set up such 
standards of right and wrong as are true 
and will last through life, so that no 
artificial conscience is created. — They 
can increase the sense of moral responsi- 
bility to oneself, to others and to God. — 
They can directly teach moral principles, 
and the sequence of cause and effect. — 
They can inspire faith in God and in 
Christ, and the spirit of reverence and 
humility. — They can thus obey the two 
exhortations, •'Train up a child in the 
way he should go," and "Despise not 
one of these little ones." 

22:: 1. If you are going to do anything 
permanent lor the average man, you 
must begin before he is a man. The 
chance of success lies with working with 
the boy and not the man. — Roosevelt. 

The Sunday School. (2232-2272) 

22:52. "Children's letters are always 
concrete. They write about what they 
are doing, not about what they are 
thinking, and at greater length about the 
achievements of other people and ani- 
mals than about their own. Looking 
through a pile of old letters from chil- 
dren, mostly girls, of all ages from four 
to thirteen, the writer finds nearly 
three-quarters devoted to careful ac- 
counts of cats, dogs, tame mice, a don- 
key, 'Joey', a 'ginipig', 'rabbits', etc. 
There Is hardly a word about them- 
selves or their feelings in the whole 
collection." — The Outlook. 

22::::. We shall bring this great Sun- 
day-school movement under a perfect 
upas lice unlet — we ally it closely and 
inseparably to the great, evangelistic, 
aggressive effort to make Jesus Christ 
known (o the whole world. And we owe 
it to these children whom we train in 
these schools to bring them under the 
inspiration and under the moral uplift, 
under the ideals, the stories of heroism 
and pictures of courage, which missions 
pro\ Ide. — Speer. 

2284, The depth and permanence <>r 
the experiences we cause others to have 
as the result of our lessons, are deter- 
mined by the vividness and Intenslt) of 
our own mental and emotional activity. 
What I mean is this: When in teaching 
you are so controlled and absorbed by 
one overmastering thought that ill "ih- 
i rs are necessarily excluded, and the 
entire force of your spiritual nature Is 
so concentrated upon it that you can 
truly say, "This one thing I do," thai 
thought is sure to become the menial 



property of your pupil, to enter into his 
very being — be it a thought of God, of 
Christ, or of any other subject. — 
MacYicar. 

2235. The rapidly growing demand 
lor the trained Sunday-school teacher is 

the most encouraging sign of the new 
era which the school is entering. This 
demand cannot much longer be denied 
nor ignored, dealing as we do with the 
same boys and girls who all the week 
in secular schools have trained teachers 
and the fine educational organization, 
and with college graduates in adult 
| classes who know scholarship. These 
bright people cannot be expected to be 
satisfied with the unskilled and un- 
drilled workers who are set over them 
on the Sabbath day to be Bible teachers. 
The day of the untrained Sunday-school 
teacher is near its end. — Chas. Roads, 
D. D. 

2236. Every life is the site of a mine 
of inconceivable treasure. It is hard to 
believe that crusty old Scrooge is the 
shrine of a sleeping angel. It is hard to 
believe that Mary Magdalene is a pos- 
sible herald of the resurrection morn. 
But the assumption of the sleeping an- 
gel works, and is a prerequisite in all 
hopeful attempt to unfold the precious- 
ness of the individual life. And the 
assumption must be accompanied by a 
sensitive and serious purpose to bring 
out that buried "best" which lies in the 
deep depths of every child. — Jowett. 

2237. The way of approach to one 
will not reach another. Ralph Connor, 

in his "Michael McGrath, Postmaster", 
depicts the scene of Mr. McFarquhar 
at the bedside of "Ould Michael", pray- 
ing with him and reading the Scriptures 
in the endeavor to lead him to Christ. 
Dr. McLeod, the Scotch clergyman, had, 
to his sorrow, utterly failed in making 
any perceptible impression on his mind, 
and so had his dear friend McFarquhar 
up to a certain time. But when he hap- 
pened to read to him the passage which 
contains the words, "the Captain of our 
sahation." Michael, who had been a 
biasc soldier in all the campaigns under 
the Queen for more than twenty-five 
years, awoke to a realization of his true 
condition, and Immediately enlisted un- 
der the standard of King Jesus. — John 
Clark Hill, I). I). 

2238. As a missionary agency the 
Sunday-school is unexcelled. The Sun- 
day-school Is the forerunner of the con- 
gregation. In the West and South, In 
the new sections of cities, small bands 
of teachers and scholars have been the 
nuclei of large congregations. The cele- 
brated missionary of the American Sun- 
day School Union, Stephen I'lixson, or- 



The Christian Life. 



— 320 — 



The Sunday School. 



ganized more than 1,200 Sunday-schools, 
with a membership of 60.000 scholars 
and teachers. Scores of churches grew 
out of these Sunday-schools. — G. W. 
Richards, D. D. 

2239. Robert Morrison, the distin- 
guished missionary to China, was picked 
— a priceless jewel — out of the filth of 
the street and welcomed to the home 
and class of a faithful teacher. She 
loved his unattractive soul into life and 
training and service. Hundreds of teach- 
ers can do a similar work if they be- 
lieve in the missionary command and 
realize that they are molding the senti- 
ment of the church of the future upon 
the marching orders of the King. — Rev. 
E. B. Allen. 

2240.. It was a question by a Sunday- 
school teacher, after a missionary ser- 
mon, to a boy of six or '■even years of age, 
that helped much to give Robert E. Speer 
to his great work as foreign missionary 
secretary of the Presbyterian Board. 
The question of a missionary, as he laid 
his hand upon a little boy's head, gave 
Coleridge Patteson as a missionary to 
New Zealand. The teacher who is not 
an enthusiast, at least a friend, of mis- 
sions, is far below the grade we need. — 
Rev. E. B. Allen. 

2241. There was a young man in a 
Philadelphia private asylum, who was 
permitted as a boy to do as he chose; 
coming late to meals, and neglecting en- 
gagements; indeed, being forever be- 
hindhand, until, when his mind gave 
way, his insanity took this form, and he 
was never ready for anything. He 
would ask the attendant if he might 
visit his people, and was always assured 
that he could go any time he was ready; 
but he usually spent the whole day in 
an attempt to prepare himself, and had 
only made small progress when the 
evening shadows fell, and the attendant 
was obliged to assist him then in his 
preparations for retiring for the night. — ■ 
Dr. Chapman. 

2242. Ruskin, describing St. Mark's 
Church, Venice, says: "Here are all the 
successions of crowded imagery, show- 
ing the passions and pleasures of human 
life, symbolized together, and the mys- 
tery of its redemption; for the maze 
of interwoven lines and changeful pic- 
tures lead always at last to the cross, 
lifted and carved in every place and up- 
on every stone." Surely here is an ideal 
for the teacher, — to bring Jesus Christ 
in touch with all the passions of life, 
and reveal him as the crowning joy of 
all life's pleasures. — Dager. 

2243. I remember a boy in my school, 

many years ago, who was apparently 
nearly all bad. He had been sent out 



of the room over and over again: A 
lady in the school found out that he 
loved poetry. This seemed to be his one 
good point. So she began to play on 
that. She gave him such poetry as she 
thought he would like. One day she 
read to him a bit from Milton's "Para- 
dise Dost." "That's fine," said he; "where 
did you get that?" She told him. Just 
at that time we were renewing our libra- 
ry. This lad came to me and said, 
"Will you do what I want?" That was a 
broad question, and I cautiously replied, 
"Well, that depends on what you want." 
"I want you to put a book into the libra- 
ry for me," he replied. Now, judging 
from the boy's past, for aught I knew, 
he might have asked for "Jim Bludsoe; 
or, The Rampaging Tiger of the Western 
Prairie," so I said, "What is the book 
that you want?" Judge of my surprise 
when he answered, "Milton's 'Paradise 
Dost'." This was the beginning of the 
upward turn in that boy's life, which 
ended in his uniting with the church. 
But every bad boy has some point of 
contact, from which you may make a 
start, if you only are wise enough to 
discover it. — Our Bible Teacher. 

2244. This whole method of the De- 
cision Day is like the Scotch woman's 
promises in the Bible. After very- 
many of them she had placed the two 
letters, "T. P.," and when asked for the 
meaning of the letters she replied: 
"They mean tried and proven". So it 
is with Decision Day plans. In many cit- 
ies and towns through the country they 
have been put to the test and God has 
set his seal upon them.' 

2245. Decision Day. If a farmer were 
to occupy all his time in sowing the seed 
and make no provision for the gather- 
ing of a harvest which he would have a 
right to expect, we should think him be- 
reft of all reason. There are certain 
laws governing the sowing of seed, the 
watching for growth and development 
and the reaping of the harvest. It is 
likewise true that there are certain well 
defined laws concerning the use of God's 
Word in teaching and preaching. It 
is the good seed indeed, and the heart of. 
a child has always been found to be par- 
ticularly good ground upon which it may 
fall. 

There is a clear promise in the Bible 
that God's "Word shall not return unto 
him void, but shall accomplish that 
which he pleases and prosper in the 
thing Whereunto he hath sent it." If 
there are few conversions and the har- 
vest in the Sunday-school is not gath- 
ered, the responsibility for failure can- 
not be with the Lord of the harvest, but 
must be with those of us who are sup- 
posed to be the laborers in his harvest 



The Christian Life. 



— 321 — 



The Sunday School. 



field. I can find no reason in God's 
Word why there should not be a con- 
stant ingathering of the children and 
young people into the kingdom of Heav- 
en, why there may not be frequent har- 
vest seasons and oft-repeated decision 
days. — Dr. Chapman. 

2246. On Easter Sunday 56 persons 
were received into my church. Of this 
number 4 4 were by confession of Christ. 
Of this 44, 39 were members of the Sun- 
day-school; and of the others who came 
on the same occasion, by letter and con- 
fession, a great majority, I think, were 
reached and brought in through the in- 
fluence of the Sunday-school and par- 
ticularly as the result of Decision Day. — 
Moore. 

2217. The little son of a distinguished 
minister came to him one day to say that 
he wanted to become a member of the 
Church. His father thought he knew 
the boy and said to him: "My son, you 
may not just understand what it means 
to join the church." The child, how- 
ever, assured him that he did. Finally, 
the father persuaded him to accept this 
proposition. He said: "We are just now- 
going away for the summer vacation. 
When we conic back, if you still wish it, 
we will then take you into the church." 
This was not according to the boy's de- 
sire, but he yielded. The summer passed, 
but said this minister, "When I came 
back in the fall I came back without my 
boy. He died in the summer days." 
Doubtless the child was accepted of 
Christ because of his desire, but I 
am firmly convinced that he ought to 
have been in the church, and the father 
believes it, too, today. — Chapman. 

2218. A little child fell from the path 
into the canal. A young woman, who 
alone saw the child, ran, threw herself 
upon the wall, anud grasped the child's 
arm. She had not sufficient strength to 
lift him to the walk. Her utmost ener- 
gy was taxed to keep his head above the 
water. For more than twenty minutes 
was she in this position, when a man 
heard her cry and raised the child to a 
place of safety. Yet the village, when 
the incident became known, applauded 
and honored the girl as the rescuer. 
Teacher, If you first succeed In keeping 
those boys' livV-s above the engulfing 
current of sensuality and vice by your 
utmost endeavors, some pastor or evan- 
gelist may come along and lift them 
Into safety, and the community may call 
them his converts, but some day In heav- 
en you shall he acknowledged as the 
rescuer of their lives. — Forest E. Da- 
ger, D. D. 

2219. Hut it Is becoming increasingly 
evident, from year to year, that impor- 

21 Prnc. III. 



taut changes have taken place in the 
educational world of which the Sunday- 
I school must take account if it is to re- 
| tain its position as an educational insti- 
tution. These changes have fundamen- 
tally modified both the curriculum and 
the methods of teaching in all of our 
secular schools. The curriculum has 
been modified because the child, and not 
the subject of study, has become the all- 
important factor in the educational pro- 
cess. Methods have been improved be- 
cause they are based upon a more ade- 
quate knowledge of the human mind, 
and of the several stages of develop- 
ment through which all children pass. 

2250. The art of teaching involves the 
1 careful study by the teacher of three dis- 
tinct topics. First, he has to deal with 
the nature of the child. Second, he has 
to deal with some subject concerning 
which he is to instruct that child. And 
third, out of the relation of these two 
arise all the problems regarding the 
method by which that subject can be 
adapted to that child. The first of these 
three subjects is called child psychology. 
The second of these is, of course, the 
particular subject with which the teach- 
er is concerned, — history, or language, 

I or science, or one of the arts, a Scripture 
story, or a Christian doctrine or a law 
of conduct. The third subject is peda- 
gogy. — Wm. Douglas Mackensie, D. D. 

2251. In one school in Pennsyl vania 
the pastor himself had secured the 
names of "5 of the scholars who had not 
accepted Christ, and with all the teach- 
ers on their knees he read over these 
names one by one until he could rend no 
more, because of the sobs of those who 
filled the room, and he told me when the 
results were tabulated that he did not 
believe there was one of the 75 that had 
not taken a stand for Christ. — Chapman. 

2252. There is no excuse for a teach- 
er's ignorance of the daily life of the 
members of his class. When a man who 
taught ten young men could not tell, 
after he had been with them more than 
six months, where a single one of them 
was employed, I at once decided that a 
new teacher must soon be found for that 
class. A little confidential chat once In 
a while will draw from a boy or girl suf- 
ficient personal experience to enable 
the teacher to find a way to the heart. — 
Dager. 

225.T. Decision Day I- a time of great 
encouragement. Teachers will learn how 
closely scholars have watched their lives, 
and how many of them have expected 'i 
personal Invitation to Christ from those 
placed In their care. Then the pastor 
can see a portion of the harvest of his 
sowing. 



The Christian Life. 



— 322 — 



The S unday School. 



2254. Decision Day is a day of great 
disappointments. Many scholars whom 
teachers felt certain would yield to the 
will of God will become suddenly hard- 
ened; hut let all the discouraged ones 
remember that some of the personal 
work of the God-man was not successful. 
— The Pilgrim Teacher. 

2255. "I owe my conversion to the 
work of my Sunday-school teacher", has 

been heard, in every church of our land. 
An. evangelist invited all who desired to 
lead a Christian life to rise. More than 
fifty persons were soon upon their feet. 
Continuing, he said: "All who have been 
led to take this stand through the efforts 
of their teachers in the Sunday-school 
please remain standing." Not more 
than ten sat down. Then, turning to 
the teachers present, he said, with em- 
phasis: "Discouraged teachers, here are 
the fruits of your labors." — Augsburg 
Teacher. 

2256. A successful superintendent of 
a school in Peoria, 111., which was held 
in the afternoon, was accustomed to ask 
the scholars who had attended church in 
the morning to raise their hands, and 
the earnest working of this plan is said 
to have increased the church attendance 
from his school, in a comparatively short 
time, fifty per cent. — Christian Obser- 
ver. 

2257. "I am not a very good man now, 
hut God alone knows what I would have 
been without the influence of my teach- 
er." Thousands of men could sincerely 
utter this expression. Said a man whose 
farm was adjacent to a river, "That wall 
cost me nearly a thousand dollars, and 
yet it don't produce, a dollar's worth of 
crops." And yet, without that restrain- 
ing wall, his entire farm would have 
been worthless. The Sunday-school 
teachers of our land — hundreds of thou- 
sands strong — are the wall that beats 
back the tides of vice and immorality, 
and makes possible the fair growth of 
integrity and purity in the business and 
social world. — Dager. 

2258. There is danger that our Sun- 
day-school teaching may degenerate in- 
to an interminable process of wording 
the practical application; that we fail to 
link our lessons to the lives of our schol- 
ars. 

2259. A horse had been lost. The 

owner and his neighbors had searched 
for it in vain. A day later, when they 
had given up hope of finding the horse, 
a half-witted boy of the neighborhood 
came leading him to his owner's stable. 
The owner, delighted with the return of 
his lost property, kindly said to the boy, 
"Tell us how you found him, Tom." 



"Well, said Tom, "I went to the place 
where he was last seen, and then I said 
to myself, 'Now, if I was a horse and 
was in this place, which direction would 
I go?' and I went in that direction and 
found him." He was a philosopher, in- 
deed, far wiser than many a teacher in 
the Bible-school. Before you attempt to 
teach the lesson, put yourself in your 
scholars' place, and address such ques- 
tions as these to your mind: "If I were 
in their place, mentally, morally, and 
physically, what would be my interest 
in the particular lesson, or my lack of 
interest? What my prejudice, or what 
my difficulty?" Upon your ability to 
correctly answer these questions will de- 
pend quite largely your measure of suc- 
cess. — Augsburg Teacher. 

2260. Two tiny little girls in Boston, 
had been attending a kindergarten, and 
had brought home with them a little of 
the plastic clay with which they were 
working in the school. One little girl, 
as though she were possessed with an 
evil spirit, said, "Out of my clay I am 
going to make a little devil." And the 
other little girl, seeming to be shocked, 
said, "I am going to make out of my 
clay a little cherub." God Almighty 
puts this eternal life, this immortal spir- 
it, into human hearts; and human hands 
are making devils and cherubs in this 
world. You will make the one or the 
other. — R. L. Greene, D. D. 

2261. But many teachers will say: "I 

would be perfectly satisfied if I could 
see some of my scholars taking a stand 
for Jesus; but what discourages me is 
the fact that I see no such fruits." For 
four years she had endeavored to im- 
press upon him the need of a personal 
confession of Jesus, but he left her class 
for a distant city just as indifferent and 
careless as the first Sunday she taught 
him. She sent him an earnest farewell 
letter, but told her companions that she 
certainly was not intended for a teacher, 
as she had not made the slightest im- 
pression upon her boys. Two years la- 
ter the mail brought her a little Testa- 
ment worn and marked, and an accom- 
panying letter, stating that its owner 
had requested at his death that it be 
returned to his teacher .who gave it to 
him when he left home, with the word 
that it had been his greatest delight 
during the closing days of his life. — Da- 
ger. 

2262. A clipping from the Camden 
"Echo", New Jersey, claims that the 
Rev. Robt. S. Harris (son of Robert Har- 
ris, of Philadelphia, a physician, a Pres- 
byterian, but whose son became a Meth- 
odist clergyman) was the originator of 
Children's Day, and that he first or- 



The Christian Life. 



— 323 — 



The Sunday School. 



ganized it the second Sunday in June in 
18G6, at Merchantville, N. J. I have in 
my possession a very interesting pro- 
gram, entitled "Jesus, the Rose of Sha- 
ron," with original poetry, by the super- 
intendent, -which was given the second 
Sunday in June, 1870, by the Kirk Street 
Congregational Church, Lowell, Mass.; 
this was the first, they claim, in that 
part of the country. They called it, 
"The Flower Sunday." The earliest rec- 
ognition of the observance of the day by 
any denominational body seems to have 
been the resolution, passed by the Uni- 
versalis! Convention, held in Baltimore, 
in September, 1867. — Westminster 
Teacher. 

2203. Decision Day will enable us to 
escape the necessity of spending the last 
half of life in fighting the influence of 
the first half. 

2264. The art of teaching is, when we 
eg rd it calmly, the -loftiest of all arts. 
For he who can accompany one child 
after another, even to scores and hun- 
dreds of them, through the critical 
stages of their development, and help to 
mold them for an eternal life, is not 
only himself living among the noblest 
ideals and filling his heart with the 
sweetest hopes, but he is teaching other 
hearts to hope, other minds to see the 
truth, and filling other lives with an 
eternal song. Surely if there is an art 
in this, and if it is the loftiest of all arts, 
we who believe in it, and love it, we 
who have given our lives in any measure 
to its pursuit, must set ourselves to 
know and master its principles and its 
methods. — Wm. Douglas MacKenzie, 
D. D. 

2205. John Bright said, "I believe that 
there is no field of labor, no field of 
Christian benevolence, which has yielded 
a greater harvest to our national Inter- 
ests and national character than the 
great institution of the Sunday-school." 

2200. A fine Christian worker arose in 
our prayer meeting the other night and 
told the story of the Influences which led 
to his conversion. The predominant and 
decisive one was the Influence of an on* 
known teacher in Illinois, where he 
spent two months as a young man. Her 
influence over this visitor in her class 
made him think and ultimately decide 
for Jesus Christ. He never said any- 
thing to her about the matter, but he 
made a great purpose In his heart that 
when he went back to his old home ho 
would join the church. This he did, 
and his life has been one of blessed In- 
fluence and positive leadership lor many 
years. — Ernest Mourner Allen. 

22ti7. The Talmud tells of a famine 



ended by the prayers of an obscure and 
humble man. after others' prayers had 
proved unavailing. When asked who 
he was that his prayers should have 
such efficacy, he said simply, "I am a 
teacher of little children." 

2268. What a careful training is given 
to the sculptor! He seeks the best teach- 
ers of his native land and journeys 
across the ocean to study and work un- 
der the best masters. A contemporary 
of Michael Angelo writes: "I have seen 
him at work after he was sixty years 
old, and though he was not very robust 
he cut away from a piece of very hard 
marble in fifteen minutes more than 
three or four untrained men could have 
done in three or four hours — a fact al- 
most incredible to one who had not wit- 
nessed it. Such was the impetuosity and 
lire with which he pursued his work you 
would have thought the whole would 
have gone to pieces. With one blow of 
his mallet he brought down pieces of 
marble three or four inches thick and 
so close to his mark that had he varied 
a hair's breadth there would have been 
danger of ruining the whole." — James 
A. Worden, D. D. 

2269. In the excavations of the ruins of 
liabylon a cylinder has been found in- 
scribed by the father of Bclsha/./.ar. 
which reads: "In the heart of Belshaz- 
zar, my first-born son .... let the fear 
of thine exalted godhead, so that he may 
commit no sin, and that he may be sat- 
isfied with the fulness of life." 

2270. A suggestion that is meeting 
with favor in many quarters, is that 
there should be an arrangement made 
by which the public schools would close 
a half day in each week for the purpose 
of allowing the members thereof lo pro- 
eede lo places where they will receive 

definite religions Instruction. This 
instruction should be made a part of the 
curriculum of the school, but should not 
be Imparted In the school building or 
by the teachers of the school, but each 
pupil, according to his faith, should be 
required to attend instruction in morals 
and religion, the same as he Is required 
to receive instruction In spelling or 
arithmetic. — A. H. McKinney, Ph. D. 

2271. The work of the Sunday-school 
teacher In our day must be like that of 
every other honest teacher in any Held. 
He must strive to obtain the best ||gfa1 
upon Ids topic. The art <>t teaehinK has 
for one of Its fundamental rules that the 
teacher must not only be barely ac- 
quainted with, but growlngly Interested 
In and growlngly familiar with, the topic 
which he would teach. As soon as a 
man feels that he knows his subject bo 



The Christian Life. 



— 324 — 



Young Men. 



thoroughly that he need not study it 
afresh for the next hour of instruction, 
he has begun to lose in that personal grip 
alike upon the subject and himself and 
his pupil, without which the richer ele- 
ments of education can never be real- 
ized. — Wm. Douglas Mackenzie, D. D. 

2272. Do we want to transfer our face 
to the canvas, that it may bear our ex- 
pression to dear ones, when the original 
lies silent in the grave? We select an 
artist whose mind has been trained 
and whose hand and taste are prepared. 
The teacher is a painter, striving to 
transfer to living souls Christ's features 
— to make the earthly bear the image of 
the heavenly. 

Young Men. (2273-2293) 

2273. The principal dangers confront- 
ing men as I saw them on the bench 
were: 1. A loose view of honesty, lead- 
ing them to handle other people's money 
with a lingering touch and a longing 
look — trying to devise ways to make 
something without working for it. Re- 
sult: Gambling, due bills, manipulated 
accounts, embezzlement. 2. A loose view 
of truth, leading them to conform their 
memories to their inclinations. Result: 
Loss of integrity, perjury. 3. A loose 
view of virtue, leading them to suspect 
everybody, to talk about everybody, and 
to act themselves as they pretend to 
think others are acting. Result: Lack 
of moral tone, disease, degeneration. 
4. A loose opinion of character, leading 
them to indifference as to what they do 
or as to what others think of them. 
Result: Lack of standing, bad name, dis- 
charge, disgrace. 5. A loose view of 
temptation; leading them to forget its 
author, to dally with its pretended pleas- 
ures, and thus to weaken the will, and 
lessen the power of resistance. — Judge 
Spencer, in Association Men. 

2274. The fatal fault of a host of 
young men is cowardice. In the con- 
flicts of life they are pitiably vanquished 
because their spears are made of soft 
pine, and their back-bone is mere pulp! 
William Wilberforce did not shrink from 
sneers when in the British Parliament 
he was called "that honorable and re- 
ligious gentleman," and his courage car- 
ried negro emancipation. John Wesley 
had need of courage when, a student at 
Oxford University, the club for Bible 
study and prayer which he organized 
was called the "Holy Club." — Cuyler. 

2275. In Massachusetts, in 1850, there 
was one criminal to every 800 of the 
population, in 1895 there was one crim- 
inal to every 225. More than half of the 
criminals are young men. 



2276. An impressive illustration of 
temptations that destroy the young is 
the rat-catcher plant, a vegetable pitch- 
er filled with liquid that will stupefy the 
rat or mouse or roach that comes to it 
seeking to allay its thirst. Having stu- 
pefied the victim, this pitcher-plant 
closes about his neck, pressing two 
spines or spikes into his neck. And so, 
even if he revives from the knockout 
drops, he is held fast, and in time is 
drawn fully into the plant, to be ab- 
sorbed by it. The parallel between this 
"pitcher" and those which capture fool- 
ish and wicked youth is so manifest 
that it need not be further explained. — 
Crafts. 

2277. "When I received this volume 
small 

My years were barely seventeen 
When it was hoped I might be all, 
Which, once, alas! I might have been. 
And now my years are twenty-five, 
And every mother hopes her lamb, 
And every happy child alive, 
May never be what now I am." — 

Written by Hartley Coleridge in his 
Bible. 

2278. The dangers that beset youth 
and early manhood are just as obvious 
as the advantages. Warm blood breeds 
warm passions. Presumption is often 
the twin brother to dash and energy. 
Self-conceit is at the bottom of half the 
infidelity that troubles the cultivated 
youth of these times. Inexperience also 
tempts eager and energetic young men 
to drive too close to the edge of many a 
precipice; the number of those whom I 
have seen go over these precipices into 
the shattered ruin of body and soul 
makes me shudder to think of. No 
office of a faithful minister is more im- 
portant than to swing a red lantern of 
warning before the eyes of the young — 
who are so much more apt to put their 
force on the engines than upon the 
brakes. — Dr. Cuyler. 

2279. Some young men glory in phys- 
ical strength merely for its own sake, or 
for the sake of its lower manifestations. 
They are body worshipers. In their esti- 
mation muscle is the crowning quality 
of manhood. But measured by such a 
standard man is evidently not the king 
of creation. A lion can crush his skull 
with one blow of his mighty paw; a 
grizzly bear could "knock out" the 
champion prize-fighter of the world in 
the first round, and eat him in the sec- 
ond; a monkey can easily beat the best 
turner on all sorts of mid-air supports; 
the champion oarsman of the globe 
could not compete with a sea-lion; and 
in the "broad jump" the kangaroo has 
no human equal. The glory of physical 



The Christian Life. 



— 325 — 



Young Men. 



strength is an earth-born quality, and 
>oon departs. — The Young Men's Era. 

2280. One of the exquisite wonders of 
the -ca is called the opelet. It is about 
as large as the German aster, looking, 
in fact, very much like one. Imagine 
a very large double aster, with a great 
many long petals of a light green color, 
glossy as satin, and each one tipped with 
rose color. These lovely petals do not 
lie quietly in their places, but wave 
away in the water, while the opelet 
clings to the rocks. How innocent and 
lovely it looks on its rocky bed! Who 
would suspect that it would eat any- 
thing grosser than dew and sunlight? 
But those beautiful, waving arms, as 
you call them, have use besides looking 
pretty. They have to provide for a 
large, open mouth, which is hidden 
down deep among them — so deep that 
one can scarcely find it. Well do they 
perform their duty, for the instant a 
foolish little fish touches one of the rosy 
tips lie is struck with poison as fatal 
to him as lightning. Me immediately 
becomes numb, and in a moment stops 
struggling, and then the other arms 
wrap themselves around him, and he is 
drawn into the huge, greedy mouth, and 
is seen no more. Then the lovely arms 
unclose and wave again in the water to 
grasp another victim. The allurements 
of sin are to be compared with the ope- 
lets of the sea. Young men can keep 
out of their reach if they try to do so. — 
Dr. Wilbur F. Crafts. 

2281. It is told of a monarch who, 
soon after he was crowned, became 
aware of a plot to assassinate him, that 
he said: "I -.hall reign worthily while I 
am permitted to reign. Tt' I am an em- 
peror only for half an hour, in that half- 
hour I will he every Inch an emperor." 
No one can aim too high in the Chris- 
tian life. One may have a purely 
worldly ambition far beyond one's pow- 
ers of achievement, but none ever yet 
had too high an ideal of Christian per- 
fection, no matter if they failed to at- 
tain it. There can be no high achieve- 
ments without the highest ideals. — Men. 

2282. The great Chinese wall is the 
unrivalled wonder of the world's Indus- 
try. It Is 1259 miles long. 20 feet high. 
25 feet thick, and contains 20,000 towers 
40 feet smtare at the base and 37 feet 

high n look I dreds of years to build 

it ami it is the mosl stupendous struc- 
ture erected by man. If laid down in 
the I'nited States It would reach from 
Niagara Kails to Dallas, Texas, or from 
New Orleans to New York. It would 
wall our Atlantic pcaboard from Nova 
Scotia to Florida: yet with the aid of 
modern machinery, the young men of 



America represent enough force to dig 
the clay from the earth manufacture 
the bricks and construct the wall com- 
plete in five days. If they would begin 
to save and place at interest one dollar 
per week and continue to do so until 
sixty years of age, they would thus ac- 
cumulate a sum surpassing the entire 
wealth of every kind and nature, both 
personal and real, public and private, of 
the United States at the present time. 
For each one to he sick one day is equal 
to 30,000 being sick an entire year. — 
Manhood's Morning. 

2283. I once made a voyage across the 
Atlantic, in which the weather was so 
pleasant and all things ran so easily that 
I suspect the most of us felt about equal 
to the captain, and concluded it was no 
great thing to run a steamer after all, 
when you once got the lines. But when 
a great storm struck us as we passed 
Cape Race, and all night long the good 
ship shuddered and panted through the 
wild waters, and when, next morning, 
peering deckward, we saw the faithful 
fellow standing by the mainmast with 
his arms twisted about the ropes, swing- 
ing in the tempest, watching it with 
steady eyes, alert and cheerful, though 
he had been on deck all night, turning 
his ship round in the teeth of the tem- 
pest and the trough of the sea, so that 
she might escape the awful avalanche 
of waters which were filling men with 
dismay, then we knew our captain, — 
Robert Collyer, D. D. 

2281. One afternoon Socrates fled the 
city heat to sit beside a cool fountain 
underneath a plane-tree beyond the 
walls, reasoning there serenely with his 
friends concerning immortality. After 
some hours Pliaedrus proposed that they 
return. Socrates responded: "Oujiht not 
you and I to pray before we leave?" 
And Socrates, nominal pagan but essen- 
tial Christian, prayed thus: "O thou 
Author of nature, well-beloved, grant 

that I may be beautiful in the inner 
man." — "The Ripening Experiences of 
Life." 

2285. Too long the men who hear Ms 
name 

Save loitered in the rear. 
Content that weaker bands should toil 

To bring the kingdom near: 
Too long their sisters In the light 

Have borne the battle's brunt; 
But now In men the feeling swells 

That they should be In front. 
They hear (he call: they fall in line 

With bullion, brawn and brain. 
And ask to share the thrill anil Joy 

< >f making known the name 
or Jesus Christ In every part 



The Christian Life. 



— 326 — 



Young Men. 



Of this terrestrial ball, 
Till pagans fling away their gods 
And crown him Lord of all. 

— Robert F. Coyle, D. D. 

2286. The science of physics speaks of 
an energy which is termed energy of 
position. The hammer of a pile-driver 
when it is in position to descend, a mill- 
pond when it is full of water, and the 
weights of a clock when wound up, have 
energy of position, for by descending to 
lower levels they generate - power. It 
may be said of power in general that it 
is a running down from higher levels or 
pressures, and when the lowest level is 
reached power is exhausted. Equilibri- 
um is the grave of power. A young 
man has strength of position. Life is 
before him. He may have sixty years 
of life before him in which- to use his 
strength, and how much may be done in 
that length of time! — The Young Men'* 
Era. 

2287. The world needs not so much 
fine logic as holy manhood. The truth 
of Christianity cannot be revealed apart 
from a human life. Those poor Afri- 
cans knew nothing of the light of the 
world, and in their blindness they bowed 
down to wood and stone. But at length 
there comes among them a man in 
whom Jesus Christ lived, and in David 
Livingstone Africa saw the Christ. Bur- 
mah knew nothing of the incarnated 
God and was lost in heathen supersti- 
tions, but there came a man to them 
whom they called "Jesus Christ's man," 
and in Adoniram Judson they found the 
truth. — Epworth Herald. 

2288. A distinguished English states- 
man, in referring to the brilliant move- 
ment of Commodore Dewey at the siege 
of Manila, said: "Everything depends 
upon the man in modem warfare." 

2289. A young aspirant for office in 

one of the Western States arriving at 
the hotel where the governor was stop- 
ping, and seeing a man whom he sup- 
posed to be the porter, ordered him to 
take his trunk to his room. The sup- 
posed porter charged him twenty-five 
cents which he paid with a marked sil- 
ver quarter worth only twenty cents. 
The young office-seeker then said, 
"Here, porter, take my card to Gover- 
nor Grimes' room and tell him I wish an 
interview with him at his earliest con- 
venience." "I am Governor Grimes, 
sir." "Oh! I did not know you were 
Governor Grimes! I beg a thousand 
pardons!" "None needed," replied the 
governor. "I was rather favorably im- 
pressed with your letter and had 
thought you well suited for the office 
you desire;" and holding up before him 



the defective quarter, he said: "Any 
man who would swindle a poor laborer 
out of the paltry sum of five cents 
would defraud the public treasury if he 
had the opportunity. Good evening, 
sir." 

2290. A student went to the room of 
a friend to speak with him on personal 
religion. His courage failed and the 
conversation drifted naturally to ath- 
letics and current topics, but it was evi- 
dent that the visitor's heart was not in 
the talk. "Harry, what's the matter 
with you? You don't seem to be your- 
self. What's on your mind?" "Well, 
Fred, to tell you the truth you're on my 
mind. I came over here to have a 
straight talk with you and all my sand 
gave out." "You came over to talk 
with me about being a Christian, didn't 
you, and I've been wondering since the 
beginning of the term why you didn't 
say something about it before." Then 
after half an hour's conversation the 
two boys knelt side by side and prom- 
ised God they would walk the Christian 
life together. Two things were accom- 
plished. The angels rejoiced over Fred's 
surrender, and Harry experienced a 
quickening of his own spiritual nature 
such as he had not known before. Fred 
stands for scores of men who only need 
a warm-hearted friend to bring them 
over the line. — Men. 

2291. Were the 12,000,000 young men 
in the United States to form in line, 
marching ten abreast and twelve feet 
apart, they would form one unbroken 
column 2600 miles long. Were they to 
clasp hands they would form two un- 
broken lines, reaching from the Atlan- 
tic lo the Pacific ocean. If each one 
built a house, of the average size, the 
buildings would line both sides of eight 
streets reaching across our continent. 
They represent sufficient labor to dig 
the iron ore from the mines, manufac- 
ture it into wire, lay the foundations, 
and construct and complete the great 
New York and Brooklyn Bridge in three 
hours. — Manhood's Morning. 

2292. A politician of considerable rep- 
utation, but of low instincts, was seated 
between two clergymen one night at a 
public dinner. Not content with making 
his two neighbors somewhat uncomfort- 
able while the courses were served, he 
continued to ridicule them when he was 
called upon for a speech. One of the 
clergymen had spoken eloqently and hu- 
morously. The politician followed him 
with offensive raillery, beginning with 
an appeal for sympathy because he had 
been sandwiched between two sanctimo- 
nious sinners, and ending by telling sev- 



The Christian Life. 



— 327 — 



Education. 



eral obscene stories about ministers. 
There was a hush of expectation when 
the chairman called upon the second 
clergyman, a well-known public orator, 
for a speech in defence of his cloth. The 
clergyman rose with quiet dignity, but 
with signs of indignation in his usually 
genial face. "The speech to which we 
have just listened," he remarked, "I 
would describe as a bit of foul tongue 
sandwiched between two clean pieces of 
bread." Then he took, his seat abruptly. 
A moment afterward he said "Good 
night!" to the other clergyman and 
strode out of the room. The politician's 
face flushed, and those who had been 
laughing at his rude jests and tainted 
stories looked as if they were ashamed 
of themselves. An awkward pause was 
filled with a rambling ineffective speech. 
Then the company with one consent 
broke up. — Youth's Companion. 

Education. (2293-2313) 

2293. I am often humiliated when I 
hear education spoken of and titled 
from mere mercenary motives. Educa- 
tion does not command the highest com- 
mercial \alue — yet looking at it f r om 
the highest standpoint, it is invaluable. 
If a man spends an hour a day for 300 
days, in reading, at the end of that time 
he has read thirty volumes of 300 pages 
each, which is in itself quite a library. 
Elihu Burritt mastered eighteen lan- 
guages and twenty-two dialects between 
the age of 4 and GO years. This was 
done by study in the evenings, after 
having worked all day at the black- 
smith's forge. The greatest star discov- 
erer or our day is a man in Chicago, 
who has spent his days as a court re- 
porter, but his nights as a student of the 
heavens. The man who loves knowl- 
edge and who desires to broaden himself 
will find some opportunity for self-im- 
provement. In the beginning of my 
ministry an old preacher said to me, 
"Young man. if I stood where you do, 
I would make up my mind to know 
Something and know it well." Mis winds 
have rung in my ears ever since. A 
man's life is measured by his knowledge. 
Christ said: "This is eternal life, to 
know God." To know something — to 
know God. Any man can make himself 
at home in a realm of knowledge that 
seems to lie outside of bis environment, 
ii he will only resolve to do -<>. The 
man who Is simply a money-getter does 
not, to my mind, represent the highest 
type of manhood. — Dr. G. W. White. 

22«l. What is n teacher? He Is a 
driver-home of troth. In this age of 
hustle and rush we are In danger of for- 



getting that definition. The danger be- 
sets us in our own reading and thinking, 
as well as in our work. We take our 
religion in snippets. We are often so 
occupied in tapping tin tacks that we are 
losing the power of driving home bolts. 
To be extensive, we must be intensive. 
The man who strongly influences his fel- 
lows is he who can say, not "These many 
things I attempt," but, "This one thing 
1 do." Of some teachers it may be af- 
firmed that if they taught less, they 
would teach more. A slice of bread 
digested is more strengthening than a 
loaf swallowed. — Carey Bonner. 

2295. There is one mind common to 
all individual men. Every man is an 
inlet to the same, and to all of the 
same. He that is once admitted to the 
right of reason, is made a freeman of 
the whole estate. What Plato has 
thought he may think, what a saint has 
felt he may feel, what at any time has 
befallen any man he can understand. 
Who hath access to this universal mind 
is a party to all that is or can be done, 
for this is the only and sovereign agent. 
— Emerson. 

2296. The influence of the Christian 
college in the life of the church is tre- 
mendous. The badge of the age is an 
interrogation point. Even in the church 
the power to start inquiry seems often 
to be looked upon as a part of worship. 
The door must not be shut in the face 
of inquiry, or doubt will come piling in 
at the windows. If "the age of doubt" is 
not to eventuate in an age of denial, the 
c hrlstian college must guide this spirit 
of inquiry to true answers. The home, 
the Church and the nation need the 
Christian college. — Chancellor McDowell. 

2297. When a boy I sat beside a far- 
mer, one day, at the Commencement 
exercises of Illinois College while the 
services were being held out of doors. 
His son was among the graduates that 
day, and had just acquitted himself 
most creditably in an oration, when I 
observed to the father that a college 
education was a great blessing to a 
young man. "Yes." said he. "You see 
a feller is born to be cither a man or n 
donkey, and a college education just 
helps bun to flnd out » little sooner or 
later which he's going to be." — Freder- 
ick W. Hurnham. 

2298. True culture looks beyond (In- 
utility that fixes the marketable price of 
brains, and it has n nobler Impulse than 
to make an almanac, grace a college- 
chair, or fill a place In the world's eye. 
It feels that mind has higher uses than 
to get dally bread for the body and serve 
the purposes of economy and thrift. In 
the same spirit It alms at something 



The Christian Life. 



— 328 — 



Education. 



more than the favorable opinions of 
mankind. Neither worldly success nor 
worldly distinction is undervalued or 
neglected, but it rests on the conviction 
that the soul has an infinitely grander 
work to perform than to nurse the ani- 
mal structure or gratify the tastes of so- 
ciety. And in this moral temper it 
strives to improve the intellect by disci- 
plining all its faculties, by elevating its 
range of contemplation, by habituating 
it to communion with great objects. — 
Harper's Magazine. 

2299. A president of one of our col- 
leges has said that education should be 
six-fold in its scope and character. "It 
should give the student a body strong 
and supple; an intellect able to think; 
a heart to love; a conscience for right- 
eousness; an imagination to appreciate 
the beautiful, and a will strong to 
choose.." 

2300. Education ought to help one to 
an early and clear conception of his 
mission. One of the prime purposes of 
the smoky, industrious little tugs which 
ply their craft upon the waters of our 
great seaports is to lead out, from their 
docks and moorings, the great ocean 
steamers to the place where, beyond the 
breakwater and the land-locked bays, 
they feel the deep swell of the ocean 
tide, and there, loosing the hawser, point 
the prow toward the far-going voyage 
and the distant destination, and plunge 
out into the deep. So the first mission 
of education is to lead out the young life 
from the locked and sheltered harbor of 
home and parental control to the place 
of self-direction. To the ocean of deep 
water, tides, winds and storms one must 
come, and it is the business of his edu- 
cation to see that he comes thither pre- 
pared for what is before him. — Burn- 
ham. 

2301. If the years spent in pursuit 
of education increase the farmer's 
chances of getting satisfaction out of 
life, they are profitably spent, even 
though they leave him somewhat behind 
in the race for dollars. For dollars and 
contentment are not synonymous terms, 
and the man who can combine few dol- 
lars with intelligent contentment is obvi- 
ously better off than the man who, hav- 
ing more dollars than he can use, finds 
that the only employment which is 
really congenial to him is accumulating 
more. 

It is more profitable to spend some 
time in youth in cramming the mind 
with knowledge not immediately useful, 
than to be compelled for lack of other 
resources to spend one's old age cram- 
ming one's pockets with money that one 
does not want. — Saturday Evening Post. 



2302. The educated man has greater 
ability to grasp new truth and facts. 

The uneducated man is more likely to 
be unbalanced by new schemes and isms. 
The educated man has a broader mind 
and is more open to the opinions of 
others. 

What special advantage does the col- 
lege-trained man gain over the self- 
made man, socalled? The educated man 
has the advantage of being able to think 
more systematically. He has at his con- 
trol a mass of facts, and he is. trained 
to see the fallacy in false schemes. — 
D. L. Moody. 

2303. An old Greek officer counseled 
the generals on the eve of an engage- 
ment that "the secret of victory is in 
getting a good ready." That is the se- 
cret of victory not only in warfare, but 
in every life struggle. — J. F. Carson, D.D. 

2304. The aim of the Christian college 

is not reached by turning out students 
who are merely believers in Christianity, 
who consent calmly and indifferently to 
its creed. It aims to fill its students 
with the spirit of St. Paul, to make them 
alive in the service of Christ, and to fire 
them with the enthusiasm of humanity. 

There are special reasons today which 
show that the part taken by the Chris- 
tian college in our national life is grow- 
ing important and strategic. America, 
already the richest of nations, is to be- 
come far richer. The number of the 
wealthy will be increased, and millions 
will have most of the comforts, and even 
luxuries, which the very rich now enjoy. 
The tendency of opulence is t'o enervate. 
Christian character needs to be hard- 
ened and fortified against luxury. And 
a "manhood that can stand money" is 
what the Christian college aims to pro- 
duce. 

Our civilization rushes to a vast and 
fatal plunge unless God is enthroned in 
the educated minds of our people. Edu- 
cation without religion is architecture 
without foundation and roof. — Barrows. 

2305. Teaching has three objects; 1) 
The communication of knowledge. 2) 
The stimulating of the activity of the 
student. 3) The development of char- 
acter. 

2306. Efficiency through education: 
Miss Calhoun, one of the most expert 
money handlers in the Treasury Depart- 
ment at Washington, has the remarka- 
ble record of counting 85,000 coins in a 
single day, each coin passing through 
her hands, and so delicate has her sense 
of touch become, that, should there be a 
counterfeit coin in the lot, she would 
detect it even when counting at this tre- 
mendous rate. She spreads the coins 



The Christian Life. 



— 329 — 



Education. 



upon a large glass top desk, and draws 
them off with the tips of her fingers, 
one, two, three, or four at a time, as she 
pleases, for her four ringers are all 
equally educated to the work. Her eyes 
have nothing to do with the detection 
of false coins. Her fingers do it all. 
They have become so very familiar with 
the exact weight of a true coin, the feel- 
ing of it. and the amount of its resistance 
upon the glass desk, that a piece of 
spurious gold, silver, nickel, or copper 
money attracts her attention instantly. — 
N. Y. Advertiser. 

2:$07. Education appreciated. — Dr. 
Brumbaugh, superintendent of the pub- 
lic schools of Philadelphia, tells of a 
Porto Rican mother who walked miles 
each morning to take her little boy to 
the American school which had just 
been established. Between her cabin 
and the school-house was a river, and 
this she forded with her little boy poised 
upon her head. "When she had put him 
down at the school-house door, she went 
to the grove near by to dry her clothing 
and to await the closing of school in the 
evening. The fording was repeated on 
the homeward trip. After the little fel- 
low had eaten his supper and had been 
put to bed, this devoted mother worked 
half the night to make up for the time 
lost in taking her little one to the Amer- 
ican school over which floated the Amer- 
ican flag. 

J:'.<>8. So, also, men make wealth by 
their thoughts as well as by their hand-. 
A Morse dreams of telegraphic com- 
munication, and his thought materializes 
in hundreds of millions of value in tele- 
graph stocks. A Stevenson dreams of lo- 
comotive traction, and we have thou- 
sands of millions of dollars in railroads. 
An Edison conceives of speaking by a 
wire, and we have millions upon millions 
of wealth In telephones created by his 
thought. What, do you ask, does thought 
make money? Yes, I say. the thoughts 
of these and other thinkers create- act- 
ual money values. So you see that th? 
thoughts of men make wealth as well 
as the work of their hands. — Lansing. 

2309. A little negro slave boy on a 
Southern plantation, one single game nt. 
a coarse flaxen shirt, his only covering: 
he had never slept In a bed — not he; 
who his father was he never knew, nor 
his own age. He once went as far as 
the school-house door with his little 
mistress, to carry her books, and had 
the feeling that "to get Into a school- 
house and study would be about the 
same as getting Into Paradise." 

Alter the emancipation proclamation 
— a boy of ten or twelve years of age, 
working in the salt mines of West Vir- 



ginia, but with an intense longing for an 
education: a little later attending night- 
school. Again we see him on his way 
to Hampton Institute, a distance of five 
hundred miles, with scarcely any money 
to buy clothing or pay his fare; some- 
times walking and sometimes begging 
rides, sleeping under the sidewalk or in 
any shelter he might rind, to save his 
money; reaching Hampton, at last, with 
just twenty-five cents in his pocket and 
looking like a worthless tramp. 

Later we see him as a student, doing 
janitor work to help pay his way. Here, 
for the first time, he ate from a table- 
cloth, learned the use of napkins, tooth 
brush and the bath, also of sheets; the 
first night he slept under them both, and 
the next night on top of both. At 
length, graduating with honor, lie be- 
comes a teacher: is called back to deliv- 
er a post-graduate address, is tendered 
a reception in Richmond at which two 
thousand colored people were present, 
in a hall not far from the place where 
he slept under the sidewalk. Beloved 
and respected by both white and black 
is Booker T. Washington, president of 
Tuskegee Institute. 

2:510. The influence of education may 
develop In a beautiful symmetry the 
constitutional excellences. It may cul- 
tivate the natural sentiments, refine the 
tastes, exalt and ennoble the temper and 
tone of the mind, give dignity and grace 
to the manners, light and authority to 
conscience, force and principle to char- 
acter. It may inspire respect and rev- 
erence for the rites and solemnities of 
religion, form religious habits, and fill 
the breast with high religious venera- 
tion. Kut it cannot shed abroad the 
love of God In the heart, nor bring the 
soul under the power of the Cross, nor 
diffuse through it the spirit of Jesus, 
nor teach it to live by faith, nor intro- 
duce into it any of those fruits of the 
Holy Spirit without which all religion is 
a name and a delusion. — T. H. Skinner. 

2:511. A good education was thus de- 
line. 1 by Edward Everett: "Bead the 
English language well, write with dis- 
patch a ne;it, legible hand, and In- mas- 
ter of the first four rules of arithmetic 
so as to dispose of at once, with accu- 
racy, every question of figures which 
comes up In practice; and If you add the 
ability to write pure grammatical Eng- 
lish, you have an excellent education. 
These are the tools. Vim can ih< much 
with them, but you are helpless without 
them. They are the foundation; and' 
unless you begin with these, all your 
flashy attainments, a little geology, and 
all other ologles and osophles are osten- 
tatious rubbish." 



The Christian Life. 



— 330 — 



Books. 



2312. No part of our national defences 
are more important than our schools. 

No agency today is more efficient in 
transforming the untoward conditions 
brought about by the incoming tide of 
immigration than our public school. 
Our greatest security for the future re- 
quires a larger degree of attention to 
the moral and spiritual development of 
our youth. The best influences should be 
cast about them, especially during the 
period when they are in the preparatory 
school and the college. In these institu- 
tions are being trained our future lead- 
ers. They must meet the perils of the 
coming years; and the best part of their 
equipment will be love of truth and sin- 
cerity, and fidelity to conscience. Let us 
honor and strengthen our educational 
institutions because of the noble work 
they have done and are doing. — The 
Christian Advocate. 

2313. When a chief of the Cherokees 
was asked why the Cherokees are so 
much in advance of the other tribes, he 
replied: "Because we have taken care to 
educate our women as well as the men." 
— Home Missionary Monthly. 

Books. (2314-2319) 

2314. The biographer of Loiey Larcom 

tells us that the aspiring girl pinned all 
manner of selections of prose and verse 
which she wished to learn at the sides 
of the window beside which her loom 
was placed; and in this way, in the in- 
tervals of work, she familiarized herself 
with a great deal of good literature. . . . 
To have, a book in one's pocket, and the 
power of fastening one's mind upon it to 
the exclusion of every other object or 
interest, is to be independent of the li- 
brary, with its unbroken quietness. 

2315. The best things to be gotten out 
of books are not reserved for people of 
leisure; on the contrary, they are often- 
est possessed by those whose labors are 
many and whose leisure is limited. . . . 
James Smethem, the English artist, 
feeling keenly the imperfections of his 
training, formulated a plan of study 
combining art, literature, and the reli- 
gious life, and devoted twenty-five years 
to working it out. Goethe spent more 
than sixty years- in the process of devel- 
oping himself harmoniously on all sides; 
and few men have wasted less time than 
he. And yet in the case of each of these 
rigorous and faithful students there were 
other, and, for long periods, more en- 
grossing occupations. . . . It is not wealth 
of time, but what Mr. Gladstone has 
aptly called "thrift of time," which 
brings ripeness of mind within reach of 
the great mass of men and women. — 
Hamilton Wright Mabie. 



2316. The book to read is not the one 
that thinks for you, but the one which 
makes you think. — Pres. McCosh. 

2317. If anybody would make me the 
greatest king that ever lived, with pal- 
aces and gardens, and fine, dinners, and 
wine and coaches, and beautiful clothes, 
and hundreds of servants, on condition 
that I would not read books, I would not 
be a king — I would rather be a poor 
man in a garret with plenty of books, 
than a king who did not love reading. — - 
Macaulay. 

2318. A conservative estimate places 
the annual number of new books at 
twenty-five thousand. To select the few 
from this number which are good and 
valuable would be an impossible task. 
If wise, the reader will permit public 
opinion and literary critics to determine 
which are worth time and effort. Emer- 
son says: "Never read any book until 
it is a year old; never read any but 
famed books; never read any but what 
you like." If, however, one dislikes 
Shakespeare and en;'oys a trashy novel 
it is an indication of distorted taste. — 
Downs. 

2319. In tracing the development of 
systems of government and the evolu- 
tion of man, historians do not emphasize 
those nations which, because of geo- 
graphical barriers, racial animosities, 
linguistic difficulties, or mental obtuse- 
ness, failed to record and transmit to 
succeeding ages the record of their 
achievements and discoveries. The papy- 
rus, scrolls, the birch-bark carvings, the 
clay tablets and the chiseled hiero- 
glyphics were the books through which 
the investigations of the ancients were 
disclosed after the writers and the na- 
tions which they represented had been 
forgotten. Bacon speaks of books as 
"ships of thought, voyaging through the 
sea of time and carrying their precious 
freight from generation to generation." 
Downs. 

Thought. Meditation. Reflection. 
Influence of Mind on Body. 

(2320-2331) 

2320. In the British navy, whenever 
any sudden disaster, such as an explo- 
sion, occurs, it is the bugler's duty to 
play what is called "The Still," and when 
the men hear it each is to stop perfectly 
quiet for a moment and re-collect his 
senses and thus be better prepared for 
intelligent action in the emergency. 

2321. If it is true, as the psycholo- 
gists are telling us, that every emotional 
state produces some corresponding 



The Christian Life. 



— :m — 



Thought. 



change in the body, then not only is it 
true that bad stomachs cause bad tem- 
pers, but also that nothing troubles the 
functioning of the stomach like moody 
dispositions. It is as impossible to live 
our best lives in an atmosphere where 
there are strained relations between hus- 
band and wife, where there is jealousy, 
constant bursts of anger or violent tem- 
pers as it is to live in a house where 
every window is sealed and no air can 
enter. — Hawkins. 

2322. Dr. Flinders Petrie asserts that 
man is at a standstill in physical devel- 
opment, and that the same thing is true 
of his mind. When we become familiar 
with the details of the early ages noth- 
ing is more astonishing than to see how 
unaltered the mind of man is in its es- 
sentials, he says. So it is and so it will 
be forever with the carnal man of brain 
and bone and flesh. As he was in the 
beginning, so he is now and ever will be. 
It is along- the line of the spiritual that 
man's growth and development are to 
be henceforth, and it will be carried on 
through the creative power of thought. 
The thinking of a pure mind can and 
will create a new man. an invisible spir- 
itual man, within this body and brain, 
already at their zenith of development, 
with infinite capacity to improve, mov- 
ing toward an ideal in this world and 
the next, answering within to a divine 
impulsion without until the deformed 
man of the first Adam is transformed 
into the likeness of the perfect man Je- 
sus Christ. 

2323. They tell us that we pass from 
thought to thought by bridges of sug- 
gestion and association. I!ut all roads 
lead to our meditations, and it seems 
sometimes as if the law of suggestion 
had been swept aside by some insistent 
power which looks through every win- 
dow, enters every door, besieges every 
unguarded and unoccupied chamber of 
the soul and passes, unchallenged and 
unforbidden, our keenest sentries. What 
does it all mean? It means that the 
soul is saturated with one Bet of Ideas, 
and has become subtly, and sometimes 
almost tragically, capable of finding 
ways of connecting every aspect of life 
with its central and commanding theme. 
If we have so lived that our meditations 
have become holy, reverent, unstained, 
sincere and humble, then the very center 
of our conscious life Is an inexhaustible 
fountain of felicity and strength. If. 
through our weakness and our perver- 
sions, we have given ourselves over to 
greedy and iinlwilj and sellish thoughts, 
we walk — ah, God! by what prisonous 
and miasmatic waters. — Rev. G. Glenn 
Atkins, D. D., Congregationalism 



2324. Speaking of thought's power to 
gird for achievement, or lash into de- 
spair, Daniel Webster said, in the 
mous Knapp murder trial: "With con- 
science satislied with the discharge of 
duty, no consequences can harm you. 
There is no evil that we can not either 
face or fly from but the consciousness of 
duty disregarded. A sense or duty pur- 
sues us ever. It is omnipresent, like 
Deity. If we take to ourselves the 
wings of the morning, and dwell in the 
uttermost parts of the sea, duty per- 
formed or duty violated is still with us. 
for our happiness or for our misery. It' 
we say the darkness shall cover us. 
in the darkness as in the light our 
obligations are yet with us. We can 
not escape their power, nor fly from 
their presence. They are with us 
in this life, will be with us at its close, 
and in that scene of inconceivable sol- 
emnity, which lies yet farther onward, 
we shall still find ourselves surrounded 
by the consciousness of duty, to pain us 
whenever it has been violated, and to 
console us so far as God may have given 
us grace to perform it." 

2325. Some time ago I was talking 
with a friend. 1 inquired about his 
wife. "Well." he said, in reply, "my 
wife is always well, and always happy. 
I used to think that she had not the 
same sensitive nature that I have. 
When anything occurs to annoy me I 
am utterly upset. I can not eat my 
breakfast; I can not do my business; I 
am really 111. Hut the other day I found 
out the secret. Something had gone 
wrong, which very much worried me. 
In the course of the morning I went in- 
to the house, and found her cheerily 
going on with her work, actually singing 
as she bent over it; I felt quite annoyed. 
'Really, my dear,' I said, 'you don't seem 
at all put out by what has happened to- 
day.' 

" 'Oh, no,' she said, T am not.' "Well,' 
I said, rather angrily; 'then I think you 
ought to be.' "Xo; no; you must nm gay 
that. Look here. Years ago I made 'up 
my mind that when anything went 
wrong I would ask myself honestly and 
earnestly: "Can I do any good by think- 
ing about it'.' Am I to blame in any 
way? If so, do not let me -pan- myself. 
Can I do anything to put a hetter face 
upon it?" If, after looking at It honestly 
all around, I found I could do no good, 
I made up my mind that I would give 
up thinking about it.' " 

"Thank you," said I to my friend. 
"That is the philosophy of the highest 
life — 'Whatsoever things are lovely, 
think on these things.'" — Christian 
Globe. 



The Christian Life. 



— 332 — 



Thought. 



2326. Thoughts are things. In 1632 a 
boy was born at Wring-ton, England, 

who was educated at Oxford. His ac- 
quaintances thought he devoted his time 
to subjects of no practical value. Later, 
he put the results of these studies into 
his Essay on the Human Understanding-. 
Few people read the book. But the few 
who did began to circulate its ideas. 
They were translated into French and 
Latin and were soon potent influences 
in the intellectual life of Europe. The 
ideas influenced the Encyclopedists of 
France, whose radical opinions cut the 
people from the moorings of traditional 
and age-long thought. The fire and the 
blood of the French Revolution were the 
legitimate expression of the speculative 
essay of John Locke. The persons whose 
heads were cut off in the Reign of Ter- 
ror must have thought the ideas ex- 
ceedingly practical. — James W. Lee. 

2327. Thought rules the world. Hum- 
boldt habitually dwelt in the realm of 
principles and ideas. He spent only five 
years in America, and it took twelve 
quartos and sixteen folios, and a half 
dozen helpers, and many years to put on 
record what he saw. 

The poem hangs on the berry bush, 
When comes the poet's eye, 
And the street is one long- masquerade 
When Shakespeare passes by. 

2328. There are very definite laws 
which determine the relation between 
thinking and events. Robert College of 
Constantinople planted the speds of the 
"Young Turk" Revolution which has 
recently transformed the Turkish Em- 
pire, and ended the "unspeakable" abso- 
lutism of Abdul Hamid with his depo- 
sition in 1909. Thoughts are things. 

2329. A missionary cited the case of 
an athletic young man who was brought 
to him one day by a venerable old chief- 
tain. From head to foot the young man 
was trembling with excitement. The 
cause of his illness was that he had by 
accident eaten a "sacred potato." He 
most firmly believed that for such an 
act of sacrilege the offended god had 
entered his stomach in the form of a 
lizard and was consuming his vitals. 
After making the orthodox examination 
of my patient, I gave him some aperient 
pills, and told him to keep quiet for a 
while and he would recover. The next 
day I was told that the young man was 
still ill, and would die. Repairing to 
the village, I found him pale, haggard 
but resigned, sitting at one end of a long 
hut open in front. From twenty to thir- 
ty chiefs were seated near him, smoking 
their pipes and discussing the current 
news. The old women were preparing 



the ovens for the entertainment of his 
friends, who would flock to the place 
on the report of his death. In three 
days he was to die, and they were mak- 
ing preparations for the event. 

I expressed my regret and disappoint- 
ment, and re-examined my patient. I 
found out my mistake; I had given him 
medicine internally. I would now apply 
it externally, and with an air of the 
greatest confidence, I assured them that 
he would recover immediately on its 
taking effect, and this they would know 
by its producing a stinging pain. On 
this I sent him a blistering plaster, with 
direction to apply it to the chest. In 
less than an hour the young man cried 
out, "It bites! it bites!" and all said. 
"Now he will recover," and so he did. — 
Youth's Companion. 

2330. Christian Science enjoys no soli- 
tary distinction of being able to heal dis- 
eases without drugs. The "royal touch" 
healed thousands, if human testimony 
can be relied upon. The Roman Cath- 
olic Church has healed thousands by 
means of relics and shrines. Lourdes 
is running today and with thousands of 
witnesses to its healing powers. At St. 
Aime de Beaupre in Canada stapks of 
crutches are left every year. Dowie 
healed many. Many of our best physi- 
cians recognize the value of suggestive 
therapeutics and are using it success- 
fully in the treatment of disease. Sur- 
geons are substituting "suggestion" for 
chloroform and ether. Recently the 
writer underwent a quite serious and 
delicate surgical operation. No surgeon 
in the city, except one, would have dared 
attempt the operation without chloro- 
form or ether. And yet the operation, 
under the influence of suggestion, and 
lasting fully thirty minutes, was per- 
formed painlessly while we watched the 
work and cracked jokes with the opera- 
tor. — F. Marion Sims. — Interior. 

2331. Although Eddyism in one form 
or another is as old as civilization, I am 
amazed that the undisciplined minds of 
Americans, usually so skeptical, should 
be taken in in such increasingly large 
numbers by an elderly woman with a 
smile. It is not against psychotherapy 
that I charge you, but against the prone- 
ness to overstate its claims as an avail- 
able remedy. No organic disease was 
ever cured by it, and its legitimate uses 
are circumscribed. The rational em- 
ployment of it in some cases is without 
doubt of incalculable benefit, but its 
wanton misuse is inexcusable. There 
are at least seven cuKs which have 
grown up about its tested worth, which 
are alike only in that they despise each 
other. They thrive partly because of 



The Christian Life. 



— 333 — 



Wealth. 



ignorance, partly because of the pride 
of untrained intellects pampered by the 
conceit that by subscribing to certain 
dogmas and sometimes paying fees they 
can themselves become "healers." I 
would not be understood as discrediting 
in any way the practice of treatment by 
influence upon the mind. A very large 
element in any cure is confidence in the 
physician. And nothing is more effica- 
cious at times than the presence of a 
clergyman, fostering as that does a sim- 
ple religious faith. All treatment, in 
fact, has something of the mental in it. 
I have myself called in a clergyman for 
assistance in cases I could not aid. I do 
not believe, however, that healing by 
suggestion is the domain of the clergy. 
— Dr. S. Weir Mitchell. 

Wealth. Stewardship. (2332-2379) 

2332. One of our prisons is said to dis- 
play to its inmates this inscription con- 
spicuously placed: "The worst day in 
the life of a young man is the day be 
gets the idea that he can make a dollar 
without doing a dollar's worth of work 
for it." Better taught late than never; I 
but why not early, in the school, the 
home and the church? Goethe said; 
"Our blessings are our greatest curses." | 
General Armstrong Bald; "When you see 
me getting rich pray for me." 

2333. In 1846 Moses Y. Beach printed 
a list of New York City's rich men. He 
gave the names of 1,02 4 possessing 
$100,000 each, and of 23 men with 
$1,000,000 each. Xow only millionaires 
are counted among the rich, and there 
are 1,300 of them in New York City 
alone. 

2334. In Australia, Sir Jervaise Clarke, 
has a sheep ranch worth $150,000,000; I 
and in South Africa "Abe" Benlcy is so 
rich that he gave 80.000,000 acres of 
valuable land as a contribution to the 
Salvation Army. 

2335. Among the millionaires of Lon- 
don. Sir Thomas Upton's $25,000,000 is 
"small fry" when compared with estates 
such as that of the infant Earl Grosven- 
or, valued conservatively at $80,000,000, 
or that of the premier Duke of Norfolk, 
whose income Is $7,500 a day. 

2:;:;<;. \ workman in a foundry finds 
B gap BS large as a man's band in ;i 
casting destined for an important place 
In the ocean steamer. I could name the 
shop where this was done. The work- 
man takes a piece of cold Iron, heats It 
and hammers in Into the gap, smooths 
over the surface and thereby saves the 
thousand dollars It would cost to reject 
the Diece and cast a new one. This very 



hour some ocean steamer, I know not 
whether passenger or freight, is carrying 
human lives on such security as that 
wedge of iron can give to that faulty 
casting. If ever disaster shall bring the 
passengers and crew of that vessel to a 
watery grave, will the money-loving 
foreman, who ordered that thing done t" 
save expense, be less a murderer than 
the money-loving Judas? — Pres. William 
Dewitt Hyde. 

2337. The Czar has always been called 
the richest man in the world, and his 
fortune is set at $1,200,000,000, but the 
Shah of Persia wears a green stone in 
his turban worth $4,000,000, and what- 
ever Persia herself is worth, is his. 

2338. Considering the growth in indi- 
vidual wealth, we are justified in fear- 
ing a development of money power dur- 
ing the next 50 years that will be full of 
peril. The safety of a nation is in the dif- 
fusion of its wealth. 

2339. John 1). Rockefeller's fortune is 

not less than $500,000,000. There are now 
10,087 known millionaires (more than 
one-half of whom — 5,027 — are in Ameri- 
ca), their fortunes totaling $9,000,000,- 
000. Every State and Territory is rep- 
resented in the list, and one millionaire, 
an Indian, Melvin Dempsey, is in Alaska. 
Nearly all of the remaining 5.0G0 mil- 
lionaires are in Europe, though Asia has^ 
900, and Africa and South America each 
have their share. 

2340. The great problem which we 
have now on hand is the Christianizing 
of the money power of the world. That 
tide-wave in the money power can as 
little be resisted, when God brings it on, 
as the tides of the sea; and like these 
also it will flow across the world in a 
day. — Horace Bushnell. 

2341. Ai the seaport town ol Po-hio 
In China, during a Christian meeting, a 
man arose and said: "Friends, you all 
know me. I have been a Christian less 
than a year. I own a seagoing junk, 
and yesterday we came into port, having 
been out In the great typhoon that swept 
the coast last week. Right in the midst 
of the storm the crew struck. . . I prayed 
God to Bend (hem back to work. lie 
did. Xow If I were still a worshiper of 
Idols, I woidd have gone today to the 
temple on the hill and offered a great 
sacrifice to show my gratitude. I do not 
want to be less thankful to the God who 
heard my prayer. I have brought here 
an offering Of fifty dollar-. Vim know 
better what to do with It, I leave It with 
you." This man had been out of hea- 
thenism less than a year. 

u:!r_'. \ Bad experience In my work as 
a missionary and agent of a benevolent 



Tha Christian Life. 



— 334 — 



Wealth. 



society is that whilst many decline com- 
paratively few advance in the race of 
Christian benevolence. A good old gen- 
tleman upon whom I called some time 
ago, made substantially this statement: 
"When I was a young man, having just 
entered upon a business career, I found 
myself greatly embarrassed for the want 
of a few hundred dollars. A young' law- 
yer, with whom I was but slightly ac- 
quainted, when told of my embarrass- 
ment, kindly furnished me with the 
money which I so much needed at the 
time. That lawyer has been eminently 
successful in his profession and has ac- 
cumulated a large fortune. I, too, have 
been measurably successful. But if I 
were in need of a few hundred dollars 
today, it is not at all likely that he 
would give me any help." Now, what a 
melancholy spectacle is here presented! 
A noble manhood going down before the 
uprising wealth ! — Reimensnyder. 

2343. Calvin laid but little stress upon 
money and the luxury possible through 
'wealth. Pius IV., when he heard of his 
death, said: "The strength of that here- 
tic consisted in this, that money never 
had the slightest charm for him. If I 
had such servants, my kingdom would 
extend from sea to sea." — William Hen- 
ry Roberts, D. D. 

2344. The Russian police recently ar- 
rested a woman who had been wanted 
for the past two years for having driven 
a lucrative trade in artificial mutilation. 
By injecting under the skin at the joints 
some preparation of petroleum, she pro- 
duced a very natural-looking contrac- 
tion of the joint operated on. Her cli- 
ents were those who desired, at as small 
an expense as possible, to escape being 
taken for soldiers, and among less de- 
serving and richer people a certain num- 
ber of clever swindlers who defrauded ac- 
cident insurance companies by effecting 
the same kind of disfigurement. It makes 
one shudder to think of a woman so de- 
graded as thus to live by administering 
disease and pain to others, and yet we 
are constantly licensing tens of thou- 
sands of people in the United States to 
make their living that way. The Rus- 
sian police suppressed this woman, but 
in America we license both men and 
women as saloon-keepers to communi- 
cate disease both of body and soul for 
greed. Surely "the love of money is the 
root of all evil." 

2345. I was talking with a millionaire 
one day, a man whose association has 
been with the wealthiest men in the 
country, and I asked him how many 
men he had ever known who were rich 
to whom the acquirement or possession 
of money had been a real help in the 



development of character. I told him 
to think about it carefully and tell me. 
After thinking for some time he said, 
"Not one." I then asked him how many 
rich men he had known to whom the ac- 
quirement or possession of money had 
been a hindrance, so far as the devel- 
opment of their characters was con- 
cerned; and he thought again very care- 
fully over quite a list, and said, "Nine- 
teen out of every twenty." — God's World. 

2346. The dangers of money-getting: 
1) Of yielding to the temptation to take 
advantage of others. 2) Of violating 
the law of love by fraud. 3) Of inflict- 
ing positive injury on others for gain. 
4) Of sacrificing our own higher inter- 
ests. 5) Of robbing God. 

2347. We need to distinguish carefully 
what is the regnant principle of our 
lives. Are we taking what God has giv- 
en to us as a sacred trust? Are we us- 
ing our gifts, be they many or few, for 
his glory, and are we willing to give him 
what he claims, by whatever messenger 
he sends for it? We may not recognize 
the messenger who shall make demands 
upon us. We may at first regard him as 
an intruder; as a beggar who asks for 
that to which he has no claim; but when 
we recognize that our Master sends him 
to us that we may give him of the fruits 
of our vineyard, then it becomes a differ- 
ent matter. We are to give freely to the 
rightful owner, and answer the messen- 
ger's appeal. — Christian Work. 

2348. One-tenth of a cent per day, or 
one cent in ten days, is the present aver- 
age contribution of the membership of 
the Christian Church throughout the 
world for the recovery of a thousand 
millions of heathen to a knowledge of 
that Gospel which we deem to be the 
bearer of boundless blessings to our 
race. And the fact is that the real 
average is much less than 'one-tenth of 
a cent per day, for it is to be borne in 
mind that quite a number give to the 
cause of missions who are not included 
in the membership of any of the church- 
es. It is therefore evident that many 
professing Christians are doing absolute- 
ly nothing, or next to nothing, toward 
the advancement of those missionary 
agencies to which has been committed a 
duty and responsibility of the most mo- 
mentous and solemn kind. — Harrison. 

2349. It was the message of the Span- 
iard to the Mexican sovereign, "If the 
King of Mexico has any gold let him 
send it to us, for I and my companions 
have a desire of heart which can only 
be cured by gold." 

2350. My definition of money is this: 
Money is myself. I am a working man, 



335 — 



Wealth. 



and on Saturday night I receive twelve 
dollars, which is one week's worth of my 
brawn — of myself, my energy — put into 
greenbacks and pocketed. Or I am a 
clerk in a store, and at the end of the 
week I get twenty dollars — the equiva- 
lent of a week of myself. Or 1 am a 
merchant, and find that a week's worth 
of myself is one thousand dollars. .Money 
in the pocket is something human, lor it 
represents power expended. The elec- 
tric storage battery is a marvel. The 
button is the governor of the stored 
power, able to light a house, move ma- 
chinery, cure a pain, or kill a man. 
Money, too, is stored power, stored only 
to be loosed. The question is, How shall 
it be loosed to build up or to destroy? — 
Rev. A. F. Schauffler, D. D. 

2331. A friend of mine, who at the 
time could have drawn his check for 
S20.000.000. once offered me $5,000.- 

000 to meet the appeals made upon 
me for money, if I would give him 
a guarantee that that, divided up 
amongst those whom I knew to be needy, 
and those who knew me, would end all 
applications. He was a shrewd man; he 
knew that I knew that if I had all the 
money in all the banks and vaults in 
America, it would not achieve that re- 
sult; that when it came to be known that 

1 had money to distribute, it would set 
the world howling after me. There 
must be at least 40,000.000 of people in 
America who want a little more money 
for something else. Now, in such a case 
as this, each person must regulate his 
outlay wisely, and never give anything, 
and never do anything, simply to get 
rid of the solicitors. — Deems. 

2352. Long-sighted kings of commerce 
should realize that they could make no 
better investment of their funds, in the 
way of preparing uncivilized countries 
for the entrance of their agents and the 
admission of their wares, than by en- 
dowing mis-ion workers. Here, as else- 
where, not only is it right, but it "pays" 
in material results to "seek first the 
kingdom of God." Years ago President 
Angcll. of Michigan University, said, in 
speaking to a gathering of capitalists: 
"The great empire of China will not re- 
cede and keep jour locomotives and 
telegraphs, until she has bowed her knee 
to your Christ. She will not yield her 
ancient civilization until she has sur- 
rendered her ancient religion." 

2353. Do not long after wealth: the 
men who have done most for the world 
I ki \ < ■ been those who could truly Bay, 
"Silver and gold have I none." — Drum- 
mond. 

2854. Christian leaders often discuss 
"how to save the masses", but it Is hard- 



er to save the rich. A thoughtful young 
lady of Fifth Avenue. New York, ex- 
claimed: "Who will save us. Hie lost 
ones of selfish wealth and wasteful, 
wanton luxury?" "How shall we evan- 
gelize the slums?" is discussed; but 
the harder proposition is "How to save 
the selfish suburbs." — Crafts. 

2355. I have seen miserable rich men 
and miserable poor ones, the misery of 
the one not coming because of his ricli- 
es, nor of the other because of his pov- 
erty. I knew a man whose income was 
a million a year and he spent a hundred 
and fifty dollars a month. I said to him, 
"What is your happiness?" His answer 
was, "Seeing the snowball grow." 
knew another who lived upon the fees 
which he received as a director in many 
corporations. He was persuaded late in 
life to visit Europe, and there came 
across an old associate who had become 
happy after retiring from a hard busi- 
ness life by studying art and accumulat- 
ing the treasures which he understood. 
He took his visitor to see a painting at 
the salon which was interesting all 
Europe. While explaining its beauties 
with rare enthusiasm, he turned to see his 
friend busy writing upon a pad. He said 
angrily, "What are you doing? Are you 
trying to copy this picture?" "No," 
said his friend; "I am reckoning how 
much money I am losing while here in 
director's fees." The happiest man I 
ever knew was a peddler and a Metho- 
dist exhorter. He cheered the sorrowful, 
uplifted the sick, carried joy into houses 
of mourning. — Chauncey M. Depew, in 
Leslie's Weekly. 

235«. Almost the only scientific as- 
pect of distribution is tithe-giving, which 
is a custom of much less than a tithe of 
the church members. From the days 
of Adam and Abraham God has taught 
men that one-seventh of time and one- 
tenth of property are sacred against sel- 
fish uses. We may give more of both, 
but that much Is not ours to keep. It is 
God's part as our partner, not taken for 
himself, ultimately, but for ourselves 
really, our nobler selves, and for the use 
of brotherhood. "Liberty under the 
GoBpel" surely does not mean liberlj to 
be meaner than the Jews. How easy Is 
giving when it Is not a new struggle ev- 
ery time, but only a draft on "the Lord's 
money!" — Crafts. 

2357. I say. there Is no happiness In 
having or In getting, but only in giving; 
and ball the world Is (ill the wrong sceill 
in the pursuit of happiness. They think 
it consists in having and getting, and In 
being served by others. It consists In 
giving, and In serving others. — Drum- 
mond. 



The Christian Life. 



— 336 — 



Wealth. 



2358. There is a woman who has been 
over the washtub hour after hour, day 
after day. At the end of the week, when 
the blessed Sabbath comes, she enters 
the House of God. It may be only ten 
dollars, it may be less, that she has been 
able to win out of the soiled world that 
way, but if it lias been in her heart ev- 
ery day and every hour that the next 
Sunday morning' in the house of worship, 
with its quiet, with its beauty, with its 
sweet music, with its hush of the Divine 
presence, she is to lay ten cents of every 
dollar on God's altar for humanity, her 
work — every bit of it — is made divine. 
Even the ill-smelling, hot suds offer up 
incense. A regular system of propor- 
tionate benevolence lays every stroke of 
work under tribute to God. — Barnes. 

2359. The battle has already com- 
menced, and one of the grandest tri- 
umphs possible in the near future is 
the destruction of this giant of selfish- 
ness within the church and the conse- 
cration of some fair proportion of her 
immense treasures to the cause of the 
Gospel and a shipwrecked humanity. 
The sincerity of Christian men and wo- 
men is being tested before the gaze of 
watching' multitudes, and the religion of 
a spurious sentimentalism can no lon- 
ger pass unchallenged in this time of 
reality and need. With the late Dr. 
Bushnell we nvay say that "the great 
problem we have now in our hands is 
the Christianizing of the money power 
of the world. What we wait for and 
are hopefully looking to see is the conse- 
cration of the vast money power of the 
world to the work and cause and king- 
dom of Jesus Christ. For that day, 
when it comes, is the morning, so to 
speak, of the new creation." — Harrison. 

2300. ]Vo blessing rests on him who 
gives grudgingly for any good work, nor 
is any Christian work seen at its best 
where the motive is too evidently the 
hope of return. It is essential to true 
philanthropy that not all good work 
shall bring its instant return of bread 
cast on the waters. Christ must wait to 
the end of time to see fully of the tra- 
vail of his soul, and be satisfied. The 
servant is not above his Master in this. 
We must learn to give where we see no 
immediate prospect of recompense, give 
for Christ's sake, and for the sake of 
men for whom he died. 

2361. It is remarkable how little we 
give God in comparison with what we 
waste ourselves. A pastor spent thirty 
minutes urging a lady of his church to 
give him a contribution for foreign mis- 
sions. Finally, a check was handed him 
for two dollars. Looking at it he glanced 
up, and in subdued earnest tones said: | 



"A check from a hand wearing five 
hundred dollars worth of diamonds 
should be larger than this if the wearer 
belongs to Christ." The check was made 
larger, but even then not large com- 
pared to the diamonds. 

2362. Some men give so that you are 
angry every time you ask them to con- 
tribute. They give so that their gold 
and silver shoot you like a bullet. Other 
persons give with such beauty that you 
remember it as long as you live; and you 
say, "It is a pleasure to go to such men." 
There are some men that give as springs 
do: whether you go to them or not, they 
are always full; and your part is merely 
to put your dish under the ever-flowing 
stream. Others give just as a pump 
does where the well is dry, and the 
pump leaks. — Beecher. 

2363. A man responded to the cry of 
another who had fallen overboard from 
a pier. The man took hold of the plank 
lying on the pier, one end of which was 
covered with ice. He reached out the 
plank to the man with the icy end to 
him. The man seized the end of the 
plank, and again and again his hands 
slipped off. At last he cried out in de- 
spair: "For God's sake give me the 
end of the plank that has' no ice on it." 
We must serve God with the warm 
end of the plank. His money burns 
with heat, not from the tightness of the 
grip with which he has been holding on 
to it, bjut with the pulse of his eager 
heart as it runs down through his fin- 
gers, and sets his gifts on fire with love. 
— Independent. 

2364. A Christian woman in Connecti- 
cut had a beautiful flower garden in 
which she took great pride, and from 
which she gave away large quantities of 
flowers. Two large baskets were fast- 
ened by the gate, and these were filled 
every morn with fresh-cut flowers, to 
which passers-by were invited to help 
themselves. The children on their way 
to school, men on their way to business, 
tramps as they passed, all alike blessed 
the thoughtful kindness of this woman. 
When asked, "Are you not afraid you 
will rob yourself?" she replied: "The 
more I cut, the more I have." So in life, 
what we give, we have; what we with- 
hold, escapes from us. 

2365. A man who attempted to raise 
some money on a subscription paper for 
a church out West relates his experience 
thus: "The first man I met said he was 
very sorry, but the fact was, he was so 
involved in his business that he couldn't 
give anything. Very sorry, but a man 
in debt as he was owed his first duty to 
his creditors. He was smoking an ex- 



The Christian Life. 



— 337 — 



Wealth. 



pensive cigar, and before I left his store 
he bought of a peddler who came in a 
pair of expensive Rocky Mountain cuff 
buttons. 

•The next man I went to was a young 
clerk in a -banking establishment. He 
read the paper over, acknowledged that 
the church was needed, but said he was 
owing for his board, was badly in debt, 
and did not see how he could give any- 
thing. That afternoon, as I went by the 
base-ball grounds, I saw this young man 
pay fifty cents at the entrance to go in, 
and saw him mount the grand stand, 
where special seats were sold for a quar- 
ter of a dollar. 

••The third man to whom I presented 
the paper was a farmer living near the 
town. He also was sorry, but times 
were hard, his crops had been a partial 
failure, the mortgage on his farm was a 
heavy load, the interest was coming due. 
and he really could not see his way clear 
to give to the church although it was 
just what the new town needed. A week 
from that time I saw thai same farmer 
drive into town with his entire family, 
and go to the circus, afternoon and 
night, at an expense of at least four dol- 
lars. 

•'The Bible says, 'Judge not, that ye be 
not judged,' but it says also, 'By their 
fruits ye shall know them.' And I really 
could not help thinking that the devil 
could use that old excuse, 'in debt', to 
splendid advantage, especially when he 
had a selfish man to help him.'' — The 
Youth's Companion. 

2:500. I recall one old colored woman. 

who was about seventy years of age, 
who came to see me when we were rais- 
ing money to pay for the farm. She 
hobbled into the room where I was, 
leaning on a cane. She was clad in rags, 
but they were clean. She said: "Mr. 
Washin'ton, God knows I spent de bes' 
days of my life in slavery. God knows 
l's Ignorant an' poor; but," she added, 
"I knows what you an' Miss Davidson is 
tryin' to do. I knows you Is tryin' to 
make better men an' better women for 
de colored race. I ain't got no money, but 
I wants you to take dese six eggs, what 
l's been savin' up, an' I wants you to put 
dese six crks into de eddication of dese 
boys an' gals." — Booker T. Washington. 

•_'::<;7. A lady who is in the constant 
habit Of ^i\iny: away flower- from her 
garden, Is often heard to declare, "The 
flowers I iiiw n»ay never fade." No — 

for they remain forever in the remem- 
brance of those who receive them, keep- 
ing their color and fraRrance to the end. 
Is there not In this a hint for all of us, 
concerning deeds of love and charity? — 
The Evangel. 
22 Prnc. III. 



2308. A young convert in my church 
who began a year or two ago to conse- 
crate a tenth of his hard earnings to 
Christ has grown so in spiritual life that 
I hardly recognize him. God is prosper- 
ing him already — perhaps because he 
sees that the young man can be trusted 
with money. The only rich men for 
whom their fellow-men care anything 
are the Samuel Morleys, the William E. 
Dodges, the Peter Coopers, and such as 
they, who make money in order to make 
other people the happier and the better. 
Wealth is commonly put into a sieve at 
any rate; but it makes all the difference 
in the world whether God or the devil 
shakes the sieve. — Cuyler. 

2309. In early days, in a village of 
(ape Cod, the inhabitants were anxious 
for a meeting-house, and yet did not 
have in their judgment the funds neces- 
sary for its construction. Finally a 
meeting was called to consider what 
should be done in the matter. Any one 
willing and able to contribute money 
for the purpose was called for. No one 
seemed inclined to respond, until at last 
a mere boy stepped forward with the 
remark, "I will be the first to contribute, 
and God helping me. I will give one 
hundred dollars." Every one present 
was astonished, knowing him to be pen- 
niless, but the effect of his example was 
magical, and additional donations fol- 
lowed thick and fast. It is needless to 
add that the village built its church, and 
the best of it all was that the youth 
actually paid his contribution in full, 
for, borrowing a boat from an aged and 
invalid fisherman, he devoted the sum- 
mer to the fisheries off the Cape, the 
sum which he realized from his catches 
equaling his gift and more. The suppo- 
sition that a boy cannot participate in 
church work is surely a sadly mistaken 
one. One has but to Inquire in any 
parish to find plenty of instances of the 
good a boy can and has accomplished. 
They are to be found on every hand. I 
recall from my own experience the case 
of a little fellow who planted an aban- 
doned corner of the farm with squashes 
and popcorn. His associates were In- 
clined to ridicule and belittle his enter- 
prise at first, but their eyes opened wide 
with astonishment when at the close of 
tbi' season be handed ov<t four crisp 
ten-dollar bill*, the profits of the ven- 
ture, to be added to the church's con- 
tribution to the American Board. 

2370. I hn\e been Watching thfl early 

blossoms clothing the tree- at In the 

bridal array with their snowy luster, and 
loading the air with fragrance. But the 
blossoms fall, and leave the leaves In 
somber green. Nature Is then apparent- 



The Christian Life. 



— 338 — 



Wealth. « 



ly robbed of her beauty. But we know 
that instead of the blossoms will come 
forth the fruit, which is better. So out- 
ward prosperity is only the white har- 
binger of God's more fruitful love. What 
if it does not abide? — J. M. Ludlow. 

2371. A Methodist minister says that 
in one of his charges a good man regu- 
larly gave every Sunday five dollars for 
the support of the church. A poor 
widow was also a member of the same 
church, who supported herself and six 
children by washing. She was as regu- 
lar as the rich man in making her offer- 
ing of five cents per week, which was all 
she could spare from her scant earnings. 
One day the rich man came to the min- 
ister and said the poor woman ought 
not to pay anything, and that he would 
pay the five cents for her every week. 
The pastor called to tell her of the offer, 
which he did in a considerate manner. 
Tears came to the woman's eyes as she 
replied: "Do they want to take from me 
the comfort I experience in giving to the 
Lord? Think how much I owe to him. 
My health is good, my children keep 
well, and I receive so many blessings 
that I feel I could not live if I did not 
make my little offering to Jesus each 
week." 

2372. He gives nothing but worthless 
gold 

Who gives from a sense of duty; 
But he who gives a slender mite, 
And gives to that which is out of sight, 

That thread of the all-sustaining 
beauty 

Which runs through all and doth all 
unite — - 

The hand cannot clasp the whole of 
his alms, 

The heart outstretches its eager 
palms, 

For God goes with it and makes it store 
To the soul that was starving in dark- 
ness before. — Lowell. 

2373. It is a curious fact that, when- 
ever a subject affecting the conscience is 
pressed, it is invariably the people who 
are already doing as much as they 
ought, perhaps more, who are troubled; 
while those who are lethargic about it 
all remain lethargic still. A shrewd old 
fanner, with whom I used to ride home 
from school occasionally when I was a 
girl, used to say to me: "That there near 
horse of mine is always pricking up his 
ears for the sound of the whip-lash, and 
putting in his best jerks to do more 
whenever he hears it; and the truth is. 
it ain't for him at all, but for that lazy 
fellow on the off side, who never does 
half the work and don't pay any atten- 
tion to the sound of the whip; he's got 



to feel it right smart before he moves. 
They're a good deal like folks." — Pansy. 

2374. One of the last speeches that I 
heard the late Archbishop of Canterbury 
make was in Exeter Hall, when, speak- 
ing to a great gathering of students, he 
said that one of the most marvelous 
things in Christianity, to him, was in 
the way in which God had been willing 
to place in the control of his people the 
fulfillment of his own great command, 
and in which the Lord Jesus Christ, who 
died adequately to save the whole world, 
had made the communication of the 
knowledge of that fact to the world, not 
a matter of his own will, but of the will 
of those who loved him, and who called 
him Lord. — Robert E. Speer. 

2375. We'll receive no good when we 
commence calculating how much we'll 
get by doing, good. The good comes 
when we lose ourselves in the good 
work; when we give, not for the sake of 
the good that will come back to us, but 
for the sake of the Master, because of 
the love we bear him. The good comes 
when the gifts go not alone, but are ac- 
companied by earnest prayers from lov- 
ing hearts. The message to Cornelius 
was, "Thy prayers and thine alms are 
come up for a memorial before God." — 
Bonar. 

2376. A poor Irish woman went to 
a venerable priest in Boston, and asked 
him to forward to Ireland her help for 
the famine sufferers. "How much can 
you spare?" asked the priest. "I have a 
hundred dollars saved," she said "and I 
can spare that." The priest reasoned 
with her, saying that her gift was too 
great for her means, but she was firm in 
her purpose. It would do her good to 
know that she had helped; she could rest 
happier thinking of the poor families 
she had saved from hunger and death, 
the priest received her money with 
moistened eyes. "Now what is your 
name?" he asked, "that I may have it 
published." "My name?" said the brave 
soul counting out her money, "don't 
mind that, sir. Just send them the help, 
and God will know my name." 

2377. A godly old man was left by his 
son, who was a real-estate agent, in his 
office in Chicago for a few minutes. 
Another real-estate agent who came to 
see the proprietor, while awaiting his 
return, entered into conversation with the 
old gentleman. He expatiated on his vari- 
ous plans, this addition to the city that 
was being projected, the number of lots 
that had been sold last week in another 
section, the value of this business prop- 
erty and of that corner lot, until at last 
the old gentleman rose up and said, with 



The Christian Life. 



— :«y — 



Philanthropy. 



great earnestness, "See here, my friend, 
I think I may as well say to you that I 
would give more for standing-room in 
the New Jerusalem than for all the 
corner lots in Chicago." 

2378. A Boston lawyer, who has for 
forty years been eminent in his profes- 
sion and no less eminent in Christian 
work and in princely gifts to the cause 
of benevolence, tells this story of what 
fixed his course of life. When he was a 
young man he once attended a mission- 
ary meeting in Boston. One of the 
speakers at that meeting, a plain man, 
said he had a girl in his domestic ser- 
vice, at a wage of less than two dollars 
a week, who gave a dollar every month 
to nii>sions; she also had a class of poor 
hoys in Sunday-school who never missed 
her from her place. And he said of her, 
"She is the happiest, kindest, tidiest girl 
I ever had in my kitchen." The young 
man went home with these three sen- 
tences sticking in his mind: "Class in 
Sunday-school — dollar a month to mis- 
sions — happiest girl." The first result was 
that he took a class in Sunday-school; 
the second was a resolve that if this girl 
could give a dollar a month to missions, 
he could, and would. These were the i 
immediate effects of one plain girl's con- 
sec rated life. But who can count, who 
can imagine, the sum total? That law- 
yer ua-. lor almost half a century from 
this time, an increasingly active force in 
every good work within his reach. — C. E. 
World. 

2:579. A poor servant girl in London, 

who attended the ragged schools, one 
ev ening, at the close of school, put into 
the minister's hand, much to his surprise, ^ 
a note which contained a half sovereign. 
Her entire wages were only eight pounds 
a year. She very modestly remarking 
that it was not much. "But, sir," said 
she, "I have wrapped it up with an 
earnest prayer and many tears." — 
Preacher's Magazine. 

Philanthropy. (2380-2406) ' 

2380. Economist* and organizers of 
charity warn us against fostering folk 
who are thriftless and worthless. Anil 
it is true that the right spirit of Chris- 
tian brotherhood may often compel us 
to refuse some beggar's request. But 
Christ continually lays awful emphasis 
on the claim of the undeserving and the 
evil. Tin y that are whole m i d no Phy- 
sician, but they that are sick — that is to 
Bay, the morally and spiritually unlit, 
the unlovely and unthrifty and un- 
washed and untrustworthy and unthank- 
ful. Here I* the challenge for our Chris- 
tian service, the altar for our Christian 



sacrifice — among the least and lowest 
and last of these, who in spite of every- 
thing are Christ's own flesh and blood — 
and sacred, for his dear sake. Surely a 
deep truth lies hidden in the paradox 
that charily means pardoning what is 
unpardonable, anil hope means hoping 
when thing* are hopeless, and faith 
means believing the incredible — or else 
they are no virtues at all in the light of 
the Judgment Day. — T. H. Darlow. 

2:581. If you were to bring from the 
grave some old inhabitant of Pompeii 
and show him the dark side of New 
York, he would look wearily up into 
your face and tell you that they did all 
these tilings in his day. only per- 
haps a little more heartily and vi- 
vaciously than we do now. If you 
were to call up some ancient Baby- 
lonian and lead him through these 
scenes of vice and shame, he would as- 
sure you that it is old to him, and not 
half so interesting as it was in the open 
life of Babylon. 

But suppose you were to call up an 
old Pompeiian sinner and a debauched 
citizen of ancient Babylon and show 
them the Christian side of our modern 
life, take them to one of our hospitals, 
for instance. How their eves would 
brighten. "We never saw this in Pom- 
peii or in Babylon. This is truly in- 
teresting. Who ever heard of such a 
thing as this?" "Why do you care for 
sick children like this? We used to let 
them die, or throw them out Into the 
woods to perish of exposure. This is 
really interesting." Take them to the 
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to 
Children. How they would pinch them- 
selves to see if they were awake! Take 
them to our Christian houses for the 
poor and afflicted and despairing, and 
watch their expressions. "\Yhy. this is 
something new: We never had these 
things in our day." 

2:582. A sultan of India sent his grand 
vizier with millions of lej ii> erectthe 

most beautiful palace ever seen. But 
when Sultan Ahmed came to see it he 
found that Yakoob had spent the treas- 
ure upon the famine sufferers, and there 
was no palace. Yakoob vv;is at once con- 
demned to die. But that night Ahmed 
had a dream. He was summoned to 
heaven by an angel, and entering a pal- 
ace of pure gold, more brilliant than the 
sun. "Ah. what palace Is this?" asked 
the astonished Ahmed. "This." replied 
the angel. "Is the palace of Merciful 
Deeds, built for thee by Yakoob. the 
wise Its glory shall endure when all 
earth's palaces shall have passed away." 
Ia'I each man make his life Gpd'l tem- 
ple, and garnish it dally with gems of 



The Christian Life. 



— 340 — 



Philanthropy. 



mercy, jewels of kindness, and the pure 
gold of Christ-like love. 

2383. "The Church of the Divine 
Fragments" is what some one called the 
National Conference of Charities and 
Correction. 

2384. In six years, recently, $40,000 
was sent back to the Barnardo Home in 
London from the boys and girls that 
splendid agency had rescued from Lon- 
don slums and found homes for in 
Canada. 

2385. A speaker at the "opening-day 
services" of a Boys* Home said, "The 
million dollars expended for this plant 
will be well spent if one boy is saved 
from ruin." Afterwards another said to 
him, "Didn't you put that pretty 
strong?" "No sir!" was the answer, 
"not if it was my boy." 

2386. True philanthropy is ready to 
consecrate personal effort as well as cash 
to the welfare of others. Dr. Lyman Ab- 
bott said: "War has broken out. The 
recruiting officer addresses a group of 
young men. Are you patriotic, young 
men? Will you serve the country? One 
young man says: I am patriotic; I will 
join in singing the Star Spangled Banner. 
The officer says: I am not looking for 
men to sing; I am looking for men to 
fight. Another man says: I am patri- 
otic; I think this is a just war. The of- 
ficer says: I am not asking what men 
think of the war; I want to know 
whether you will enlist. That is the one 
great question." 

2387. Liszt, the famous criminologist, 
says: "Our penalties do not improve or 
frighten criminals; they do not at all 
prevent crime, but work the other way, 
strengthening it." 

2388. Nobody has any right to find 
life uninteresting or unrewarding who 
sees within the sphere of his own activ- 
ity a wrong he can help to remedy, or 
within himself an evil he can hope to 
overcome. — Charles W. Eliot. 

2389. One day last winter (1907) a 
wealthy woman spent $40,000 on a din- 
ner in one of the swell hotels up town. 
While the doings were going on inside, a 
policeman outside was approached by a 
thinly-clad woman with a baby in her 
arms, who asked him for help. The big 
cop looked at her baby and said in his 
gruff voice, "Why, your baby's dead." 
With a shriek the woman collapsed. The 
policeman sent her and her dead baby to 
the station house in the patrol wagon. 
The baby had starved to death. — The 
Congregationalist. 

2390. In England, during the nine- 
teenth century, the educated classes, in 



almost all the great political changes 
that have been effected, have taken the 
side of the party afterwards admitted to 
have been in the wrong. They have in- 
variably opposed, at the time, the meas- 
ures they have subsequently come to de- 
fend and justify. . . . The motive force 
behind the long list of progressive meas- 
ures . . . has come almost exclusively 
from the middle and lower classes, who 
have in turn acted, not under the stimu- 
lus of intellectual motives, but under the 
influence of their altruistic feelings. — 
Kidd's Social Evolution. 

2391. P. T. Bamum, after recovering 
from a severe illness, said; "I could 
hardly recall a benefit I had ever ren- 
dered to my fellow men. The folly, the 
stupidity, of fooling away the few years 
given us here, in childish strifes and 
bickerings, occurred to me so strongly, 
that I resolved that the sun should never 
go down on me cherishing malice against 
a single human being." 

2392. Only the golden ride will pre- 
vent the rule of gold. Only the golden 
rule can bring the golden age. — Joseph 
Cook. 

2393. The cross teaches that the more 
a man has the greater is his responsi- 
bility to be a friend to him who has not. 
The more a man knows the greater is 
the reason for his being the companion 
of him that knows not. The finer one's 
sensibilities the greater is his obligation 
to be a neighbor to him whose sensibili- 
ties are brutalized. — Herron. 

2394. A prison should not be an infer- 
no, but a purgatory. The criminal is al- 
most invariably weak of will and mind 
and body; he does not understand him- 
self or his relation to society; his ideals 
are wrong, his passions have never 
known check. In this state of barbar- 
ism he is dangerous, and society in its 
own defense sends him into the exile of 
a prison. If it does no more, he returns, 
at the end of- his sentence, worse than he 
went in. When it opens his cell door it 
must open the way to a new life. The 
prison must be a school, a shop, a 
church, rather than a place of penitence, 
for, till the mind and conscience are 
wakened, there will be no penitence, 
only anger and the nursing of revenge. 
Mere punishment consigns its victim to 
darkness and hopelessness, but the pro- 
bation officer and the reformatory bring 
him to the light. — Sat. Evening Post. 

2395. Men dare not look upon wealth 
as meaning immunity, but obligation. 

Men have no right to accumulate wealth 
except with the purpose of using it for 
furthering the Kingdom. The only true 
use of wealth is that which makes it a 



The Christiao Life. 



— 341 — 



Philanthropy. 



medium of communion with God. — Her- 

ron. 

2396. Hold fast upon God with one 
hand, and open wide the other to your 
neighbor. That is religion; that is the 
law and the prophets, and the true way 
to all better things that are yet to come. 
— George MacDonald. 

239". It is no great virtue to be brave 
when we have neither trials nor tempta- 
tions. One man may walk down the 
avenue with the liquor interests flaunting 
their devices on every hand, and he may 
have only a deepening disgust for the 
whole thing. There is there no temp- 
tation and it requires neither courage 
nor self-control for him to walk in the 
midst of these enticements. But to some 
unfortunate one who is addicted to the 
use of strong drink, and is trying man- 
fully to overcome his besetting sin, to 
him it is a temptation to go down that 
avenue. He must walk with a prayer 
on his lips and courage in his heart that 
he may overcome the snares that are set 
for him. He is running a gauntlet of 
fire. He needs the help of God and a 
brother's hand. It is the man with ah 
appetite who needs to pray that the an- 
gel of the Lord may be round about him. 
He should have our sympathy and our 
help that he may pass through his fur- 
nace of fire unscathed. To place temp- 
tation in the way of the man who is do- 
ing his best to reform, is worse than to 
put a stumbling-block in the way of the 
blind. — United Presbyterian. 

2398. There was a mother whose boy 
hii- permitted to play In the front yard 
but not allowed to go outside the gate. 
The little fellow saw no hardship in this 
until he went outside the gate and be- 
held his little companions playing some 
distance off. He walked to the gate and 
looked wistfully at them but came back 
and tried to amuse himself alone; three 
times he went to the gate with the 
temptation growing stronger each time. 
At last he could resist no longer and 
sped away to join his play-fellows. On 
his return his mother called him in. and 
said she would have to punish him for 
his disobedience, and explained to him 
she had been sitting at the window and 
had seen him go to the gate two or three 
times and at last run off. The little fel- 
low turned and said: 'Mother, did you 
really see me go to the gate two or three 
times and at last run off?" "Yes," the 
mother replied. "I did." "Well, mother," 
he said, "why didn't you tap on the whi- 
tlow and help a fellow out?" 

2399. No man has tlx- Go-pel for him- 
self who does not have It its a mission- 
ary deposit. The Gospel is not a person- 



al possession which I get from a Saviour 
who saves me and therefore could save 
the world. The Gospel is something 
which I have from a Saviour who saves 
me because he is the Saviour of the 
world. And no one of us has the Saviour 
except as the Saviour of the world. And 
just as we can have no Gospel at all in 
any real and living sense until we have 
it in its missionary conception, so we 
cannot keep any (Jospel except as a mis- 
sionary trust. There was never yet a 
Christian church that was guilty of mal- 
feasance in its Christian duty. It may 
have held the Christian doctrine but it 
was no Christian church. He that doeth 
the will of God, he it is that loveth God. 
And the Saviour cares little for any 
other evidence of love that is not sub- 
stantiated by this. "He that keepeth 
my commandments, he it is that loveth 
me." — Speer. 

2100. Luxury versus social service: — 

Because a man's property is his own 
shall he expend in one great ball or din- 
ner what might cleanse a filthy street, 
or build a model block of tenements? 
Jesus gives the key to the ethics of ex- 
penditure when he tells this man that 
the motive must be unselfish, and the 
results enduring. Yet there are journ- 
alistic moralists who treat us to reason- 
ing that would prove the gorgeous, wan- 
ton extravagance of great social func- 
tions to be acts of virtue and public 
benefit. — Monday Club Sermons. 

2 101. Just now in our zeal to get and 
keep property, we are "stealing" lives. 

The very virtue of the hunger for accu- 
mulation is degenerating into vice that 
is becoming stealing. The new and 
powerful tools in many of our factories 
can be run by children; in order to 
avoid paying full wage, men are trying 
as never before, to get children for half 
wage. For these economic reasons we 
have now nearly a million children hi 
our cotton mills, glass works, sweat 
Shops, factories, and stores. 

2 102. Last summer I saw two 
streams emptying into the sea. 1 me 
was a sluggish, niggardly rivulet, in a 
wide, flat, muddy bed; and every day 
the tide came in and drowned out that 
poor little stream and filled it with bit- 
ter brine. The other was a vigorous, 
joyful, brimming mountain river, fed 
from unfailing springs among the hills, 
and all the time It swept the salt water 
back before It and kept itself pure and 
sweet; and when the tide came In, It 
only made the fresh water rise hlsher 
and gather new strength by the delay; 
and ever the living stream poured forth 
Into the ocean Its tribute of living water 



— 342 — Temperance and Business. 



The Christian Life. 



— the symbol of that influence which 
keeps the ocean of life from turning in- 
to a Dead Sea of Wickedness; of the 
spirit of Christian philanthropy bring- 
ing sweetness and light into embittered 
and darkened lives by its loving sym- 
pathy and gracious ministries. 

2403. The lower philanthropy tries to 
put right what social conditions have 
put wrong. The higher philanthropy 
tries to put right the social conditions. 

— Social Studies. 

2404. To-night, before you retire, 
when the fire is burning low, you are to 
sit down and count all the people who 
have helped you, just as a miser opens 
his chest and takes out his gold and lets 
it clink, clink, piece by piece. — Ian 
Maclaren. 

2405. A little while ago, having had 
the facts and figures burnt into my very 
soul, a number of us decided to divide 
London into districts, and spend the 
night searching the places where the 
homeless little ones congregate. ' We 
gathered in one night alone 76 children. 
One was Chinese, 3 German, 5 Irish, 
3 Scotch, a few Italian and Amer- 
ican, 3 3 from the provinces, while 
2 6 were London born; 8 were hopeless 
cripples. One little girl had a back 
shaped like the letter S. There she lay, 
a beggar's child, exploited for gain. In 
spite of all we are trying to do, there 
was this little army of unhappy chil- 
dren. — Dr. Barnardo. 

2406. "The man who has no wish to 
serve his fellows, but only to use them, 
has no moral right to be in the world. 
He is at odds with the universe; he is 
anti-social and anti-Christian, and has 
no moral right to live." — President W. 
H. P. Faunce. 

TEMPERANCE. (2407-2497) 
Temperance and Business. 

(2407-2433) 

2407. In the liquor business labor gets 
less returns than in any other industry, 
and capital gets more. In some manu- 
factures twenty-four per-cent goes to 
labor; but in the liquor business it is 
never higher than five per cent. 

2408. It takes 100,000 new recruits 
from among our boys every year to 
keep the liquor business going. 

2409. The so-called impregnable 
stronghold. Port Arthur, was finally ta- 
ken on the 2nd of January, and when, 
ascending the hill Tokeikwan, overlook- 
ing those of Niryu and Shoju, the forts 
were in full view, I could not help won- 



dering at the fall of the stronghold into 
our hands. Moreover, when I wit- 
nessed the surrender of such enormous 
multitudes of soldiers as they came out 
from the forts, trenches and barracks, 
my wonder was increased. They were 
so numerous that it took us full three 
days to complete the transfer of them 
all as prisoners. They numbered, in 
fact, 31,000 in all; and, allowing for one 
half as invalids, the rest — fifteen or six- 
teen thousand — must have been able- 
bodied fighting men. Why were the 
Russians reduced to the point of sur- 
render? What induced them to capitu- 
late? In my personal observation of 
the Russians at Port Arthur -what 
struck me most was their inordinate 
drinking of such liquors as whiskey and 
vodka. Even at the time of surrender, 
both officers and men were found intox- 
icated. This disgraceful practice was 
found to be in vogue everywhere, to- 
gether with that of excessive smoking, 
even in the hospitals. Judging from 
these, I easily conclude that their drink- 
ing reduced the troops to general in- 
competency and was the principal 
cause of the fall of the Port Arthur 
stronghold. — Tokio Paper. 

2410. Our working people throw away 
every year $750,000,000 for liquor. It 

empties our churches; it fills our pris- 
ons and insane asylums; it brings sor- 
row and misery to the homes of rich and 
poor alike; it carries thousands to an 
untimely grave; it mocks at and frus- 
trates all our efforts to Christianize the 
heathen. In the great sum total of mis- 
ery and suffering and all forms of evil 
that go to compose the great mountain 
of sin, that is some day to become a 
plain, the liquor traffic is responsible 
for by far the greatest proportion. 

2411. Out of the 2,936 inmates of the 

New York City alms house, 2,72 9 were 
admitted for destitution; they were just 
helpless in the main because they had 
yielded to the desire for drink until long 
suffering friends could no longer bear 
the burden of their existence and had to 
turn them over to the state. — J. W. Kel-- 
ler. 

2412. It is estimated that New York 
spends $1,000,000 a day for liquor, most 
of it bad, which amounts to more than 
half as much as the amount required to 
run the entire government of the United 
States. 

2413. The saloon burns up $23,000,000 
of our national resources every week. 
The story is told of the late Henry Ward 
Beecher that in his efforts at fanning he 
once paid $100 for hogs which he fat- 
tened with $500 worth of corn and then 



The Christian Life. 



— 343 — 



Temperance and Business. 



sold the lot for $400. His philosophy 
was that he ' lost $100 on the corn, but 
made $300 on the hogs." That is ex- 
actly the way Uncle Sam is making 
money on the liquor traffic. — Ohio Her- 
ald. 

2414. It has been proven that al- 
though we receive one hundred million 
dollars a year from the liquor traffic, 
nevertheless fifteen dollars a head is 
added to our burdens and one dollar 
and sixty cents received. So that the loss 
to the nation is fifteen or twenty times 
the income. — Joseph Cook. 

2415. A number of years ago a firm 
of four men in Boston were rated as 
"A 1". They were rich, prosperous, 
young and prompt. One of them had 
the curiosity to see how they were rated, 
and .found these facts on the book and 
was satisfied; but at the end it was 
written, "but they all drink."' He 
thought it was a good joke at the time; 
but a few years later two of them were 
dead, another was a drunkard, and the 
fourth was poor and living partly on 
charity. That one little note at the end 
of their rating was the most important 
and significant of all facts collected and 
embodied in their rating. 

2 110. When a Christian man. about 
to sell a standing forest year- ago. re- 
fused to supply li(|tiors to the crowd, as 
was then usual, the auctioneer said, "I 
am sorry, for the trees look larger and 
men feel more generous when they have 
been drinking, and you will get lower 
prices by omitting the drink." It re- 
minds us of the custom in China to or- 
der one scale to sell by and another by 
which to buy. No less unjust is the 
man who uses drink to increase his sell- 
ing price; no less foolish the buyer who 
accepts drink when it is so manifestly 
at his own cost. — Crafts. 

2117. Some boys in a Sunday-school 
class did not like some of the doctrines 
in a temperance lesson, because they 
said that Dewey and his men in .Manila 
had taken liquor while in the light. To 
settle the matter, their teacher wrote to 
the admiral and received the following 
reply: "Dear Madam: I am very glad to 
have an opportunity of correcting the 
impression which you say prevails 
among your Sunday-school scholars, that 
the men on my fleet were given liquor 
every twenty minutes during the battle 
of Manila May. As a matter of fact, 
every participant, from myself down, 
fOUght the battle of Manila Baj on eof- 
fee alone. The United States laws for- 
bid the taking of liquor aboard ship ex- 
cept for medicinal uses, and we had no 
Jiquor that we could have given the men. 



even had it been desired to do so." — 
Crafts. 

2418. If the church does not promote 
specific temperance work, its general 
and indefinite teaching on that subject 
will go for nothing. If the church does 
not promote specific temperance work 
she will be definitely yoked up with in- 
temperance. The man who in any re- 
spect whatever is actively or passively 
the friend of the liquor business is, so 
far forth, directly antagonizing the work 
of the church. Every boy and man who 
is captured by the saloon is lost by the 
church. It follows absolutely that the 
man who, in any respect, favors the sa- 
loon antagonizes the church, he is pull- 
ing clown the church when he fails to 
pull down the liquor shop. — President 
Charles Blanchard. 

2119. Getting bom costs the people 
of our country about .S22.VOOO.000 a 
year; getting married costs about $S00,- 
000,000 a year; getting buried costs 
about $75,000,000 a year. But getting 
drunk costs the people of our country 
more than $1,427,000,000. 

2420. One night a gay party of ladies 
and gentlemen drove from the theater 
to the station-house to see there what 
one of them promised would be "a 
glimpse of real tragedy, more dramatic 
than anything they would find on the 
stage." There were the usual number 
of drunken men. hardened women, and 
a few young boys and girls at the sta- 
tion waiting to be locked up for the 
night. One of the ladies, very rich and 
handsome, to whose breath the odor of 
champagne clung, stopped with fascin- 
ated eyes before an indescribably 
wretched and drunken old woman. She 
dropped a gold piece Into the drunk- 
ard's outstretched hands, and said, as if 
to herself, "I wonder who will give me 
a gold piece when I sit where you do 
now." The policeman who told the story 
said that for a brief moment she had 
seen the downward path she was tread- 
ing, and her prophetic vision had been 
only too true. 

2421. There is a great deal of signifi- 
cance In the reply made b> a young 

man to the question of a friend who was 
lnt< rested In his welfare. Says the man 
who tells the story: "One (lay I hap- 
pened to meet in the streets of a big city 
the son of an old friend, who bad left 
his home In another, smaller city several 
years before, and started out for him- 
self. I recognized him at once in spite 
of the lapse of time, and his dilapidated 
and uncared-for appearance. I Baked 
him how he had prospered since leav- 
ing home, and he told me a story of 



The Christian Life. — 344 — Temperance and Business. 



failure. Surprised at his account of 
himself, I asked him why it was that 
such a bright-faced fellow had not pros- 
pered better. He hesitated for a mo- 
ment; then, looking 1 me squarely in the 
face, he said frankly, "The trouble with 
me has been that I have had too many 
saloons to support." 

2422. A United States senator calcu- 
lated the expense of saloons to the na- 
tion at $15 per capita: the revenue from 
them at $1.69 per capita — $15 clean loss. 
How long shall we keep at this fool's 
arithmetic? The drink question is pivot- 
al in national revenue. It is also a 
prime factor in the labor question. We 
are told that $250,000 a day pass over 
the mahogany counters of the New York 
saloons, of which $50,000 is easily from 
wage-workers — $18,000,000 a year 
robbed from the cottages of the poor. 
"We cannot wonder at strikes; but we 
wonder why the laborer does not rise to 
strike the saloon. — Crane. 

2423. Drink puts a beast at the helm 
of life. A large ship navigating the 
dangerous channels among the Fiji Is- 
lands had a drinking sailor at the helm, 
who fell asleep at his post. Whereupon 
a tame monkey took the helm, and 
moved the wheel about imitatively, but 
with no knowledge of the course. The 
ship soon struck a reef, and the man on 
watch, running back, found a monkey 
at the helm. The ship escaped wreck, 
but the man, who, by drunkenness, puts 
his beastly nature in control of his life, 
while his brain sleeps at its post, usually 
does not escape. — World Book of Tem- 
perance. 

2424. During- the Pan-American Fair 
in Buffalo a certain bar-room much fre- 
quented was managed by a man who 
considered himself humorous. The fol- 
lowing sign was exhibited on the mirror 
behind the bar: "If Whiskey Interferes 
with Your Business — Give Up Your 
Business." In that sign there is more 
grim truth than gay humor. 

2425. A livery stable in New York 

City has this notice pasted up: "No man 
will be employed who drinks intoxi- 
cating liquors. No man shall speak loud 
to any of the horses, or in the stable 
where they are. Horses of good blood 
are nervous, and loud, excited conver- 
sation is felt by every horse which hears 
it, and keeps them all nervous and un- 
easy." 

2426. Well might the great Edison 
say, in explanation of his abstinence 
from alcohol, "I have a better use for 
my brains." But really there is no need 
for any one who opens his eyes and 
ears to run about in search of the ver- 



dicts of savants! Who has not seen am- 
ple evidence, before the scientists told 
us why, that the imbibing of alcohol at 
once weakens the mind's self-control, 
just while it flatters the drinker with an 
altogether mistaken notion of his own 
wit, wisdom, and brilliance in general ? 
Long before the stage is reached when 
friends grow anxious and apprehensive, 
we see around us people who are other- 
wise sensible set free in talk, blabbing 
of their neighbor's business, if not their 
own, and cajoled into bargains which 
they will repent of tomorrow. Young 
fellows, usually shrewd and gentlemanly 
enough, grow excited and loosed from 
the wholesome checks of modesty and 
self-respect. Grave and reverend seni- 
ors, with flushed face and roving eye, 
draw near to the bench and cap of the 
fool. Girls grow giddy and perilously 
adventurous; in short, — here is the mod- 
ern Circe's cup. — The Christian Regis- 
ter. 

2427. Wonderful victories of Japan in 

the recent war were won by abstainers. 
Mr. Yoshito Komma, the Japanese Vice- 
Consul in Chicago, translates the follow- 
ing testimony: "Never drink wine," says 
Field Marshal Oyama. Major-General 
Fukushima says: "If I had been a drink- 
er, my journey on horseback through 
Siberia would have been a failure." The 
late Commander Hirose, a hero of the 
Japanese Navy, had never drunk sake 
nor smoked tobacco, says Admiral Ya- 
manoto, Minister of the Navy. The late 
Colonel Ishikawa said that sake and to- 
bacco were the most formidable enemies 
of health. The late Colonel Ishimura 
never touched sake nor tobacco. Com- 
mander Iwaimiro says: "I myself gave 
up drinking wine long ago, and have 
been a temperance man ever since." 
General Kuroki is also an abstainer. — 
Crafts. 

2428. The intemperate pleasures of 
the enemy caused the American victory 
at Trenton. Washington expected that 
the Hessians, as was their custom, 
would have a carousal on Christmas 
Day, and he fixed upon the succeeding 
night as a favorable time for crossing 
the Delaware, and falling upon them 
during their heavy slumbers before the 
dawn. It was broad daylight When they 
approached Trenton, but they were un- 
discovered until they reached the picket 
lines on the outskirts of the village. A 
sharp conflict ensued lasting only thirty- 
five minutes when the Hessians were de- 
feated and- dispersed and Colonel Rail 
was mortally wounded. — Benson J. Los- 
sing, D. D. 

2429. A test was once tried to deter- 
mine the strength-giving power of alco- 



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Temperance and Health. 



liol. Two gangs of men, as nearly equal 
in size and strength as possible, were 
put to work breaking stone. Both gangs 
contained an equal number of men, but 
to one gang liquors containing alcohol 
were given. At first, the alcohol gang 
did by far the most work, but when the 
effects of the alcohol ceased, the men 
fell far behind the other men in their 
work, so that at the end of the day the 
gangs which did not drink had done the 
greatest amount of work. This was 
continued for three or four days, the re- 
sult being the same. The experimenters 
then reversed the gangs, giving the non- 
alcoholic gang alcohol, and allowing the 
alcoholic gang none; but the men not 
using the stimulant came out ahead, as 
before. — Golden Rule. 

2i:?0. A contractor who was opposed 
to the liquor traffic, needing a foreman 
on a large piece of work, offered the 
position to a man whom he had former- 
ly employed, a heavy drinker, on the 
condition that the foreman should be- 
come a total abstainer. To this the man 
agreed admitting that liquor injured 
him in many ways. With the money 
earned on this contract the foreman paid 
debts to the amount of over one hun- 
dred dollars, which he had contracted 
in the days when he paid out his money 
for liquor and ran in debt for the nec- 
essaries of life for his family. 

2431. Business -huts its doors abso- 
lutely on the drunkard. It lias no use 
for him. Business competition has be- 
come so keen that only the men of 
steadiest habits can find employment. 
This fact the habitual indulger in alco- 
holics has found out. The man of 
steady habits is the man of the hour. — 
Ladies' Home Journal. 

21:52. The company which operates 
the New York subway system owned by 
the City has taken a radical stand 
against drink. "Take a drink and you 
lose your job" is in effect the dictum 
that has gone forth. The company Is 
now employing large numbers of new 
men and taking back many of the old 
employes who went out in the recent 
strike. The company has made use of 
the opportunity to take a firm stand 
against intoxicants. All successful ap- 
plicants are required U) slun a total ab- 
stinence pledge as a condition of their 
being employed. The company employs 
thousands of men. 

2483. When Governor Hanlj of Indi- 
ana was delivering his famous temper- 
ance lecture at a •Thautauqua" In 
Southern Illinois, a saloonkeeper arose 
In the audience and said: "Governor, 
there are In this town nine saloons that 



besides paying license are paying taxes 
on $25,000 worth of property. How is 
the deficit going to be made up if you 
knock us out?" The governor promptly 
said: "Give me an hour and I will an- 
swer you." So the meeting was ad- 
journed for one hour. The governor put 
in the time consulting the tax records 
of the county. At the end of the recess 
he returned to the platform. After 
leading his questioner to repeat the as- 
sertion that the saloons were paying 
taxes on property worth $25,000, the 
governor told the audience that in fact 
the nine saloonkeepers of the place were 
assessed on a total valuation of only 
I $1,300 for all their holdings, and the 
total taxes that the entire nine contri- 
buted to the public funds that year was 
$9.16. The saloonists didn't try to 
measure conclusions with the governor 
again that day. — The Interior. 

Temperance and Health. (24 H-2447) 

2434. In the United States it is found 
that twenty-six per cent of our lunatics 
are the victims of drink, and our insur- 
ance tables give the chances of life at 
forty years of age as twenty-nine to 
eleven in favor of the abstainer as 
i against the man that drinks. With the 
I well-attested facts of France and Nor- 
way before us, it is in vain to deny that 
we. can do much by wise legislation to 
save our people from the curse. But 
the only way in which the friends of 
temperance can effect the reformation 
of morals which they seek, is by keep- 
ing "all at it and always at it." — Evan- 
1 gel 1st. 

21.15. At a banquet in Xew York dur- 
ing the visit of Dr. Lorcnz, the great 
surgeon, he was reported by the news- 
papers to have said: "I cannot say that 
I am a temperance agitator, but I am 
a surgeon. My success depends upon 
my brain being clear, my muscles firm, 
and my nerves steady. NO one can take 
alcoholic liquors without blunting these 
physical powers, which I must keep al- 
ways on edge. As a surgeon, I must 
not drink." 

But why should not every man's 
brain be clear, and his muscles firm and 
his nerves steady? If liquor makes 
these blessings impossible for a surgeon. 
It makes them Impossible to men who 
are not surgeons: and what right have 
they. In God's sight and In justice to 
themselves, to muddle their brains, to 
weaken their muscles, and to unsteady 
their nerves? A man should be the 
best man he can be, and not Indulge in 
what Impair- his manhood 

2136. The report ol Dr. ISoui nevllle, 



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Temperance and Health. 



of the Hospital de Bicetre, giving sta- 
tistics concerning the influences of al- 
coholism in the production of idiots and 
epileptics, says that among 2,987 idiot 
or epileptic infants, 1,069 of them came 
of a drinking father. In ninety-one 
cases, it was the mother who had been 
excessive in her cups. As many as 2 75 
maladies in children were traced for a 
certainty to the inebriacy of their 
parents, and 114 others are theoretically 
ascribed to the same source. Nearly 50 
per cent of all idiots, then, were chil- 
dren of drunken parents. Such figures 
need no comment. 

2437. John Tatson, an Indian, a native 
of Lyme, in Connecticut, being found 
dead on a winter's morning, not far 
from a tavern where he had been drink- 
ing freely of spirituous liquors the 
evening before, the Indians immediately 
assembled a jury of their own tribe, 
who, after examining the body, unani- 
mously agreed, "that the said Tatson's 
death was occasioned by the freezing of 
a large quantity of water in his body, 
that had been imprudently mixed with 
the rum he drank." That is about the 
way that those who advocate the use of 
intoxicants reason. They are about as 
Logical as those Indians. 

2438. Sir Frederick Treves, the fa- 
mous British surgeon, who operated 
with wonderful skill and success upon 
King Edward VII, at the time of his 
coronation, has declared that alcohol is 
distinctly a poison, and that its use 
ought to be limited as strictly by law 
as that of any other poison. He asserts 
that it is not an appetizer, that even a 
small quantity hinders digestion, that 
its stimulating effects endure only for 
a moment, and that when the brief ac- 
cess of strength is gone the capacity for 
work falls quickly below the normal 
level. 

2439. I have tried alcohol in fever, 

and I have treated fever patients with- 
out alcohol; and my experience is, we 
lose 5 per cent in treating cases of fever 
without alcohol, and 2 5 per cent with 
alcohol. It is the experience of work- 
houses and hospitals that one patient 
in ten of those treated with brandy for 
fever died; but of those treated without 
brandy only one death in thirty cases 
occurred. — Henry Munroe, M. D. 

2440. Lord Charles Beresford, Eng- 
land's fighting Admiral, helieved in total 
abstinence. He one time said: "I do 
not believe alcohol in any form ever has 
or ever will do any one any good. I am 
now sixty years old, and since I have 
entirely given up wine, spirits and beer, 
I find I can do as much work, or more, 



physically and mentally, than when I 
was thirty. I am always well, always 
cheery, always feel fit. If only some 
young men would try going without 
liquor for three months, I believe they 
would be convinced that liquor is un- 
necessary." 

2441. The notion that beer can not 
be harmful because those who swill it 
down escape delirium tremens is false 
and misleading. The fact is that beer 
drinkers die of other maladies caused 
by beer before they reach the delirium 
stage of alcoholism. Dr. Gudden, in a 
German medical journal, explains that 
the typical beer drinker is either carried 
away by heart disease, tuberculosis, 
kidney disease, or other diseases in 
which beer is a factor; or else he is 
obliged, by the setting in of these diseas- 
es, to abandon or greatly reduce his 
beer allowance. — Biblical Recorder. 

2442. A patient was arguing with the 
doctor on the necessity of his taking a 
stimulant. He urged that he was weak 
and needed it. Said he, '"But, doctor, I 
must have some kind of a stimulant. I 
am old, and it warms me." "Precisely," 
came the doctor's crusty answer. "See 
here. This stick is cold," taking up a 
stick of wood from the box beside the 
hearth and tossing it into the fire. 
"Now it is warm, but is the stick bene- 
fited?" The sick man watched the wood 
first send out little puffs of smoke, and 
then burst into a flame, and replied, 
"Of course not. It is burning itself." 
"And so are you when you warm your- 
self with alcohol — you are literally 
burning up the delicate tissues of your 
stomach and brain." 

2143. Amen-em-an, Egyptian priest, 
2000 B. C, in a letter to a pupil: "Thou 
knowest that wine is an abomination; 
thou hast taken an oath concerning 
strong drink that thou wouldest not put 
such into thee. Hast thou forgotten 
thine oath? ... I, thy superior, forbid 
thee to go to the taverns. Thou art 
degraded like the beasts! God regards 
not the breakers of pledges. — Lees' 
"Text-Book of Temperance." 

2444. Health is a state which cannot 
be benefited by alcohol in any degree. 

Nay, it is a state which, in nine times 
out of ten, is injured by alcohol; it can 
bear it sometimes without obvious in- 
jury, but be benefited by it, never. Alco- 
hol, even in small doses, will take the 
bloom off and injure the perfection and 
loveliness of health, both mental and 
moral. If there is any honest man 
who really wants to get at the truth, I 
would risk all I possess on the back of 
the statement that as certainly as he 



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— 347 — 



Evils of Intemperance. 



tries the experiment for a month or six 
weeks, so certainly will he come to the 
conclusion that, however pleasant alco- 
hol is for the moment, it is not a helper 
of work. — Sir Andrew Clark. 

211.). One of the lawyers who spoke 
at a meeting in London of the Royal 
Courts of Justice Temperance Society 
said that if England were to turn sober 
the legal profession would be ruined. 
The medical profession also would lose 
hosts of patients. This should be stored 
in the memory side by side with the Eng- 
lish preacher's short definition: Let us 
call factionism once for all by its right 
name — alcohol. 

2446. So I am bound to believe, on the 
evidence, that if you take alcohol ha- 
bitually, in any quantity whatever, it is 
to some extent a menace to you. I am 
hound to believe, in the light of what 
science has revealed: (1) that you are 
tangibly threatening the physical struc- 
tures of your stomach, your liver, your 
kidneys, your heart, your blood-vessels, 
your nerves, your brain; (2)_ that you 
are unequivocally decreasing your capa- 
city for work in any field, be it physical, 
intellectual, or artistic: (3) that you are 
in some measure lowering the grade of 
your mind, dulling your higher esthetic 
sense, and taking the finer edge off your 
morals; (4) that you are distinctly les- 
sening your chances of maintaining 
health and attaining long, vity; and (5) 
that you may be entailing upon your 
descendants yet unborn a bond of incal- 
culable misery. Such, I am bound to 
believe, is the probable cost of your 
"moderate" indulgence in alcoholic 
beverages. Part of that cost you must pay 
in person; the balance will be the herit- 
age of future generations. As a mere 
business proposition: Is your glass of 
beer, your bottle of wine, your high-ball, 
or your cocktail worth such a price? — 
Henry Smith Williams, M. D.. in Mc- 
f'lure'8. 

2117. The statistics show that the 
death-rate for the moderate drinker is 
11 per cent greater than the total ab- 
stainer between the ages of 20 and 30; 
between 30 and 40 it Is 68 per cent; 74 
percent between the years of 40 and 50; 
and 19 per cent between 50 and fiO. 
The time between 30 and 00 is the per- 
iod of life during which the great mass 
of men take and benefit by Insurance. 
The totals for that period show that the 
moderate drinker furnishes r>0 per cent 
more losses than his teetotal brother. 

in view of (he unanswerable testimony 
or medical experts, as i<> the hurtful ef- 
fects of the ose of alcohol apon the 
physical and mental powers, persistence 

in Its use becomes suicidal. 



General Evils of Intemperance. 

(2448-2487) 

2148. Addison's powerful brain reeled 
under the influence of alcohol. Hogg, 
the Ettrick shepherd, was its slave. 
Hartley Coleridge, the son of the distin- 
guished metaphysician and poet, neph- 
ew of Southey and the friend and favor- 
ite of Wordsworth, was reduced to mis- 
erable physical conditions by intemper- 
ance. The celebrated Edmund Kcan ex- 
perienced the wreck of his giant me- 
mory through its influence. Richard 
Brinsley Sheridan, orator, dramatis', 
statesman and wit, with gifts and facul- 
ties apparently almost beyond the hu- 
man, the friend of princes, the idol of 
peers, died where? In a garret, a 
broken-down, miserable wreck. And 
what was the cause? The same answer 
— drink! Charles Lamb was another of 
the bottle's victims. Edgar Allen Poe 
passed away in a state of intoxication. 
William Pitt, the younger, lost his 
health and his strength in alcoholic dis- 
sipation. Byron, the splendid poet, had 
his manhood degraded and came to his 
grave at thirty-seven years of age, by 
reason of intemperance. — Crafts. 

211!). The tragic story or Madagascar. 

In 1800 the Malagasy were a nation of 
idolators; now they are a nation of 
Christians. Unhappily Mauritius became 
a sugar-producing colony, and rum was 
made from the refuse of the sugar-mills. 
What was to be done with it? It was 
not good enough for the European mar- 
ki ts, and Madagascar "\\a^ made the 
receptacle for the damaged spirits of the 
< olony." They received the curse in 
tbeir simplicity, and it produced fright- 
ful havoc. "The crime of the Island 
rose in one short year by leaps and 
bounds to a height too fearful to record." 
The native government was seized with 
consternation, and the able and coura- 
geous king. Kadama I. paid the duty 
and ordered every cask of rum to be 
staved in on the shore, except those that 
went to the government stores. The 
merchants of Mauritius complained; the 
Engll-h otiicers Interfered; and from 
that day the "cursed stuff" has had free 

course, and deluged the land with mis- 

cry and crime. 

2I50. After all. If we hunt vice and 
crime back to their lairs we will be 
pretty sure to lind them In (he gin-mill. 
Drunkenness Is the prolific mother of 
most of the evil doing. . . . Drunkenness 

Is the prime cause of all the trouble. — 

Ex. Supt. of Police Thomas Byrnei 

2ir,l. Mallke, King Of Nape. In bi- 

well-known letter to iu-hop Crowtlier 



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— 348 — 



Evils of Intemperance. 



declared, "Barasa" (rum or gin) "lias 
ruined our country; it has ruined our 
people very much; it has made our peo- 
ple become mad. I agree to everything 
for trade except barasa. We beg Crovv- 
ther, the great Christian minister, to beg 
the great priests" (the Church Mission- 
ary Society Committee) "to beg the 
English Queen to prevent bringing bara- 
sa into this land. For God's sake he 
must help us in this matter. He must 
not leave our country to become 
spoiled." 

2452. Max O'Rell tells a pathetic 
story of a man who became so habitu- 
ated to drink that he lost his power to 
guide his hands to his mouth. All he 

could do to get the liquor to his lips 
was to tie a handkerchief around his 
neck and one end of it fast to his left 
arm while the other was fast to his 
right wrist. Then he would take hold 
of the cup with his right hand, and 
with the left hand draw down the hand- 
kerchief across his shoulders, thus using 
it as a pulley to bring the cup in the 
other hand within approaching distance 
of the mouth. 

2453. Temperance and Missions: No 

doubt - nine-tenths of the liquor sold is 
that poisonous and murderous stuff 
styled "trade" rum and gin, and its 
deadly quality was shown by what oc- 
curied on a South African Coast steam- 
er, and of which I received an account 
from an eye-witness. A gorilla, which 
had been procured at the Gaboon river, 
died on its way home, and in order to 
preserve its body it was placed in a cask 
of this trade rum; but when it was 
opened in Liverpool it was found that 
the hair and skin had been burned off 
as if by vitriol, and that the body was 
in a horrible state of putrefaction, in- 
stead of in a fine state of preservation. 

2454. A boy had a remarkable dream. 
He thought that the richest man in town 
came to him and said: "I am tired of 
my house and grounds; come and take 
care of them, and I will give them to 
you." Then came an honored judge, 
and said: "I want you to take my place; 
I am weary of being in court day after 
day; I will give you my seat on the bench 
if you will do my work." Then the doc- 
tor proposed that he take his extensive 
practice and let him rest, and so on. 
At last up shambled old Tommy, and 
said, "I'm wanted to fill a drunkard's 
graie; I have come to see if you will 
take my place in these saloons and on 
these streets." This is a dream that is 
not all a dream. For every boy in this 
land who lives to grow up some position 
is waiting, as surely as if a rich man, 
judge, doctor or drunkard stood ready 



to hand over his place at once. Which 
will you choose, boys? 

2455. Ninety per cent of the women 
brought under the care of the Philadel- 
phia police matrons are "drunks", and 
a large portion of the ten per cent are 
charged with offences primarily result- 
ing from drink. Furthermore, the 
"prevalence of places where liquor is 
sold is one of the great handicaps to the 
reformation of these women; and the 
great abundance of saloons, ladies' par- 
lors and amusement resorts is largely 
the cause of the demoralization of those 
who fall into the police dragnets." 

2456. Patrick A. Collins, mayor of 
Boston for a number of years past, be- 
lieves that a boy's word is worth listen- 
ing to. One time complaint was made 
to him that a saloon was located too 
near a certain public school. After the 
mayor had listened to arguments from 
both sides, he said: "Well, I'm going to 
let the boys of the school tell me what 
they think of the place. Send me," he 
said to the principal of the school, "half 
a dozen of your brightest boys. I'll listen 
to them." The next day half a dozen of 
the boys, ranging from ten to fifteen 
years of age, called on the mayor. 
Each boy gave some reason why he be- 
lieved the saloon ought to be taken away, 
until it came to the last one, a youngster 
of twelve. He looked the mayor square- 
ly in the eye, and gave as his reason: 
"My school gives me a chance to be may- 
or of Boston some day; the saloon 
can't. I think us boys ought to have 
all the show we can get to be mayor. 
That's all I know about it." The may- 
or threw himself back in his chair and 
laughed heartily; then, straightening up, 
he said to the last spokesman: 

"My boy, you have said more than did 
all the politicians and the teachers. 
You shall have the show to be mayor. 
That saloon will have to quit business 
at once." The boys gave the mayor a 
hearty cheer, and marched out of his 
office. They had conquered, and were 
consequently happy and triumphant. — 
Congregational Work. 

2457. "You cannot think about good 
citizenship," said a speaker at a recent 
convention, "without getting out your 
gun and going for the saloon." 

2458. The following sign hangs over 
the door of a saloon in Portland, Ore.: 
"Drinks of all kinds, 10 cents. The 
best drink in the house is cold water." — 
Chicago Record Herald. 

2459. Wendell Phillips tells how in a 
railroad car an old man, who had hearjS 
him lecture on temperance the nig^ht 
before, came and sat beside him and 



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Evils of Intemperance. 



said, "I am master of a ship sailing 
out of New York, and have just re- 
turned from my fiftieth voyage across 
the Atlantic. Thirty years ago I was a 
sot, shipped dead drunk, carried on 
board like a log. When I came to, the 
captain asked me, 'Do you remember 
your mother?' I told him she died be- 
fore I could remember. 'Well,' said he, 
"I am a Vermont man. When I was 
young I was crazy to go to sea. At 
last my mother consented. "My boy,'' 
she said, "I don't know anything about 
towns, and I never saw the sea, but they 
tell me they make thousands of drunk- 
ards; promise nie yon will never drink a 
drop of liquor." I laid my hand in hers 
and promised, as I looked into her eyes 
for the last time. She died soon after. 
I've been on every sea, seen the worst 
kind of life and men. They laughed at 
me as a milksop, and a coward. But 
when they offered me liquor I saw my 
mother's pleading face, and never drank 
a drop. It has been my sheet-anchor." 

2-160. Four young men in a Pullman 

car were chatting merrily together. At 
last one of them said, "Boys, I think it s 
time for drinks." Two of them con- 
sented; the other shook his head and 
said, "No, I thank you." "What!" ex- 
claimed his companion, "have you be- 
come pious? Are you going to preach? 
Do you think you will become a mis- 
sionary?" "No, fellows," he replied, "I 
am not specially pious, and I may not 
become a missionary; but I have deter- 
mined not to drink another drop, and I 
will tell you why: I had some business 
in Chicago with an old pawnbroker, and 
as I stood before his counter talking 
about it, there came in a young man 
about my age, and threw down upon 
the counter a little bundle. When the 
pawnbroker opened it he found it was 
a pair of baby shoes with the button- 
holes a trifle worn. The old pawnbroker 
seemed to have some heart left in him, 
and he said, 'Book here, you ought not 
to sell your baby's shoes for drink." 
'Never mind. Cohen; baby K at borne 
dead, and does nol need the shoes. Give 
me ten cents for a drink.' Now, fellows. 
I have a wife and baby at home myself, 
and when I saw what liquor could do in 
degrading that husband and father, I 
made up my mind that. God helping me, 
not a drop of that demoralizing stuff 
would pass my lips again." 

2461. Joseph Cook said, "The apple of 
the eye of the temperance reform is the 
fad thai the liquor 1 traffic, like the slave 

trade or piracy, cannot be mended, and 

therefore must be actually ended. The 
average citizen does not as yet believe 
this. If we are to judge by political 



platforms, our great historic parties do 
not believe it. They think the liquor 
traffic can be mended by license, high 
or low, by taxation, state partnerships, 
or something short of prohibition. It is 
an evil with which experience has 
proved that there can be no successful 
compromises. 

2462. A young- man, some year-, ago, 
while in the jungles of Africa with an 
exploring party, caught a young boa 
constrictor, which, for amusement, he 
taught some wonderful tricks, one of 
which was to coil itself about his feet 
and body, and as it reached above his 
head, to curve over and kiss his face, 
and then at a signal drop to the ground. 
By this popular exhibition in England 
he made money, and then formed the 
habit of drinking. One night he gave 
an exhibition in Manchester. The 
scene, an African jungle. A traveler 
came on the stage, stopped, and listened, 
spellbound. A rustle was heard as of 
a stealthy moving object, and there ap- 
peared the head of a great snake, with 
eyes like fire. It crept softly to the 
man, wound itself about him. and 
brought its head in line with his face. 
He gave the signal, but the serpent had 
him entirely in its power, and. tighten- 
ing its coil about his body, crushed out 
his life. Even .a serpent knew no man 
could retain his mastery of others when 
he had been mastered by drink. How 
many tragedies of young lives crushed 
out by the serpent of drink this story 
calls up in those who read it! 

2163. Rev. .Tame- M. Stafford, of In- 
dianapolis, who patented a non-reflllable 
bottle, turned down a $200,000 offer for 
the rights of his invention because the 
parties wanting to buy are whiskey 
manufacturers. 

2161. Sir Thomas Llpton, the yachts- 
man, warns young men that "cork- 
screws have -link more people than 
cork jackets ever saved." 

2165. From the Ala-kan mines eom. s 
a story which Is worth repeating. A 
young Swede, whose opportunities had 
been so limited that he was nothing but 
a stable boy before he went to the mines, 
was fortunate enough to secure a good 
claim, and to dig a considerable amount 
of gold out of It. His partner, also a 
Swede, asked him one day: "What are 
you going to do with your money?" "I 
mean lo do more for the world." was 

the quiet answer, "than the world ever 
did for inc." He meant it, too, for this 
ex-hostler has since given something 
like fifty thousand dollars to endow a 
college and a hospital in the far West. — 
The Wellsprlng. 



The Christian Life. 



— 350 



Evils of Intemperance. 



2466. Visitors to Atlantic City will re- 
call a wrecked ship that lies a short dis- 
tance south of the city. It came all the 
way from Japan, laden with Oriental 
goods, to be wrecked within sight of its 
destination. Recently there has been 
placed on the side of the great black 
hulk that looms grimly up out of the 
water the sign, "Wilson's Whiskey is the 
Best." Best for what? To wreck souls 
as that ship was wrecked? Whiskey 
and wreck are closely connected. — 
Presbyterian Banner. 

2467. "Ton have no right to interfere 
with my personal liberty." That all de- 
pends. John B. Finch once said in a 
public address: "I have a right to 
swing my arm where I please up here 
on this platform; but if I go down there 
into the audience and get to swinging 
it and strike some man in the face, I 
will probably find out that my personal 
liberty ends just where that man's nose 
begins." — Central Presbyterian. 

2468. A little while ago a man came 
home on Saturday night, an honest 
workman who had spent his wages dur- 
ing the evening, a kind husband under 
ordinary circumstances, and a gracious 
father, whose wife had been waiting for 
him with her little children; far into the 
night he came. He had been putting 
an enemy into his mouth to steal away 
his brains; he came through the door, 
and at her welcome he grasped her with 
his two hands, and before her screaming 
children strangled her, and the officer of 
the law came and took him to jail. The 
next day he awoke in his cell, and he 
said, "Where am I?" And the guard 
said, "You are. in jail." "What for?" 
"For murder." For a moment he was 
silent with horror, and then he said, 
"Does my wife know?" And the guard 
said, "It was your wife you killed," and 
he fell in a swoon; and the constable 
that arrested that man and took him to 
the prison was the man that owned the 
dram-shop, that whetted the knife, that 
nerved the arm; and the man in the cor- 
ridor was a partner in the concern; and 
the judge that sentenced that man to a 
life of penalty at hard labor had voted 
to license it. 

2469. A recent writer tells a story of 
a famous horse trainer who had a par- 
ticularly bad-tempered beast brought to 
him for subjugation. At the first act 
of ugly temper on the part of the brute, 
the trainer paused, put up his whip, 
and said, with a deep drawing of his 
breath, "Now, first of all, let me get a 
good grip on myself!" After that his 
mastery of the horse came, not as an 
accident, but as a sequel. The man who 



can master himself can master a horse 
if he gives his mind to it. 

2470. In a Kentucky town, it is said, a 
grandson of Henry Clay lay dying of a 
wound received in a drunken brawl; 
while at the same time the grandson of 
John J. Crittenden was wrestling with 
delirium tremens, and the grandson of 
Patrick Henry was serving out a term of 
imprisonment for attempted murder, 
also the result of drink. 

2474. Mr. Perry was an old Southern 
gentleman, exceedingly polite. He would 
go out of his way at any time to avoid 
offending a neighbor or a friend. One 
day a neighbor met him on the street 
with "Hello, Mr. Perry; I was just go- 
ing in to get a drink. Come in and take 

something." "Thank you, Mr. , I 

don't care for anything," was the an- 
swer. "But come in and take some- 
thing, just for sociability's sake." "Now, 
I want to be sociable, but I can't drink 
with you." "All right, if you don't want 
to be sociable, I'll go without drinking," 
growled the friend, and he silently 
walked along in the direction in which 
Mr. Perry was traveling. Presently the 
pair drew near a drug store, when Mr. 

Perry broke out with, "Mr. , I'm not 

feeling at all well today, and I think 
I'll go in this drugstore and get some 
castor-oil. Won*t you join me?" 
"What? a dose of castor-oil?" "Yes." 
"Naw; I hate the stuff," saying which 
a chill went over the man as visible in 
its effect to Mr. Perry as if the ague had 
seized him on the street. "But I want 
you to take a glass of oil with me, just 
to be sociable, you know." The friend 
still refused, when Mr. Perry said: 
"Your sociable whiskey is just as dis- 
tasteful to me as my sociable oil is to 
you. Don't you think I've as much rea- 
son to be offended with you as you have 
with me?" The pair heartily shook 
hands, the dialogue was circulated in 
Covington, and Mr. Perry was never in- 
vited to drink again. 

2472. It was on the street. A man 
recovering from a debauch was moaning 
to himself: "I must quit! I must reform! 
I must stop!" "Don't say dat, boss," 
put in a darkey. "Dat's no good. Say; 
'I am quit. I is reformed. I've done 
gone stopped.' Do it now, boss, an' den 
you won't forget it." 

2473. In certain mountain passes of 
Austria are found sign-boards bearing, 
in German, the words, "Return forbid- 
den." These roads are so narrow and 
precipitous that there is not room for 
two carriages abreast; therefore, to at- 
tempt to retrace one's path might bring 
disaster upon one's self and upon those 



The Christian Life. 



— 351 — 



Evils of Intemperance. 



coming after. Austria is not the only 
place where there is need of the warn- 
ing. "Return forbidden." — C. G. Trum- 
bull. 

2114. Oliver Goldsmith said: "In all 
the towns and countries I have seen, I 
never saw a city or a village yet, whose 
miseries were not in proportion to the 
number of its public-houses". 

2175. A bartender complained, be- 
cause lie had to rub congealed drops of 
sticky beer off the bar. "But if I let 
them remain," he said, "they rot the 
wood." 

"They rot the wood, do they?" fiercely 
repeated the beer bibber. "Then what 
in the name of common sense do they 
do (o my stomach'.'" "It is beyond me 
to tell," replied the manipulator of 
drinks. "Of one thing I am confident, 
and that is, that man's stomach is made 
of cast-iron. Else how could he with- 
stand the amount of beer that he pours 
into it? Let me show you something." 
He placed a piece of raw meat on the 
counter and dropped it into a small 
measure of imported liquor. In rive 
minutes the meat had parted Into little 
pieces, as though hacked by a dull knife. 

It is not surprising that beer drinkers 
are held by life insurance companies to 
be extra hazardous risks. — Arkansas 
Searchlight. 

2476. "This red flag is a signal of 
danger", said the tall engineer, as he 
gave his daughter a little red flag. "It 
means danger. If anything is not just 
right, that red flag on the railroad 
track is a sign, and the engineer will 
stop his train." She eagerly seized the 
toy flag, and delightedly played with it. 
Her father had scarcely left the room 
to hurry off to his train, when she heard 
her mother sighing. Then her mother 
cried. "Oh, I wouldn't cry!" urged Nan- 
nie, throwing her arms about her moth- 
er's neck. Tell me what is the matter." 
The mother hated to say. "I know what 
It is." She went to a closet and opened 
the door. She pointed lo a bottle on n 
shelf. "That is it, mother." The mother 
nodded her head. "It's growing on 
him. Xannie. He does not think so, 
but he drinks more than he used to.' 
and he drinks oftener. He will lose his 
place on the road the next thing." What 
could Nannie do? She resolved to do 
one thing the next day, though she 
made up her mind with fear and tremb- 
ling. When the engineer went to the 
closet the next morning, he saw tin 1 toy 
flag beside the bottle, the danger signal 

near the drink of death, and so the 
father was saved. — The World Book ot 
Temperance. 



2477. It is easy to run into temptation 
but hard to come out uninjured. I went 
with a party of friends lo explore a 
coal mine. One of the young ladies ap- 
peared dressed in a dainty while gown. 
When her friends remonstrated with her 
she appealed to the old miner who was 
to act as guide of the party. "Can't I 
wear a white dress down into the 
mine?" she asked, petulantly. "Yes'm." 
returned the old man. "There's nothiu' 
to keep you from wearin' a white frock 
down there, but there'll be considerable 
! to keep you from wearin' one back." 

2178. The lettering on the window 
of a store, acquired as the site for a 
new saloon, read: "Album Factory." A 
painter was sent for to change it at as 
reasonable a price as possible. He in- 
] formed the successful applicant that 
"the cheapest and quickest method 
would be to obliterate the first two let- 
ters." The saloon is a "Bum Factory" 
indeed. — The Catholic Abstander. 

2 179. Can any one comprehend tin- 
amount and intensity of the mental 
worry endured by 100.000 wives and 
mothers in our country, whose husbands 
and fathers are spending much of their 
time and money in the saloon or club- 
house with its bar and card table? 
Many of them become so weakened in 
vitality by the continued worry caused 
by ever-increasing dread of the fast ap- 
proaching disgrace and poverty that 
they become easy victims of consump- 
tion or other infectious diseases. 

2 ISO. A story is told of a big. burly 
miner who steadily refused to join his 
comrades in their drinking bouts, or in 
any of their revels in which evil was 
done. He was not surly and morose, 
but he steadfastly declined all Invita- 
tions to take part in his companions' ca- 
rousals. He was jeered at and sub- 
jected to all sorts of annoyances, but 
yield he would not. One night when 
the revelry ran high and many of the 
men were half drunk, they declared 
that "Big Joe", as he was called, simply 
"had to drink with them." 

"I will not, and I'll tell you why". He 
thrust his hand down Into an Inside 
pocket In his gray flannel shirt, apd 
drew forth something wrapped in an old 
silk handkerchief. Inside the handker- 
chief was a wrapping of tissue paper, 
and in the paper was a little shlniiiK 
curl of yellow hair. Big Joe held the 
curl up between his thumb and linger, 
and said: 

"Boys, I've not a motherless girl 
nearly two thousand miles from here, 

and that curl came from her head I 
used to drink a lot — enough 'o ruin my 
wife's happiness, and when she was dy- 



The Christian Life. 



— 352 — 



Evils of Intemperance. 



ing I promised her that I'd never drink 
another drop, and that for our little 
girl's sake I'd be a better man; and 
when I left my little one with her 
grandmother I promised them both 
what I'd promised my wife, and my 
little girl cut this curl from her head 
and gave it to me to 'remember her by,' 
and she said: 'Maybe it will help you to 
keep your promise, papa.' It has helped 
me. I've worn it next my heart day 
and night, and I'll never, never drink a 
drop, nor do anything that she would 
be sorry to have me do while it is there. 
Now, do you want me to drink with you, 
boys?" The man who threatened to 
have whiskey poured down Big Joe's 
throat was the first to say, "No," and 
from that time forward he was never 
asked to break his promise. — J. L. Har- 
bour, in "National Advocate." 

2481. The Statue of Liberty at the 
New York gates of the ocean and the 
Statue of Faith on the Plymouth shore 
are sisters. I never pass through New 
York harbor or visit Plymouth Rock 
without seeming to hear the two stat- 
ues converse with each other. The 
Statue of Liberty is always uttering 
Webster's words: "Liberty and Union, 
now and forever, one and inseparable." 
And the Statue of Faith replies: "Liber- 
ty and Union, now and forever, one and 
inseparable; but these are possible only 
to a people whose God is the Lord." 
And today I hear both Liberty and Faith 
uttering in unison words of Neal Dow, 
with which we shall agree and which, 
God grant, the future may indorse: "We 
forbid the bans of rum, religion and 
politics." But, in the name of God and 
humanity, we proclaim a union, holy 
and indissoluble, of affection, as well as 
of interest, between Temperance, Reli- 
gion and Politics, of every party and 
every sect. — Joseph Cook. 

2482. Hold a mouthful of spirits — 
whiskey, for instance — in your mouth 
for five minutes, and you will find it 
burns severely; inspect the mouth, and 
you will find it inflamed. Hold it for 
ten or fifteen minutes, and you will find 
that various parts of the interior of the 
mouth have become blistered; then tie 
a handkerchief over the eyes, and taste, 
for instance, water, vinegar, milk, or 
senna, and you will find that you are 
incapable of distinguishing one from 
another. This experiment proves to a 
certainty that alcohol is not only a vio- 
lent irritant, but also a narcotic. — Dr. 
McCulloch. 

2483. At each moment of man's life 
he is like a king or a slave. As he sur- 
renders to a wrong appetite, to any hu- 



man weakness; as he falls prostrate in 
hopeless subjection to any condition, to 
any environment, to any failure, he is a 
slave. As he day by day crushes out 
human weakness, masters opposing ele- 
ments within him, and day by day re- 
creates a new self from the sin and folly 
of the past, — then he is a king, he is a 
king ruling with wisdom over self. — Wil- 
liam George Jordan. 

2484. Our sharing of responsibility 
for the opium traffic and the Chinese 
feeling were vividly impressed on the 
writer once when preaching on the street 
in Shashing. Hell was mentioned and a 
fine looking elderly man exclaimed with 
equal courage and severity: "Yes, there 
is such a place. Since you foreigners 
came, China has become a hell!" — G. L. 
Mason. 

2485. The African never can be a 
moderate drinker; the appetite once 
formed, he has no control, and, under 
its influence, is maddened. Joseph 
Thompson, who led three expeditions in- 
to Eastern Central Africa, writes: "I 
traveled and suffered, inspired by the 
idea that I was doing good in opening 
new lands to commerce and civilization; 
but all satisfaction was blighted as I 
felt that what little I had done were 
better undone, and Africa would better 
remain the dark continent, if such must 
be the end of it all. Underneath the 
cry for gin I seem to hear the reproach, 
'You see what Christians have made us. 
You talk of peace and good-will, yet put 
devils into us.' As things stand in 
many places, I translate this cry of 
opening Africa to civilization as really 
opening it to European vices, old clothes, 
gin, rum, powder and guns. Truly, 
liquor has been well termed 'the devil in 
solution.' " — Missionary Outlook. 

2486. In my travels in foreign fields 
I learned that not only the customs of 
the people hinder missionary activities, 
but I found the slime of the pit as rep- 
resented in the American saloon, had 
been transferred to those fields. — There 
is a brewery in Jerusalem. There is a 
distillery on Mount Lebanon. There are 
American saloons in Damascus. The 
saloon is the church's greatest foe in its 
foreign missionary work. The mission- 
ary goes to Christianize, while the rum- 
shop follows in his steps to destroy his 
work — even to hurl the people back into 
a worse than heathen darkness. — Dr. 
Brown. 

2487. The father was a lawyer. He 
kept wine in the house. His young son, 
a bright lad, had been forbidden to 
taste the dangerous stuff, and it was 

kept out of sight, except when brought 



The Christian Life. 



— 853 — 



Temperance Effort. 



forth to treat the father's friends. Sev- 
eral called at trfe house one evening on 
legal business, wishing to hurry in a 
consultation. A bottle of wine was 
opened, and after the talk, 'there was 
the sound of clinking glasses and a gala 
draught. Then the gentlemen left the 
apartment, and the lad who had been 
in an adjoining room entered, spied the 
bottle high upon a shelf, clambered to 
the back of a chair, helped himself to a 
generous drink, and made an unsteady 
descent. When discovered he was stu- 
pefied — drunk, under a table. At nine 
o'clock the mother returned home from 
a chat at a neighbor's. Directly her 
lawyer husband also came, after a trip 
to his office, where he had consulted 
certain authorities on the knotty case 
which confronted him. Together they 
searched for their little son, finding him 
at last on the carpet, under the shadows 
of a table-spread which hung low over 
the sides of the table. They drew him 
forth, saw the flushed face, heard the 
heavy breathing, smelled the alcoholic 
breath of the eight-year-old lad. Willi 
tears they vowed theirs should be a 
temperance hearth henceforth. And it 
is! That lawyer is "dry", his lesson well 
learned; his boy safe from further 
temptation. The sharp lash of con- 
science, and a heart of love, make that 
home citadel a temperance fortress. — 
The Temperance Tribune. 

Temperance Effort. (24^8-2497) 

2188. A certain settler in the north 
woods of .Maine let his young SOD, who 
wanted to go hunting, take a gun and 
trudge off alone into t lie woods through 
the deep Maine snow. The lad was 
strictly bidden to return within a very- 
short time, but when he did not come, 
the troubled father started out to search 
for the boy. He had not followed the 
trail far before to his anguish he saw 
the tracks of a panther mingling with 
the tracks of the lad. A murderous 
beast was following close on his son's 
footsteps. With pace redoubled, the 
father pressed on with an awful dread 
in his heart lest he should find his boy 
torn to pieces. Suddenly he noticed 
another trail in the snow crossing at 
right angles the trail he had been fol- 
lowing. He knelt and examined it care- 
fully. The tracks were those of his boy, 
but here there were no panther tracks. 
The keen sense of the woodman read the 
story at once. The lad had circled 
the adjacent hill and recrossed his own 
path, but the panther following behind 
had not yet completed the circuit. Tin- 
father's task was easy then; he secreted 
himself near at hand, waited until the 
23 Prnc. III. 



panther came and shot it dead, then 
hurried along the new trail to overtake 
his son. "We've got between the boy and 
the saloon now; let's shoot the saloon 
dead when it comes by on the trail." — 
Dr. E. S. Chapman. 

2489. The police in Denmark have a 
curious way of dealing with the drunk 
and Incapable found in the streets. They 
summon a cab and place the patient 
inside it, then to the station, where he 
gets sober; then home, where he arrives 
sober and sad. The agents neVer leave 
him till they have seen him safe 
in the family bosom. Then the cabman 
makes his charge, and the police sur- 
geon makes his, and the agents make 
their own claim for special duty, and 
this hill is presented to the host of the 
establishment where the culprit took his 
last overpowering glass. — The Age. 

2 190. "I won't drink, because doing 
so would Interfere with a certain com- 
mission I have." said a very young man 
when pressed by three gay companions 
to take a glass of beer in a social way. 
"A commission!" echoed two of the 
young men incredulously. "What sort 
of a commission?" queried the third. 
"A commission to prepare the way of 
the Lord and to make his paths straight. 
With work of that kind in view I don't 
want to have impaired faculties." 

2191. As a train stopped in front of 
a saloon before which a man was 
struggling with another, beastly drunk, 
trying to get him to go home, one of the 
Pullman car passengers remarked: "The 
rum business is about the rottenesl n<>- 
ing. If a man gets money out of it, he 
more than pays the price. Every 
dollar is covered with slime and tears 
and blood." A wholesale liquor dealer 
across the aisle straightened up and de- 
fended the traffic. He called the other 
man a crank, and accused him of talk- 
ing about something he did not under- 
stand, as. the people who sing psalms 
and go to church always do. The first 
speaker smiled a quizzical smile and 
said quietly: "If I don't know what the 
rum business Is, I'd like to know who 
does. I know It top and bottom. Inside 
and out. I have been in It for twenty 

years, and am now running three bb- 

loons in Chicago/' — Cavan. 

2102. The Cook county grand Jury, In 
a report said: "We call attention t<> tin" 
growing pernicious liilliM-iK-e <>l SalOOH8. 
Repeatedly witnesses l.elme ns have 
testified to the fact that In saloons, 
which are the resort of thieves, hold-up 
men and dissolute women, robberiei 
and burglaries are planned, criminals 
with well-known records issuing from 



The Christian Life. 



— 354 — 



Temperance Effort. 



these vile dens to waylay men, women 
and children. In many cases saloon keep- 
ers and saloon employees serve as receiv- 
ers of stolen property. In no less than six 
cases before this jury it was shown that 
murders were committed either in sa- 
loons or as the result of saloon influence. 
In Cook county, 75 per cent of the crim- 
inal offenses committed within the 
county are traceable directly or indi- 
rectly to the saloon. 

2493. Iceland, about half the size of 
Missouri, has "no jail, no penitentiary; 
there is no court and only one police- 
man. Not a drop of alcoholic liquor is 
made on the island, and its 78,000 peo- 
ple are total abstainers since they will not 
pe rmit any liquor to be imported. There 
is not an illiterate on the island, not a 
child ten years old unable to read, the 
system of public schools being perfect. 
There are special seminaries and col- 
leges, several good newspapers, and a 
printing establishment which every year 
publishes a number of excellent books 
on various lines." Such is the report 
brought by Northern travelers of this 
incomparable and ideal land. — Ram's 
Horn. 

2194. The first century of the temper- 
ance movement of modern society has 
not yet closed, nor will, till the twentieth 
century is thirty years old. But then 
we shall see the accomplishment of most 
of those aspirations with which the ear- 
ly pioneers of the movement started out. 
The nineteenth century closed with ev- 
ery indication that the use of alcohol as 
a social pleasure and an aid to enter- 
tainment will soon be a thing of the 
past. A million households never ad- 
mit strong liquors to the table at all, 
and the members of the family are total 
abstainers at home and abroad. In 
this twentieth century it will become as 
vulgar to drink anything intoxicating as 
fifty years ago it was fashionable. 

2495. There is no hope of improving 
in any shape or form the liquor traffic. 
There is nothing now to be done but to 
wipe it out completely. I have lost too 
much time in speaking of total absti- 
nence in hall and pulpit to men who 
while listening were with me, but who 
out in the streets would be invited by 
the saloonkeeper to come and take a 
drink and forget their resolutions. We 
Catholics will unite with our fellow- 
citizens of all classes and all denomina- 
tions to do away with that terrible 
shame, sin and disgrace of the saloon. 
So come and say to your friends that you 
have enlisted for war, but meaning busi- 
ness this time, clean out the whole insti- 
tution of dram-selling. — Archbishop Ire- 
land. 



2496. When the British torpedo-boat 
Thrasher struck on Dfldman Reef and 
was torn open, the steam pipes of one 
of the boilers burst and the stokers 
were in instant peril of their lives in the 
scalding steam. Stoker Lynch managed 
to reach the deck in safety, but just 
then he heard his chum cry for help, 
and plunged back into the scalding 
steam, shouting, "All right, Jim; I'm 
coming!" The rescuer groped his way 
to his chum and bore him up to the 
deck, getting badly burned as he did so, 
but his only thought was of his chum. 
"Bear up, Jim; we'll get you through, 
dear old boy!" But Jim died of his 
burns, and Lynch almost died of sorrow 
added to his own injuries. When Lynch 
got better there was a parade of sailors 
before the admiral. "Step forth, Lynch, 
and receive this first-class Albert medal 
for conspicuous bravery!" And his 
comrades crowned his honors with a 
hearty cheer. Some days after, a lady, 
speaking to a group of navy stokers and 
others, used this story of Lynch's cour- 
age as an illustration of moral courage 
needed in fighting drink and saving 
others. "Stand up, Lynch!" shouted his 
comrades. Modestly he arose, and as 
an appeal had been made for pledge 
signers, he said: "I have not been a 
drinking man, but my temptations have 
been very great, and if I should become 
a drunkard it would break my mother's 
heart. I should like to sign the pledge." 
He did so, and a hundred men signed 
with him. Thus he added a new act of 
courage to his record. This incident 
may well remind us that the bravest of 
the brave are those who daily wage an 
unpopular war for the right, says Dr. 
Wilbur F. Crafts. The liquor forces are 
powerful and determined. He who op- 
poses them needs hero-stuff in his 
makeup. 

2497. Sometimes that which makes 
life hard is in one's own nature. Pas- 
sions are strong; temper seems uncon- 
trollable; the affections are embittered 
so that meekness and gentleness appear 
to be impossible; or the disposition is 
soured so that one finds it hard to be 
loving and sweet. The fault may be in 
one's early training, or the unhappy 
temper may be an inheritance . . . Must 
one go through life to the end thus 
marred, with disposition spoiled, quick- 
tempered, with appetite and passions un- 
controllable ? Not at all. In these things 
we may be "more than conquerors 
through him that loved us." The grace 
of Christ can take the most unlovely 
life and change it into beauty. Saintli- 
ness is impossible to none, where God is 
allowed to work freely. — J.R.Miller, D.D. 



The Christian Life. 



— 355 — 



Zeal. Earnestness 



Zeal. Earnestness. (2498-2637) 

2 4 98. Earnest purpose, unflagging 
zeal, bring success. Sightless Milton 
taught men to see what eye hath not 
seen. Deaf Beethoven bequeathed us 
harmonies and melodies which men of 
most acute hearing had never heard. 
Longfellow's sculptor, failing to repro- 
duce his ideal of the Virgin in costly 
woods brought from far off islands, 
found his instrument of opportunity in 
the charred wood on the hearth. "What 
men want is not talent." said Bulwer; 
"it is purpose; no other words, not 
power to achieve, but will to labor." As 
Charles Dudley Warner reminds us, "A 
great artist can paint a great picture on 
a small canvas." — Intelligencer. 

2199. The night before Jena an artil- 
lery column got stuck fast in a ravine. 
"Napoleon," we read, "assembled the 
weary gunners, provided them with tools 
fetched from the park in the rear. Him- 
self holding the lantern, he urged on the 
work. Tired as they were, the men la- 
bored under the eyes of the Emperor 
without a murmur, and at last the ob- 
stacle was removed, and the long col- 
umn began to move slowly on." That 
i> the way tba't conquerors, in all fields, 
win their battles. — J. Erierly. 

2.">oo. During the battle of Gettysburg, 
Chaplain Eastman was SO badly injured 
bv a fall or his horse as to be compelled 
to lie down on the lield for the night. 
As he lay in the darkness, he heard a 
voice say, "O my God!" and thought, 
"How can I get at him?" Unable to 
walk, he commenced to roll to the suf- 
ferer, and rolled through blood, among 
the dead bodies, till he came to the dy- 
ing man, to whom he preached Christ. 
This service done, he was sent for to at- 
tend a dying officer, to whom he had to 
he carried by two soldier-. Thus he 
passed lb«- l<>»K night, the soldiers car- 
rying him from one dying man to an- 
other, to whom he preached Christ, and 
with whom he prayed, while he was 
compelled to lie upon his back beside 
them. 

2501. As I was leaving New York to 
go to England in ISfi", said Mr. Moody, 
a friend said to me: "I hope you will go 
to Edinburgh and be at the General As- 
sembly this year. When I was there a 
year ago I heard such a speech as I shall 
never forget. Dr. DulT made a speech 
thai set me all on lire. I shall never 
forget the hour 1 spent In that meeting." 
Shortly after reaching England I went 
to Edinburgh and spent a week there, 
in hopes that I might hear that one 
man speak. I went to work to find the 
report of the speech that my friend had 



referred to, and it stirred me wonder- 
fully. Dr. Duff had been out in India 
as a missionary. He had spent twenty- 
five years there preaching the Gospel 
and establishing schools. He came back 
with a broken-down constitution. He 
was permitted to address the General 
Assembly, in order to make an appeal 
for men to go into the mission field. 
After he had spoken for a considerable 
time, he became exhausted and fainted 
away. They carried him out of the hall 
into another room. The doctors worked 
over him for some time, and at last he 
began to recover. When he realized 
where he was, he roused himself, and 
said: "I did not finish my speech; carry 
me back and let me finish it." They 
told him he could only do it at the peril 
of his life. Said he, "I will die if I 
don't do it." So they took him back to 
the hall. My friend said it was one of 
the most solemn scenes he ever wit- 
nessed in his life. 

They brought the white-haired man 
into the Assembly Hall, and as he ap- 
peared at the door every person sprang 
to his feet; the tears flowed freely as 
they looked up to the grand old veteran. 
With a trembling voice he said: "Fa- 
thers and mothers of Scotland, is it true 
that you have no more sons to send to 
India to work for the Lord Jesus Christ'.' 
The call for help is growing louder 
and louder, but there are few coming to 
answer it. You have money put away 
in the bank, but where are the laborers 
who shall go into the field? When 
Queen Victoria wants men to volunteer 
for her army in India, you freely give 
your sons. You do not talk about their 
losing their health, and about the trying 
climate. But when the Lord Jesus is 
calling for laborers, Scotland is saying. 
"We have no more sons to give.' " 

Turning to the President of the As- 
sembly, he said: "Mr. Moderator, If it 
is true that Scotland has no more sons 
to give to the service of the Lord Jesus 
Christ in India, although 1 have lost my 
health In that land. If there are none 
who will go and tell those heathen of 
Christ, then I will be off to-morrow, to 
let them know that there Is one old 
Scotchman who Is ready to die for them. 
1 will go back to the shores of the Gan- 
ges, and there lay down my life as a 
witness for the Son ol Cod." Thank 
God for such a man ns that! We want 
men today who are willing, If need be, 
to lay down their lives for the Son or 
God. Then we shall be able to mak>- 
an Impression upon tlx- world When 
they see that we arc in earnest, their 
liearU Will be touched, ami we -ball be 
able to lead them to the Lord .Je-us. 



The Christian Life. 



— 356 



Zeal. Earnestness. 



2502. It was a noble thing, when Na- 
ples was suffering i'rom the ravages of 
the cholera a few years ago, for King 
Humbert to turn aside from the races, 
where he had made appointment to be, 
and to hasten to the relief of his people. 
"A Pordenone si fa festa. Napoli si 
muore. Vado a Napoli. Umberto." 
(At Pordenone they are having sport. 
At Naples they are dying. 1 will go to 
Naples.) Such was the telegram he 
sent, and hail to any prince who acts 
in this spirit! — D. S. Schaff, D. D. 

2503. The Duke of Wellington said 
that the British soldier was not braver 
than the soldiers of other countries, but 
he was brave five minutes longer, and, 
of course, the result could only be one 
thing, namely, victory. That is one of 
the great secrets of victory — to keep 
brave the last five minutes. Many an 
army has surrendered when just on the 
point of victory. And the same is true 
of many a man. — East and West. 

2504. The title bestowed on Christian 
missionaries by Koreans, who had been 
watching their tireless zeal, was, "The- 
tfesus-Doetrine-Doing-People." 

2505. Many fortune seekers passed 
over the "Last Chance Gulch", where 
now is the city of Helena, Montana, un- 
conscious of its wealth, until a miner, 
driven almost to desperation by his 
need, began vigorously to dig. In a 
short time more than eight millions 
worth of gold was brought to the sur-. 
face. Vigorous digging gets results in 
life. There are men for whom difficul- 
ty is a challenge. Henry M. Stanley 
said of the African explorer, Glave; "He 
is a man who relishes a task in propor- 
tion to its hardness, and greets danger 
with a fierce joy." 

2506. When Admiral Farragut took 
command of the Western Gulf Squadron 
during our Civil War, his orders from 
the Navy Department said: "The De- 
partment and the country will require 
of you success." The requirement was 
met. On April 24, 1862, the fleet passed 
the forts at the mouth of the Mississippi 
and overcame, with very slight effort, a 
Confederate fleet of eighteen vessels. 
During the fight, when the men were 
leaving the guns, Farragut spoke the fa- 
mous message: "Don't flinch from that 
fire, boys; there's a hotter fire than that 
for those that don't do their duty." 
.Next day New Orleans was captured, 
and his orders had been executed. But 
it had been a hard contest. "It has 
pleased Almighty God to preserve my 
life through a fire such as the world has 
scarcely known," he wrote to his wife. 
"I shall return properly my thanks, as 



well as those of our fleet, for his good- 
ness and mercy. He has permitted me 
to make a name for my dear boy's in- 
heritance, as well as for my comfort 
and that of my family." 

2507. Luther Burbank, the famous 
plant breeder, seldom finds time for a 
vacation. In breeding lilies he has cul- 
tivated as many as 500,000 plants for a 
single test. 

2508. "Are you a Christian?" asked 
one traveler of another. The answer 
was: "A sort of a one." "What do you 
mean by that?" said the first speaker, 
"one must either be a Christian or not 
one." "Well," said the first speaker, "I 
trust I am a Christian, but I am not a 
very faithful one; indeed, I fear I am 
a very unfaithful one, that is what I 
mean by a sort of a Christian — a bad 
sort." 

2509. The faith that ignores duty and 
fidelity, that reposes on the omnipres- 
ence and omnipotence of God as a weak 
and weary child lies in its father's arms, 
is degenerate; it is fatalism. Moham- 
med tried to teach the ignorant Arabs 
to believe in the overruling providence 
of God. But they regarded this teach- 
ing as relieving them from all care. 
Hence when a tired soldier, at night, 
said, "I will turn my camel loose and 
trust in God," he was surprised at the 
prophet's reply, "Better tie your camel, 
and then trust in God." 

2510. The inspiration of the noblest 
zeal is the consciousness of right. On 
the pedestal of the old monument to 
Luther at Wittemburg is this legend, 
'•If this be the work of God it will en- 
dure. If not it must go down." 

2511. Volunteers Christ wants to do 
his work at home and abroad. There 
are no forced recruits in his army. 
Would that when his call comes there 
might be the response that was made by 
a Scottish regiment at Windsor, to an 
appeal for volunteers for the last Ashan- 
tee war! The officer asked volunteers 
to step forward. He left them for a few 
minutes till they had decided, and when 
he came back they were all standing in 
a line. "What!" he asked, "are there 
no volunteers?" To his surprise he 
learned they were in line because every 
man had volunteered. Think of his 
calls to his people for workers in church, 
Sunday-schools, missions, and the re- 
sponses. 

2512. Perhaps you have a great mind, 
perhaps you have an eloquent tongue: 
it may be you have a large purse, and 
can glorify God and bless mankind with 
that; but perhaps you have nothing in 
the world but a kind, sweet smile. Then 



The Christian Life. 



— 357 — 



Zeal. Earnestness. 



let that fall upon some poor life that 
has no smiles upon it. Remember that j 
dew-drops glistening in the sun are just 
as beautiful as a rainbow. — C. H. Park- 
hurst, D. D. 

2513. Sir Henry Lawrence, in com- 
mand at Lucknow, requested the fol- 
lowing epitaph; "Here lies Henry Law- 
rence who tried to do his duty; may God 
have mercy on bis soul." 

2514. Phillips Brooks said: The chisel 
cannot carve a noble statue — it is only 
cold, dead steel. Yet neither can the 
artist carve the statue without the chis- 
el. "When, however, the two are brought 
together, when the chisel lays Itself in 
the hands of the sculptor, ready to be 
used by him, the beautiful work begins. 
"We cannot do Christ's work — our hands 
are too clumsy for anything so delicate, 
so sacred; but when we put ourselves 
into the hands of Christ, his wisdom, 
his -kill, and his gentleness How through 
us. and the work is done. Christ and 
we do it — not we alone, for we could 
not do it; yet not Christ alone, for he 
depends on us. 

2515. ' Don't keep watching the steeple 
all the time!" The foreman said it to 
the little girl. She had been so much 
excited the day before by seeing the 
busy workmen clustered about the far 
point of the steeple. This was when 
the new church was being built. But 
this day the steeple was deserted, and 
the little girl had said to the foreman, 
"You aren't working so fast as you 
were yesterday, are you, Mr. Smith?" 
And the foreman said: "Don't keep 
watching the steeple all the time! It s 
too windy to work up there today. But 
run inside and see if It Isn't coming on 
pretty well, after all!" And the little 
girl went inside, and saw there the 
planing and the measurjng and the 
shaping of timbers, and all the work 
upon floors and partitions and great 
arches. And then she saw that It Is not 
always the steeple that shows best the 
rate of progress. 

in other kinds of work, also, there 
come "windy days." One cannot always 
Work in sight, on lofty steeples. One 
cannot have always the satisfaction and 
excitement of seeing others working In 
open sight. But the work, if it is a 
good work, may -till go <>'>. quietly and 
Steadily and certainly. Be patient! 
"Don't keep watching the steeple all the 
time!" — Golden Rule. 

251<>. Standing in front of the noble 
cathedral of Cologne, a lady overheard 
some one behind her say. "Didn't we do 
a fine piece ol' work here?" 

Turning quickly, she saw that the 



speaker was a man in the plainest of 
working clothes, and on a sudden im- 
pulse she said to him, "Pray, what did 
you do about it?" "i>, I mixed the mor- 
tar for two years across the street," was 
his reply. 

If those of us who seem to have only 
very humble work to do could realize 
that we are sharers in the whole great 
plan, should we not be both more faith- 
ful and more happy? — The Well Spring. 

2517. There are men today who are 
interested in the cause of truth and 
righteousness, who appreciate the dan- 
gers and the opposition, but they stand 
aside from an active career, either on the 
plea that they have already done all that 
can be reasonably expected of them, or 
that they have no gifts, no calling, no 
opportunities. Whatever explanation they 
may make for their inaction, they are, 
nevertheless, slothful and guilty. — J- 
Ross Stevenson. 

2518. Those who work hardest for 
the Lord have least time for sinning. 
The devil does not let them alone, of 
course; but he finds it difficult to get their 
attention, and still more difficult to get 
their time. Idleness is notoriously the 
devil's opportunity. Vacation time al- 
ways finds him more welcome than 
work time. A prominent physician, 
writing of common-sense ways to avoid 
catching cold, says "exercise every day 
until you puff and sweat." That helps 
to get the better of disease germs. 
Earnest service is better than medicine. 

2510. When Daniel Webster, at the 

laying of the corner-stone of the Bun- 
ker Hill shall, besought the vast con- 
course of people to "stand back", leal 
the crowd Should break down the speak- 
er's platform at peril of life or limb, 
the answer was. "It Is Impossible:'' 
"Impossible!" thundered the mighty 
orator. "Nothing is Impossible .'it Bun- 
ker inn:" 

2520. 'When Mirabeau first heard the 
young Robespierre speak In the States 
General, he said of him: "That young 
man believes what he says; lie will go 
far." 

2521. There can he neither life nor 
power in the world without motion. 

Sound, heat, light, electricity, are all 
modes of motion. With every plain and 
animal, motion Is necessary to life. So 
when the Spirit made his advent. he 
crime with mighty movement. Shaking 
the whole house, starting the whole 
community from Its lethargy, and un- 
loosing the disciples' tongue*. Spiritual 
life must always show Itself In activity. 
Stagnation is death. 

2522. That Is the true Christian spirit. 



The Christian Life. 



— 358 — 



Zeal. Earnestness. 



the spirit of Christ-like patience, which 
is content to do the duty in hand with- 
out thinking overmuch about the re- 
ward that is to come for the task per- 
formed. As a general statement, it is 
true that a man does not work where 
his toil does not bring him a suitable 
return in the means of living. Yet he 
is not the best workman, he is not con- 
stantly improving in his branch of work, 
who is concerned all the time about the 
pay it will yield, but not much concerned 
to do his best in the work. 

It is even so in the Christian life. — 
Kingsbury. 

2523. "You want to do some work for 
Christ do you?" said a mission worker 
in the city to a young man who had 
expressed a desire to be actively en- 
gaged in the church. "Yes," said the 
young man ardently. "Are you willing 
to do anything?" "Yes." "Go any- 
where?" "Yes." "Go any time?" "Yes." 
"Very well," said the missionary; "when 
you go home tonight take down your Bi- 
ble " "Oh, I didn't mean that. I 

can't do that, said the young man, shak- 
ing his head. "What! can't read the 
Bible?" "Oh, yes, I can, but — " "Never 
mind the 'but'. Didn't you say you 
wanted to save a soul, and didn't you 
tell me your old father, with one foot 
in the grave, is still unsaved? What 
business have you going around town 
trying to save other folks, leaving your 
old father at home to sink into perdition 
for want of a faithful son to help him 
up?" 

"Well, then, I'll read the Bible to him," 
said the young man, penitently. "And 
when you have read a chapter get down 
on your knees — " "Oh, I can't do that; 
I never prayed in public in my life." 
"Nonsense!" Who is talking about pray- 
ing in public. Get down on your knees 
and beg God — " "But I can't! I — I 
don't know how! I thought you were 
going to tell me how to do some work." 
And he turned away with a look of min- 
gled impatience and disappointment. 

2524. Henry IV greeted the tardy 
faint-hearted Crillon, after a great vic- 
tory had been gained with: "Hang your- 
self Crillon! we fought at Arques, and 
you were not there!"- — Mackenzie. 

2525. "What have you done today?" I 
asked a ropemaker. "O sir, ten hours 
of hard work, just twisting tow, my fin- 
gers sore, my lungs choked with dust. 
I did not come to the prayer-meeting 
last night, I was too tired; I went to 
sleep when I was trying to say my 
prayers. I sometimes think if it were 
not for Mary I would end it all — nothing 
but work, work, work. I am so tired, 



and I only make enough to keep body 
and soul together." This is one side. 
See the other. A ship with eleven hun- 
dred souls on board is being driven upon 

the shore — a land of crags, like giant 
teeth, stretching up sheer and sharp. 
One anchor after another is dropped, 
each checking the speed of the vessel's 
drift. The last anchor is down. Will 
it hold? Yes; the ship is saved! Go, 
tell the ropemaker not to think of the 
toil, and the dust, and the monotony, 
but of the eleVen hundred men and 
women saved. These things are written 
in the Lamb's Book of Life — the ring of 
every hammer, the click of every needle, 
the whirl of every loom. They who 
truly wait upon the Lord shall hear his 
angels strengthening them, as they 
strengthened Christ, with songs of peace 
and good-will to men. — Rev. Dr. W. 
Burnett Wright. 

2526. One of John Wesley's converts 
among the Cornish miners, an old man 
whose life had been exceptionally base 
and vicious, after a year of sober, hon- 
est effort, came to Wesley, and said in 
the broad dialect of the coast, "I'd like 
to help my neighbors as I've been 
helped; but I can't do it." "Why not?" 
"I can't read or write." "You know the 
story of Christ; you can tell it to them." 
"I don't speak English, only Cornish." 
"So do they." The miner hesitated, then 
took a step nearer. "Sir, I've been a 
drunkard and a thief in my time." Wes- 
ley was silent. The old man's voice 
failed for a moment. Then he said 
hoarsely, "There's blood on my hands. 
I killed a man once." "Why, you are 
just the man I want!" exclaimed the 
preacher, "you know better than any 
of us how great is God's forbearance 
and mercy. You have been deeper in 
the pit than your comrades, and you 
can show them how to escape from it. 
Go and do it." The miner worked 
humbly and faithfully among his fel- 
lows, and became an earnest helper of 
the Methodist gospelers on the coast. 

2527. We are not to be content with 
a little fruit — a poor, shriveled bunch 
of grapes that are more like marbles 
than grapes, here and there, upon the 
half-nourished stem. The abiding in 
him will produce a character rich in 
manifold graces. "A little fruit" is not 
contemplated by Christ at all. Why is 
it that the average Christian man of 
this generation bears only a berry or 
two, here and there, like such as are left 
upon the vines after the vintage, when 
the promise is that if we will abide in 
Christ we will bear much fruit? — Alex- 
ander McLaren. 

2528. He who does not work six days 



The Christian Life. 



— 359 — 



Zeal. Earnestness. 



in the week is as guilty of breaking the 
fourth commandment, as he who works 
on the seventh. — Minton. 

2529. If you do not wish for tlie 
kingdom of heaven, don't pray for it. 
But if you do. you must do more than 
pray for it: you must work for it. And 
to work for it you must know what it 
is; we have all prayed for it many a 
day without thinking. Observe, it is a 
kingdom that is to come to us; we are 
not to go to it. Also, it is not to come 
outside of us; but in the hearts of us. 

'The kingdom of God is within you." 
And, being within us, it is not to be 
seen, but to be felt; and though it brings 
all substance of good with it, it does not 
consist in that: "The kingdom of God is 
not meat and drink, but righteousness, 
peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost;" joy, 
that is to say, in the holy, healthful and 
helpful Spirit. — Ruskin. 

2530. The melodies of Beethoven 
never sprang spontaneously into being," 
says Camille Bellaigue in his sketch of 
Beethoven's life. "The sketch books of 
the master witness with eloquence unex- 
pected to the persevering obstinacy and 
agony even, of his researches and ef- 
forts. He wrote, effaced, rewrote and 
effaced again, having always the rough 
draft of several works in his books at 
the same time." "There is hardly a 
bar in his music." says another writer, 
••of winch it cannot Justly be said that 
it has been written fifteen or sixteen 
times." And when we read how Scho- 
penhauer, the apostle of pessimism and 
despair, said of one passage. "One has 
only to hear it to forget that the world 
is nothing but misery." and how Napo- 
leon's old soldier, when he heard the 
finale of the C minor symphony sprang 
to his feet shouting. "The Emperor!" 
we should not forget the part that 
drudgery had in producing those mas- 
terpieces. — Hull. 

2531. No one of my fellows can do 
that special work for me which I have 
come into the world to do: he may do 
a higher work, or a greater work, but 
he cannot do my work. I cannot hand 
my work over to him any more than I 
can hand my responsibilities or my 
gilts. I must do il with these hand- or 
these lips which God has given me. I 
may do little or I may do much. That 
matters not. It must be my own work. 
— John Ruskin. 

2532. "We can do nothing well." said 
Mis. Prentiss, "unless we do it con- 
sciously for Christ". 

2533. The last year I was pastor, there 

were twenty -sis families where the lasl 
member of the family came to Know 



the life of Christ; and I used to like to 
go into those homes and kneel with 
them in the first flush of their joy. and 
say, "Glory to God. he that was dead is 
alive again!" — Mills. 

2534. Wasted effort. The labor of 
100.000 men lor 20 years was required 
to build the Great Pyramid, 
high, it covers twelve and a half acres. 
It was originally surfaced with polished 
marble. Canals were dug for the pur- 
pose of transporting the materials. 

25:55. To have seen a fallen brother 
regain his feet; to have trained a little 
child; to have watched a sick soul 
through to the end; above all, to have 
stood by and prayed and spoken while 
a soul passed out of darkness into light 

— that is a consummation, a fact ac- 
complished, over which too many prai — 
es can never be sung. — EL W. Barbour. 

2536. Crossing the i>ar. that exquisite 
gem, was written on a day in <>ctol>er in 
Tennyson's eighty-lirst year. The poet's 
son, to whom it was shown, said: "It is 
the crown of your life's work." Tenny- 
son answered. "It came in a moment." 
But beyond that moment lay more than 
three -core years of fastidious care in 
thinking and writing. 

"The heights by great men reached and 
kept 

Were not attained by sudden flight. 
But they, while their companions slept, 
Were toiling upward in the night." 

— Bradley. 

2537. With the magic word "Work" 
In your hearts all things are possible, 
and without it all study is vanity and 
vexation. The miracles of life are with 
It; the blind see by touch, the deaf hear 
with eyes, the dumb speak with fingers. 
Not only has it been the touchstone of 
progress, but it is the measure of suc- 
cess In everyday life. Write the word 
on the tablet- of your heart- and hind 
it on your foreheads. — Dr. Osier. 

2538. As men become permanent 
drunkards by so many separate drinks, 
so they become saints In the moral ami 
authorities and experts in the practical 
and scientific spheres by so many -epa- 
rate act- and hour- of work. Silently, 
the power of Judging build- it-elf up a- 
a po— e— ion that will nc\cr pa— away. 

— Dr. Wm. James. 

2539. Not long since a religious con- 
ference of Christians was held in the 
district of Swatoa in China, where the 
only daughter of the present wilier and 
her husband lahor as missionaries. 
During the conference the question was 
started whether the addresses of the 

ml — lonarles or the conversation of ran* 
verts had brought roost souls Into the 



The Christian Life. 



— 360 — 



Zeal. Earnestness. 



Church. Those who were converted 
through addresses of missionaries were 
first asked to stand up. About one hun- 
dred responded. Then those who owed 
their conversion to the conversation of 
previous converts; of these there were 
about two hundred. Thus it appeared 
that the converts themselves had tre- 
bled the church. Is there not a lesson 
here for us all? If similar zeal pre- 
vailed in all our old churches might 
there not be similar results — the effect 
of the labors of the minister more than 
doubled by those of the office-bearers 
.and people? — :W. Garden Blaikie, D. D. 

2540. Ruskin said, "Life without la- 
bor is guilt." The Master said, "By their 
fruits ye shall know them." 

2541. There is no power in good-will 
unless it is expressed. How can personal 
good-will be efficiently expressed? Take 
John Smith, for instance. He is a shoe- 
maker. He has taken a piece of calfskin 
and mixed his personality with it, put his 
good-will into it, and made a good pair 
of shoes for somebody to wear to keep 
the bare feet from the rough ground. 
They have returned to him a five-dollar 
.bill. This money is an embodiment of 
his good-will; it is an incarnation of 
hours and hours of his energy. Those 
five dollars he can send anywhere on 
this planet. It may go out to one of the 
possessions of the United States, Porto 
Rico or the Philippines, reaching down 
and lifting up, bringing the good-cheer 
of God into human life anywhere in the 
world. Good-will must be expressed, 
incarnated, in order to be a power in 
bringing God's good-cheer into human 
life. — Dr. L. C. Barnes. 

2542. My only trouble is that I have 
not time enough for my work. I can not 
understand why anybody should be idle, 
much less, why anyone should be op- 
pressed by having time hang heavily on 
their hands. There is never a moment 
except when I am asleep, that I am not 
joyfully occupied. Please give me the 
hours which you say are a bore to you, 
and I will receive them as the most pre- 
cious of gifts. For my part I wish the 
day would never come to an end. - — 
Agassiz. 

2543. Sir Isaac Newton, when- asked 
how he had accomplished so much, said 
that he had no genius: but that he had 
held his mind to things in attention. So 
our own Professor Henry, of the Smith- 
sonian Institute, ascribed his success, 
not to any genius, but to his habit of 
turning all his guns upon one point in 
the walls of obstacle before him. 

2544. A life spent in brushing clothes, 
and washing crockery, and sweeping 



floors — a life which the proud of the 
earth would have treated as the dust 
under their feet; a ■ life spent at the 
clerk's desk; a life spent in the narrow 
shop; a life spent in the laborer's hut, 
may yet be a life ennobled by God's 
loving mercy that for the sake of it a 
king might gladly yield his crown. — 
Canon Parrar. 

2545. With the publication of "The 
Rise of the Dutch Republic," John Lo- 
throp Motley, like Byron, rose one morn- 
ing to find himself famous. But behind 
the fame lay years of patient delving 
into the dusty archives of western Eu- 
rope. — Bradley. 

2546. No Christian ought to begin a 
day without some definite plan of ser- 
vice for the Lord during the day; nor 
ought he to allow the day to come to a 
close without having done something 
in the way of service of definite purpose 
and intention. If we allow ourselves to 
fall into the way of saying, "O, I try to 
serve the Lord in everything I do," we 
will get amazingly confused as between 
what we do for ourselves and what for 
the Lord. A true Christian seeks by 
definite acts and service to glorify God 
as well as by the general flow and cur- 
rent of his life. — Pentecost. 

2547. The French artist, Millet, used 
to say to his pupils, "The end of the day 
is the proof of a picture." That which 
will bear the test of the twilight hour is 
true in art; and that which will bear 
the test of the twilight hour is true in 
character. No life bears that test more 
triumphantly than the life that has been 
consistently Christian throughout; then 
the strong spirit reveals itself in a de- 
lightful mellowness, the luster of a pa- 
tience that has had her perfect work, 
shines and fascinates, a life of honor dis- 
closes itself in a certain air of nobility, 
the temper waxes kindly and tranquil, 
and years of sanctified joy and sorrow 
find their fruition in an unearthly beau- 
ty of soul and face. — Watkinson. 

2548. A teacher of one of our freed- 
men's schools told me that one day as 
she sat at her window, she saw two ne- 
groes loading a cart. One of them was 

' disposed to shirk. The other stopped, 
and looking sharply at his lazy compan- 
ion, said, "Sam, do you expect to go to 
heaven?" "Yes," was the reply. "Then 
take hold and lift," said the other. There 
was profound philosophy in that re- 
mark. There are scores of Christians 
in our churches who expect to go -to 
heaven, who would greatly increase their 
chances of going there by taking hold 
and lifting some of the burdens which 
they are letting their brethren bear 
alone. 



The Christian Life. 



— 3(31 



Zeal. Earnestness. 



2519. A man in a temperance meeting 

said that he wondered why God did not 
send his lightning- to destroy all the 
rumshops. Another answered: "God 
lias lightning enough, what he needs is 
conductors." 

2550. I have lately heard of a man 
who took passage in a stage coach. 
There were first, second, and third-class 
passengers. But when he looked into 
the coach he saw all the passengers sit- 
ting together without distinction. He 
could not understand it till by and by 
they came to a hill and the coach 
stopped and the driver called out. "First- 
class passengers keep their scats, sec- 
ond-class passengers get out and walk, 
third-class passengers get out and push." 
Now in the church we have no room 
for first-class passengers — people who 
think that savation means an easy ride 
all the way to heaven. We have no room 
for second-class passengers — people who 
are carried most of the time, and who, 
when they must work out their own 
salvation, go trudging on, giving never 
a thought to helping their fellows along. 
All church members ought to he third- 
class passengeri — people who. whenever 
there Is need, arc ready to dismount and 
push all together, and push with a will 
— The Examiner. 

2551. Henry Fawcett, who died some 
years ago in England, had a fearful 
handicap in life's race — he was born 
blind. Did he sit down under this limi- 
tation which nature put upon him and 
try to possess his soul in patience until 
God's messenger should give him his 
final release? Not he. With sublime 
courage he resolved to make the most 
Of himself In spite of that defect. He 
acquired an education made a special 
study of economics, issued a text book 
which was widely used in English and 
American colleges, received honors from 
the great universities, entered Parlia- 
ment, and became a member of the Cab- 
inet as Postmaster General of England. 
How such glorious courage rebukes us 
wln n we are despondent over our Infin- 
itely lesser difficulties. 

2552. But tasks in hour-, of Insight 
willed 

Can be through hours or gloom fulfilled. 

— Matthew Arnold. 

255:?. When the English fleet under 
Lord Nelson was bearing down upon 
the French ships anchored in Ahoukir 
Bay. just before the ever-memorable 
battle of the Nile, the captain of 
one of the British vessels addressed his 
crew at considerable length, and, hav- 
ing exhorted them to remember their 
duty, and what their country required 



at their hands, he turned to the captain 
of marines and said: "Now, sir, you have 
heard what I have said to the ship's 
company; it may be as well for you to 
say something to the men particularly 
under you." Upon which the marine 
officer commanded "attention," and ad- 
dressed them in the following pithy and 
laconic manner: "My lads, do you see 
that land?" pointing to the shore which 
they were rapidly nearing. "That", said 
he, "is the land of Egypt; and if yon 
don't fight like the mischief, you'll soon 
be in the house of bondage." Th • 
was electrical. 

2551. "Bo instantly whatever is to be 
done." wrote Sir Walter Scott to a 
friend. "Take the hours of reflection or 
recreation after business, and never be- 
fore it. When a regiment is under 
march, the rear is often thrown into 
confusion because the front does not 
move steadily and without interruption. 
It is the same thing with business. If 
that which Is first in hand is not Instant- 
ly, steadily, and regularly dispatched, 
other tiling accumulate behind, till af- 
fairs begin to press all at once, and no 
human brain can stand the confusion; 
a habit of the mind It is which is very- 
apt to beset men of intellect and talent, 
especially when their- time is not regu- 
larly filled up, but left at their own ar- 
rangement. But it Is like the Ivy round 
the oak. that ends by limiting, if it does 
not destroy, the power of vigorous and 
necessary exertion." 

2555. All conquest i- by persistent en- 

dcavor. sustained effort, used opportun- 
ity,! Carlyle. the apostle of work, said. 
"The latest gospel in the world Is, Know 
thy work and do it; all true religion is 
work." — Bradley. 

255(5. A pastor once had Occasion t<> 
\ Kit one of bis Bock who mi- n farmer, 
on a apt ritual errand. On arriving at 
the farmhouse the minister Inquired 
whether his parishioner was at home. 
"YOU "ill find him in the harvest Held!" 
was the reply. And so It proved. The 
busy farmer, making hay while the sun 
shone. Improving the opportune weather 
for the Ingathering of the matured 
crops, was discovered by the minister 
with the message at the post of duty, 
losing no precious moments In gossip. 
Idling or mlschlef-making. "Found in 
the harvest field!" That Is the true de- 
scription of a faithful Christian laborer. 
— C. A. S. Dwlght. 

2557. The habit of work conserve* 
and strengthens human life. Habit is 
a pathway through brain and nerve-ren- 
ters Into which we glide easily anil In 
I which we move swiftly. Character Is u 



The Christian Life. 



— 362 — 



Zeal. Earnestness. 



mere bundle of habits. Habit, though 
evil habits are the fruitful theme of 
preachers, moralists and cynics, was de- 
signed for good and may be filled with 
blessing. 

2558. A man can take Jesus' way, 

and as he sees work coming down the 
road to accost him, he can say: "O 
work, thou art my best friend in dis- 
guise. God sent thee to me. Thou com- 
est with a stern face, but thou hast in 
thy heart strength and courage and 
good cheer, that I would learn from 
thee. Why, work, take off thy frown, 
for to the very limit of my strength I am 
twice as willing to work as thou art to 
make me." You see when a man feels 
that way about his work, when he thinks 
of it as God-given, when he wishes he 
had more strength to work with, and 
more hours in the day than twenty- 
four, when he dreams of heaven as a 
place where a man can work all the 
time at his best and never get tired, 
work drops its frown and begins to 
smile, and he and his work, good friends, 
will trudge on to the end and be sorry 
when the second mile is done. — Harry E. 
Fosdick. 

2559. I found in a small country 
church away up among the hills of Ver- 
mont a certain deacon of great wealth, 
who was one of the most zealous and 
self-denying members in that little 
church, and known throughout the 
whole community for his good works. 
I ventured to ask him one day why he 
was pursuing a course so unusual for 
rich men. His reply was, "When I be- 
came a Christian, and began to read 
my Bible with appreciation of its mean- 
ing, I read that I was called into the 
vineyard of the Lord, and I made up my 
mind at once that I wasn't called there 
to eat grapes, but to hoe; and I've been 
trying to hoe ever since." — Christian En- 
deavor World. 

2560. As goldsmiths sweep up the 
very dust of their shops, that no filings 
of the precious metal may be lost, so 
does the Christian man, when filled with 
the Spirit, use his brief intervals. It is 
wonderful what may be done in odd 
minutes. Little spaces of time may be 
made to yield a great harvest of useful- 
ness, and a rich revenue of glory to God! 
— Spurgeon. 

2561. A man stood upon the track 
when the engine was coining. A lady 
saw that his back was turned toward the 
train. So she screamed with all her 
force, "Help, help, help!" And he, turn- 
ing, shouted, "I am coming," and ran 
toward the house to save her from some 
imagined evil. It took him off the track. 



His springing forward to assist her took 
himself out of danger. 

2562. Dr. Maclaren said: "Never mind 
whereabouts your work is. Never mind 
whether your name is associated with it. 
You may never see the issues of your 
toils. You are working for eternity. If 
you cannot see results in the hot work- 
ing day, the cool evening hours are 
drawing near when you may rest from 
your labors, and then they will follow 
you." 

2563. Wendell Philips was asked how 
he gained such skill in delivering his lec- 
ture on "The Lost Arts." He answered, 
"By getting a hundred nights of delivery 
back of me." Work lies back of all pro- 
ficiency. 

2564. A writer in "The North Ameri- 
can Review" asserts that manual train- 
ing is almost as good a preventive of 
crime as vaccination is of smallpox. 

"What per cent of the prisoners under 
your c,are have received any manual 
training beyond some acquaintance with 
farming?" a Northern man asked the 
warden of a Southern penitentiary. 
"Not one per cent", replied the warden. 
"Have you no mechanics in prison?" 
"Only one mechanic; that is, one man 
who claims to be a house-painter." 
"Have you any shoemakers?" asked the 
visitor. "Never had a shoemaker." 
"Have you any tailors?" "Never had a 
tailor." "Any printers?" "Never liad 
a printer." "Any carpenters?" "Never 
had a man in this prison that could 
draw a straight line." 

2565. Jean Le Clerc, a French wool- 
carder, was convinced of the sinfulness 
of image-worship by reading the New 
Testament. He tore down a papal bull 
on indulgences from the door of the par- 
ish church and posted a figure of the 
pope as Anti-Christ. He was taken to 
Paris and condemned for heresy. He 
was scourged through the streets and 
branded on the forehead with a fleur- 
de-lis. His right hand was cut off; his 
arms were broken and his eyes gouged 
out. He was taken to the stake, and, as 
the fagots kindled, his head was encir- 
cled with red-hot iron. A voice in the 
company was heard to say, "Stand firm, 
O witness for the truth!" It was his 
mother's voice; and while the fervid 
metal was eating its way to the brain 
he calmly repeated, "Glory to the Fa- 
ther, and to the Son, and to the Holy 
Ghost! Amen." Then the voice of the 
proto-martyr of the Reformation in 
France was stifled. — Burrell. 

2566. "Fire burns," said Bishop Bon- 
ner to Audley under sentence of death 
for loyalty to his convictions; "fire burns 



The Christian Life. 



— 363 — 



and flesh cringes.'"' "Aye," said Audley; 
"but what is flesh now and what is life to 
a man who surrenders all to God? If 
I had as many lives as I have hairs on 
my bead, yet would I, without a mo- 
ment's fear, lay all before him." 

25C7. The Atlantic cable cost Cyrus 
\Y. Field nearly nineteen years of anx- 
ious watching and ceaseless toil. He 
said: "Often my heart has been ready 
to sink. Many times when wandering in 
the forests of Newfoundland, in the pelt- 
ing rain, or on the decks of ships stormy 
nights alone, far from home, I have 
accused myself of madness and folly." 

2568. Fidelity to duty. We have all 
laughed at the reputed story of Pat 
Murphy, at the battle of Trafalgar, 
whose version of the battle was as fol- 
lows: "Lord Xe'.son came on deck and 
said. 'Is Pat Murphy on board?' And 
I said, 'Here I am, me Lord.' Then said 
his lordship, 'Let the battle proceed." " 
And yet, while this was written for a 
joke, there is more to it than we are 
;ipt to think. For if it had not bean for 
the Pat Murphies, or John Joneses <>r 
Tom Smiths and others who were on 
hand, there would have been no victor- 
ies for the Nelsons. Wellingtons, Napo- 
leons or Grants who now live in history 
as great commanders. — A. W. Graham. 

2569. George Stephenson spent fifteen 
years in perfecting the locomotive. Walt 
worked for thirty years on the con- 
densing engine. Hard rubber cost 
Good year t<n years of study, poverty 
and ridicule. John Hunter allowed him- 
self only four hours' sleep. Michael 
Angclo slept in his clothes when engaged 
in his greatest works and kept food 
within reach eating a bite at a time. 
Mendelssohn, Handel and Beethoven 
were prodigies at incessant work. — 
Manhood's .Morning. 

2.">70. On a hot, BUltry night a -mall 
company were vainly trying to lie com- 
fortable, sitting on the front stoop of a 
dwelling In a certain city. Suddenly one 
Of the party proposed that they all go 
to the prayer-meeting "at the First 
Church." "What on earth put that no- 
tion into your head?" queried one of the 
party. "< ). it is so hot here. I can't 
stand It any longer. I thought If we 
went down there we would get cooled 
Off, it is the coldest place t know of." 
This reminds us of what was on'-e said by 
way of a report made at an association 
by a delegate from a certain church: 
"We are all united In our church." said 
the delegate, and sat down. As he took 
his seat he remarked In an under- 
tone to a neighbor. "Frozen together." 
— Words and Weapons. 



2571. Nothing, neither genius nor 
chance can lake the place of the habit 
of work. Anthony Trollope puts into 
the mouth of one of his characters, a 
brickmaker, the words, "It is dogged a- 
does it." 

2572. A square flag-stone of a pound's 
weight was recently shoved out of place 
in an English town by the united efforts 
of only three mushrooms growing under 
it. This shows the immense power of 
a thing that grows. And three live 
Christians in a community will often, by 
the inherent force of their life, lift up 
the dead weight of worldliness over 
them. 

2573. The captain of an ocean steam- 
er is in charge of 1.500 people, and has 
authority over a thousand activities. 
But his great business is to get his ship 
alongside the pier at New York, safely 
at any cost, and as swiftly as may be. 
That one 1 usiness settles many questions 
which might otherwise trouble the cap- 
tain. He looks at every subject which 
claims his attention, and asks. "Will it 
hinder?" "'If not. will it help?" And 
those questions keep his life properly 
narrow, so that it stays in Its rightful 
channel. And this is exactly what sin- 

j gleness of aim does for the Christian. 

I Without such unity of purpose the dis- 
tractions of worldliness will overwhelm 
him. and the purity of his life will be 
lost. 

2571. Bnmnierfield. when dying, turned 
to a friend and said: "I have taken a 
look Into eternity. Oh. if 1 could come 
back and preach again, how differently 
would I preach from what I have done 
before!" 

2575. An old light-house keeper was 

passing away. For years it had been his 
duty to keep the lamps In the high tower 
burning. Now the fire of his own life 
was burning low. as he slipped out upon 
the sea of another world. Suddenly he 
raised himself upon one elbow, and 
asked : 

"I- the lamp burning In the lower? 

You know we must not let It go out to- 
night. Some one will be watching for 
It." "Yes. the lamp is all right. I'h. n 
I can rest." And the old man passed 
;iv.:n How i» it with the light com- 
mitted to our caw? is it burning 
bright!] ! 

2570. There comes a time when we 
must cease sitting at the feet of Jesus 
and go out and light hi- battle- and our 
own. We shall hear better next time If 
We nre up and doing n< > w Kvry word 
from henven heard but not obeyed weak- 
j ens the foundations of our house. K\<-ry 
I word obeyed makes us strong for the 



The Christian Life. 



— 364 — 



Zeal. Earnestness. 



storm and stress of life. — The Congre- 
gationalism 

2577. A Cornell student puts this well 
in what he says about Horace \V. Rose: 
"One day he said to me, 'You fellows 
must be intending to do a mighty lot of 
personal work when you once get. at it; 
you are putting it off so long,' for he 
knew that many of us who were holding 
conspicuous places in the Cornell Uni- 
versity Christian Association were not 
doing personal work, but were excusing 
ourselves from it on the ground that we 
were enjoying special advantages in the 
equipment for study available at Cornell, 
and that by putting more time into our 
college work we would be preparing our- 
selves for more effective Christian ser- 
vice later in our lives. I believe we all 
see now that we will never be in a place 
of more exceptional opportunity for ef- 
fective service than while in college." 

2578. Here on earth we are soldiers, 
fighting in a foreign land, that under- 
stand not the plan of the campaign, 
and have no need to understand it; 
seeing well what is at our hand to be 
done. Let us do it like soldiers, -with 
submission, with courage, with a heroic 
joy. Whatever thy hand findeth to do, 
do it with all thy might. — Carlyle. 

2579. Kean, the tragedian, whose im- 
personations were deemed so spontane- 
ous and unstudied, "studied and slaved," 
says one who knew him, "beyond any 
other actor I ever knew." All these men 
were superior to other men because they 
took more pains than other men — be- 
cause, as Turner said to the lady who 
asked the secret of his success as a 
painter, they "had no secret but hard 
work." — Saturday Evening Post. 

2580. Earnestness is not fuss and 
feathers, noise and clatter, but is better 
represented by push and patience. Some 
years ago, in the West, a large company 
of people gathered about the mammoth 
van of a traveling show stalled in the 
mire. The very best efforts of the six 
teams of lusty horses seemed to have 
no effect in starting the great wagon out 
of its rut. Presently a happy thought 
struck one of the showmen, and hastily 
detaching one of the horses, he rode 
down the street and was soon lost to 
view, the crowd gaping wonderingly af- 
ter him. Soon there came in sight over 
the hill a magnificent specimen of an 
elephant. The great, unwieldy-looking 
creature came down toward the wagon 
at a clumsy pace. At a kindly word 
from the little keeper, the mammoth 
creature lowered his head and moved 
forward slowly, but steadily. There was 
no evidence of his immense power, be- 



yond perhaps, the stiffening of the pro- 
digious muscles, but the great wagon 
moved out of its rut without so much 
as a creak. Does not this illustrate the 
difference between mere bustle and gen- 
uine push and patience? — Rev. John H. 
Elliot in Golden Rule. 

2581. "I was half through college 

when my old minister said that to me," 
said a thoughtful young fellow, noted 
for his personal helpfulness in number- 
less quiet ways to other young fellows in 
Harvard College. "I was telling him 
how I meant to be of use when I got 
out, and try as a minister to devote my- 
self to helping young men and boys, for 
they need it. He looked at me very 
earnestly a minute, then said in such a 
way I never forgot it: 'Robert, don't 
wait to graduate! Be a minister now.' 
He died in a few weeks, but his words 
will live in my mind forever,"— Pilgrim 
Teacher. 

2582. A great man was once laboring 
in a large city among the most aban- 
doned people in the place, and his 
friends said, "You are wearing out your 
life for nothing; you are spending your 
strength for naught." His reply was 
this, — and may God help us to remem- 
ber it, — "If as the result of my life's labor 
I could be the means of preventing one 
of them from sinning for one day, I 
should feel my life's labor to be well 
repaid. — Rev. Francis H. James. 

2583. At a certain place in the Alps 
there is a monument to a guide who had 

perished when attempting to make the 
ascension of the mountain. The simple 
inscription on the stone is, "He died 
climbing." It is a noble tribute to a 
heroic man. He was in the line of his 
duty. His face was forward and up- 
ward. Higher and higher was his aim, 
not in a vain ambition, but in the line of 
duty. Without fault of his own he fell, 
the sacrifice to duty. Not lost, but liv- 
ing still, his simple monument telling 
the story of a life of pure and high aims, 
that shrank not from perils and death 
when he heard the call. "He died climb- 
ing." The words are an inspiration to 
men everywhere, an example that calls 
others to the same faith, even though it 
may have the same perils. 

2584. Christian earnestness is very 
patient. While working all its forces, it 
learns to wait. It suffers disappoint- 
ment, and labors on. It sees the expect- 
ed harvest fail, and begins to sow again. 
Jesus saw all men, his very disciples, 
go away from him, and yet went up to 
Calvary to die. In one word, Christian 
earnestness is a reproduction in our 
hearts of the tender and undying com- 



The Christian Life. 



— 365 — 



Zeal. Earnestness. 



passion of the heart of Christ. It is 
Christ living on in us, and working on 
for man's salvation. — Alexander Raleigh, 
D. D. 

2585. Said an evangelist, during a 
conversation arising out of a question 
concerning "the pay of evangelists," "I 
would rather have one hundred conse- 
crated Christians praying for me fan ray 
work than five thousand indifferent 
Christians praying for me." Surely here 
was a true-hearted man who knew the 
secret of power and the true worth of 
things. Religious work, whether done 
by pastors, churches, missionaries or 
evangelists, cannot be successful if 
backed only by the power of money. 
Prayer is more potent than anything 
else. — Pentecost. 

2586. When Morrison's colleague be- 
gan to study the Chinese language, and 
found what a colossal undertaking it 
was. he wrote: "To learn Chinese is 
work for men with bodies of brass, lungs 
of steel, heads of oak. hands of spring 
steel, eyes of eagles, hearts of apostles, 
memories of angels, and lives of Methu- 
saleh!" To add to the difficulty in early 
days, for Chinamen to teach a foreigner 
their own celestial tongue was a capital 
crime. It was amid mountain obstacles 
that the necessary steps were taken for 
the translation and issue of the Chinese 
New Testament in 1813, and the whole 
Bible in 1823. 

2587. I go at what I am about as If 
there was nothing else In the world for 
the time being. That is the secret of all 
hard-working men. — Charles Kingsley. 

2588. The longer I live, the more 
deeply am I convinced that that which 
makes the difference between one man 
and another, between the weak and the 
powerful, the great and insignificant. Is 
energyi Invincible determination, a pur* 

|M)se once formed, and then death or 
victory. — Fowell Buxton. 

2589. We are not sent into this world 
to do anything into which we cannot 
put our hearts. — John Buskin. 

2590. The army of France stood Biient 
and still before a wide river over which 
It was necessary to throw a bridge. 
"Measure this river," said Napoleon to 
the engineer. "I cannot. Sire," was his 
reply, "for I have no surveying-instru- 
ments with me." "You must." And Na- 
poleon, who gave the order, was a man 
who never allowed his will to he thwart- 
ed. "You must, or lose your place." 

Necessity was the mother of Inven- 
tion, and the engineer on the spot In- 
vented a method so simple than any one 
could apply it. He used the walking- 
stick which he carried in his hand. 



I Sighting it to his eye as one would sight 
i a gun, he drew a bead upon a spot on 
the other side of the river, and then, im- 
agining himself a pivot in the centre of 
a circle and the line which he sighted 
the radius of a circle, he wheeled half 
around on his heel, keeping the walk- 
ing-stick as though it were still drawing 
a bead. With his eye upon the spot to 
which the walking-stick pointed, he 
paced off the distance between him and 
it, and then turned triumphantly to Na- 
poleon and said. "Sire, the distance is 
just fifteen hundred feet." And it was 
exactly fifteen hundred feet as the 
bridge afterwards demonstrated. — Dr. 
Gregg. 

2591. Here are Charles Kingsley and 
Phillips Brooks conquering the stam- 
mering tongue and drilling it to elo- 
quence. Here is Alexander Stephens, 
the cripple and almost dwarf, wheeled 
into the Senate in his chair, but con- 
quering his ancestral weakness and be- 
coming a statesman. Here is Huher. 
through his love of science, triumphing 
over blindness. Here is Beethoven mak- 
ing splendid music despite his deafness. 
Here is Robert Hall, suffering with a 
spinal trouble that scarce ever left him 
by day or night, and sometimes made 
him insane for weeks, yet who struggled 
on, and after twenty years came to write 
such superb English that he shares with 
Shakespeare and Bunyan the praise of 
having shaped our English literature. 
And here is Africaner, the black chief, 
at forty a cannibal and a colossal lump 
of depravity, but who, wakened by the 
teaching and example of Moffat, took on 
the aspect of a man. became the eman- 
cipator of his race. — Hillis. 

2592. Macanlay was an extraordinary 
worker, and when toiling at his history 
In 1848 rose at daybreak and wrought 
intensely — sometimes sitting at his desk 
twelve hours on a stretch. "I have made 
myself what I am," said the giant of 
classical erudition, Porson, "l>y intense 
labor". 

259:$. Earnestness docs not waste its 

strength in resolutions. dlSCBSSlOnS and 
recommendations, I have a great deal 
of admiration for the man who, when he 
was met by a neighbor on Monday 
morning and questioned closely as to 
why he had not been at church the night 
before, — the neighbor saying to him. 
among numerous other things: "Our pas- 
tor preached one of his best sermons on 
family religion, and the training and 
care of children: ami you know you have 
a large family and you ought to have 
been them Where were you?" ThlS 
hardhead ed, sensible, earnest fellow re- 
plb <i. "I was at home dolu' it." 



The Christian Lite. 



— 366 — 



Zeal. Earnestness. 



2594. You can measure a man's 
weight in this world by the strength and 
clearness of his convictions. Poor you 
may be, friendless, alone, weak, un- 
learned; but all this can be overcome if 
bright in the heart there burns the un- 
quenchable flame of some great passion, 
some high faith. Given this fire within, 
all the tools shall be found, but without 
it the finest endowment of brain and 
body is valueless. Given but some great 
principle, some purpose which becomes 
a holy passion, something which leads 
you, like one of long ago who "stead- 
fastly set his face to go up to Jerusa- 
lem," then all power is yours. The man 
who has faith to remove mountains al- 
ways finds the picks and the steam- 
shovels somewhere. He takes the tools 
he has, though they may seem but toys 
beside his task, and, lo, some morning 
when the dreamers awake the mountain 
is no longer there. 

2595. He who would do some great 
thing in this short life must apply him- 
self to the work with such a concentra- 
tion of his forces, as, to idle spectators, 
who live only to amuse themselves, looks 
like insanity. — Francis Parkman. 

2596. Jay Gould started out to con- 
quer the world with fifty cents, and left 
$70,000,000. Morgan, the great banker, 
was a clerk in a country store. Corne- 
lius Vanderbilt took cabbages and tur- 
nips to the New York market in a little 
sailing craft. Stewart, the merchant 
prince of his day, began his business ca- 
reer on a capital of $3,000. P. D. Ar- 
mour ran away from home when he was 
seventeen and walked to California. 
Pullman was a clerk in a store. Mark 
Twain as a boy was thrown on the 
world to sink or swim, and he not only 
swam, but commanded a Mississippi 
river steamboat. George W. Childs was 
an errand boy in a bookstore. John 
Wanamaker was the son of a brick- 
maker. John G. Whittier was the son 
of a small farmer. Leland Stanford was 
another farmer's boy. Sir John McDon- 
ald, Canada's greatest statesman, was 
the son of a plain Scotch storekeeper. 
Andrew Carnegie was a district messen- 
ger boy. In the enormous transporta- 
tion interests the poor boys have enjoyed 
almost a monopoly of the highest hon- 
ors. President Thompson, of the Penn- 
sylvania, was an apprentice in the Al- 
toona shops, and Mr. Roberts, his' pre- 
decessor, was a chain-carrier in a sur- 
veying gang. When a president was 
wanted for one of the great Pacific roads 
the other day, the man selected had be- 
gun as brakeman on a freight train. — 
Saturday Evening Post. 

2597. When the great Duke of Bridge- 



water undertook to construct those 
canals which lie at the root of the vast 
wealth of modern England and had 
their part in the splendor of this me- 
tropolis, he found the strain so hard at 
last that he was glad to get a note ac- 
cepted for five pounds. He gave up his 
princely mansion, lived in a small house, 
and clad himself so humbly that one 
clay as he was standing by a great pile 
of his own coal, a boy, thinking he was 
a common person, cried, "Here, man, 
give us a lift with this sack!" He loved 
his bit of humor, so took hold with the 
boy, and got his thanks, "Ah, man, 
thou's big enough, but thou's lazy!" He 
came at last to the end of his reserves 
of money and courage, and on a Satur- 
day night, sitting with Brindley, who 
had borne the burden with him, the 
mighty engineer said: "Well, Duke, 
don't be cast down, we are sure to pull 
through." They did pull through, and 
Brindley found strength for it in 
his dauntless zeal, and the result 
was the first splendid stroke which 
set England on her feet, and gave you 
the port you wanted in Liverpool. — 
Collyer. 

2598. When a student was anticipat- 
ing his first appearance in the intercol- 
legiate games, a friend said, by way of 
encouragement, "If you do not get the 
gold medal, you may win the silver one.*' 
The reply came quickly: "I never try 
for a second prize." 

2599. A pound of energy with an 
ounce of talent will achieve greater re- 
sults than a pound of talent with an 
ounce of energy. — William Mathews, 
LL. D. 

2600. It appears from the diary of that 
eminent servant of Christ, Oliver Hey- 
wood, that in one year, beside his statei 
work on the Lord's day, he preached one 
hundred and fifty times; kept fifty days 
of fasting and prayer, and nine of 
thanksgiving; and traveled fourteen 
hundred miles in the service of Christ 
and immortal souls. And when we con- 
sider that these journeys must have been 
either on foot or on horseback, this dis- 
tance was more than ten thousand miles 
by our modern railways. — James. 

2601. When the morning fight began, 
Phil Sheridan was fifteen miles away, 

and so far as his personal influence and 
magnetism and power were concerned 
in that hour of the opening of the battle, 
he might have been a thousand miles 
away. A little later he was ten miles 
away, — no good to us; five, and no good; 
one, and no good. But Phil Sheridan on 
the field, Phil Sheridan riding down that 
line; Phil Sheridan crying, "Boys, we 



— 367 — 



Zeal. Earnestness. 



will tamp on the old field tonight. Let 

the nineteenth coryjs go forward at 
once!" and our flag was floating in 
victory, and that of the enemy was under 
foot. God sends you on the field. I do 
not care how good-looking you are; I 
do not care how brainy you are; I do 
not care how much money you own; 
God wants the living man with the beat- 
ing heart, with warm blood in every ar- 
tery: God wants him on the field. — R. L. 
Greene, D. D. 

2C02. When Rudyard Kipling was a 
lad. he went on a sea voyage with his 
father, Lockwood Kipling. Soon after 
the vessel got under way, Mr. Kipling 
went below, leaving the boy on deck. 
Presently there was a great commotion 
overhead, and one of the officers ran 
down and banged at Mr. Kipling's door. 
"Mr. Kipling" he cried, "your boy has 
crawled out on the yardarm, and, if he 
lets go, he'll drown:" "Yes." said Mr. 
Kipling, glad to know that nothing seri- 
ous was the matter, "but he won't let 
go." 

2003. That great Viceroy of India, 
Lord Dalhousie, when in the sixth year 
of his memorable government, was as- 
sured by his physicians that to stay any 
longer at his post was certain death. 
The answer of the worn-out but still 
young ruler, the old man of forty-one, 
was worthy of a patriot and a. Christian: 
"Believing it to be my duty to remain 
in India during this year in fulfillment 
of my pledge, and trusting in the provi- 
dence of God to avert from me those in- 
direct risks against which you have so 
clearly and faithfully warned me. I have 
resolved to remain." He remained, not 
one year, but two years, and then went 
home to die, resigning his great office on 
the last day of February. "It is well." 
he said to his physician, on the 2»;th. 
"that there are only twenty-nine days in 
this month. I could not have held out 
two days more." 

2001. A young woman was struggling 
to get an edueaiion. She had to drop 
out for a year on account of sickness In 
the family. Her class passed on. Twice 
again she lost her class by having to 
stop. Discouraged? Not In the least. 
She kept sweet, kept taking a fresh start, 
kept pushing ahead. "I'll get there." 
And she did, with honor. Instead of 
falling down over obstacles, she made 
stepping stones of them. 

2005. Uranus was not discovered by 
accident. Berschcl, from a most careful 
study of the planets, observed certain 
perturbations, and knew there must be 
a cause, and then through weary months' 
worked oat the problem of the • 



and lifted his plan to the heavens and 
knew there must be a planet at such a 
spot, and turned his telescope to the 
place and lo! the new planet Uranus: 
Michael Angelo's "Last Judgment," one 
of the twelve master-paintings of the 
ages, was the product of eight years' un- 
remitting toil of this brainiest of paint- 
ers. Over two thousand studies of it 
were found among his papers. — For- 
ward. 

2000. "What made Bulwer. who com- 
posed at first with great difficulty, so 
successful at last, not only as a novelist, 
but as an essayist, dramatist, historian, 
poet, orator and politician pamphleteer 7 
It was a Herculean faculty of work, 
which manifested itself in spite of his 
lifelong invalidism, in not less than a 
' hundred volumes, though he lived but 
| sixty-eight years. Who needs to be told 
of Pascal) who killed himself by hard 
! study; of Ci; ero. who narrowly escaped 
| death by the same cause; of Walter Scott. 
' rising to work daily at five o'clock in the 
i morning, and "breaking the backbone 
| of the day," as he used to say, before his 
family had assembled for breakfast; or 
of Arnold of Rugby, always up to his 
ears in work, learning some new lan- 
guage, studying some fresh historical 
subject, or cheering on by his pen some 
progressive movement of the age*.* — Sat- 
urday Evening Post. 

2007. One of the imprcs-i\e things 
about the greatest engines Is the silence 
with whleb they do their work. The 

; stars rushing through space with a force 

| we cannot even imagine do so in silence. 

j The same thing may be observed in re- 
gard to the work which Is done in the 

, world. The most powerful is always 
very quiet. The great spiritual ministry 
of the Christian Church Is carried for- 
ward with very little noise. Noise is not 
the same as work; frenzy is not power. — 
Friendly Greetings. 

2008. As Carlylc said: "The race or life 
lias become Intense. The runners arc 
trending on each Other's heels; woe be to 
him who -lops to lie hi- shoe-strings." 

2000. John limn lay dying. The at- 
tendant friends noted how he kept on 
silently weeping. His emotions increased, 
and be sobbed as if in acute distress. 
No longer able to withhold himself, he 
cried out: "Lord, bless FIJI, save Fiji: 
Thou knowest my soul has loved Fl.'l; 
my heart has travailed In pain for FIJI!" 
Ills own prospect was unclouded. Ills 
treasures, wife, and children were In the 
upper kingdom. Mr. Calvert said to 
him. "The Lord knows you love FIJI. 
We know It." For a while he grew 
<iulet. but the burden was heavy. Fl- 



The Christian Life. 



— 368 — 



nally, lifting his hand, mighty in its 
trembling, he cried with passionate 
force: "O, let me pray once more for 
Fiji. Lord, for Christ's sake, bless Fiji, 
save Fiji." Then he grew quiet, and 
reached his end in unbroken peace. Such 
glowing love can have no failure. It 
shares the omnipotence of God, inspired 
as it is from contact with his own heart. 
It looks at the world-problem from the 
same point of view the Master had on 
the cross. It sees, hears, reels, toils, 
with the eyes, ears, heart, and hands, of 
the Christ. It does not mark its sacrifice. 

i 2610. An infidel who had been con- 
verted, in speaking of it afterward, gave 
the credit of his conversion to a timid 
old man who lived near him. When the 
old man heard of this he was very much 
puzzled, and said: "I can't remember 
that I ever had very much to say to you 
about becoming a Christian." "No," 
said the ex-infidel, "you didn't have so 
very much to say about it, but you lived 
me to death. I could stand all then 
preaching, and upset all their argu- 
ments, but I couldn't stand the way you 
lived." — E. P. Brown. 

2611. Baxter, though hunted and im- 
prisoned by the demon of persecution, 
and tortured with the stone, was always 
preaching and writing, till he had com- 
posed and published a hundred and 
twenty volumes. 

2612. Harlan Page was a merchant in 
New York City. What could a busy 
man do for the world's good? What 
were his possibilities outside of making 
money for himself and his home? He 
saw how many people there were to 
whom no one ever spoke a personal 
word about their Christian purpose. He 
resolved that he woidd speak to as many 
as he could, or write to them. He sought 
them in their homes and in their offices, 
he met them on the streets and walked 
with them, he sent them direct and. per- 
suasive letters when he could not reach 
them otherwise. It was no easy work. 
It was not always successful. But it 
did good, great good, and scores upon 
scores of people came forth under his 
influence as avowed and worthy Chris- 
tians. — McClure's. 

2613. During Dr. Payson's ministry 
his solicitude for the salvation of souls 
was so earnest, that he impaired his 
health by the frequency of his fastings 
and the importunity of his prayers. His 
whole life was spent in one constant 
series of efforts to produce revivals of 
religion; and the anguish of his mind 
when his labors failed, was so acute as 
to bring on bodily disease. It was said 
of him by his biographer, that his lan- 



guage, his conversation, and his whole 
deportment were such as brought home 
and fastened on the minds of his 
hearers the conviction, that he believed 
and therefore spoke. — James. 

2614. You may remember that not only 
was China devastated by war from with- 
in her own borders by her heathen sub- 
jects, but there was a great Mohammedan 
rebellion, and the whole of Turkestan was 
wrested from her. And who expected 
that it would ever be recovered by the 
Chinese Emperor again? Russia lightly 
promised to give back Kuldja as soon as 
China conquered Turkestan; and none 
of us expected to see that conquest at- 
tempted. But when the Emperor sent 
for one of his able generals, the late 
Governor Tso, and put the problem be- 
fore him, he was not afraid to look it in 
the face and undertake the re-conquest 
of Turkestan. And he did it. When 
the Emperor said to him, "Have you 
thought of this fact, that the distance 
from your base will be so great that the 
mules will eat all the provisions that 
they can carry before they get to the 
soldiers?" he replied, "Your Majesty, I 
have thought of it, and I have my rem- 
edy. We will go as far as we can as 
soldiers, and when the food fails we will 
all squat down as farmers for as many 
years as may be necessary to raise a 
store of provisions, and then we will go 
on again and repeat the process as often 
as it is necessary until the whole of Tur- 
kestan is restored to your sway." And 
they did it. These men were prepared 
to take five years or fifty years to ac- 
complish their purpose. This then, is 
the class of persons that we have to deal 
with in China. — Rev. J. Hudson Taylor. 

2615. A Sunday-school teacher, a busi- 
ness man, too, followed the individual 
members of his classes, praying for 
them and with them, giving them his 
heart's interest, until he saw over 150 
saved. 

2616. General Zachary Taylor, who 

died in the presidential office, July 9, 
18 50, was one of the most beloved sol- 
diers that ever commanded the United 
States army. He did not know the 
meaning of the words "fear" and "de- 
feat." While in Camp at Buena Vista, 
during the Mexican War, the general and 
Major Bliss (who was afterwards his 
son-in-law,) sat quietly discussing the 
condition of affairs, when a message 
was brought to the former from Santa 
Anna, commander-in-chief of the Mexi- 
can army, to surrender at once, as the 
Americans, who would be overwhelmed, 
stood no chance. 

General Taylor's blood was up in an 
instant, and, in very forcible language, 



The Christian Life. 



— 369 — 



Zeal. Earnestness. 



he sent the reply: "Tell Santa Anna that 
old Taylor never surrenders." 

"But, General," said one of the offi- 
cers, respectfully, "we have only 4000 
men against their 22,000 in the field. 
With most of our men at Monterey, what 
can we do against such numbers?" 
"They'll have a good many less than 
that before tomorrow night." was the 
general's reply. And they did, for, be- 
fore many hours, the Stars and Stripes 
were unfurled and floating over the ene- 
my's camp, proclaiming that It was 
Santa Anna, not Taylor, who had "stood 
no chance." Intrepidity, such as Gen- 
eral Jackson possessed, in doing what 
he knew to be right without fear of con- 
sequences, is the greatest aid any one 
can have toward leading- a Christian life. 

2617. There is no "dead-line." Far- 
ragut was sixty at the beginning of the 
Civil War, and Oyama was over sixty- 
three at the outbreak of the war be- 
tween Japan and Russia. Haydn wrote 
his oratorio of "The Creation" after he 
was sixty-seven, Goethe finished his 
"Faust" at eighty-two, and Humboldt his 
"Cosmos" at seventy-six. Among the 
grand old men in the annals of American 
statesmanship it is sufficient to mention 
the names of George F. Hoar, John 
Quincy Adams, and Thaddeus Stevens. 
Henry Ward Beecher never preached 
better than in the last year of his life. 
Mark Twain is still "cutting up", thougli 
past seventy. 

2<il8. When I was fourteen years old. 
it became necessary for me to go out in- 
to the world and earn my share of the 
family expenses. I looked about with 
small success for a week or two, and 
then I saw a card hanging in a store 
window, "Boy Wanted." I pulled down 
my hair, brushed the front of my jacket, 
and walked in. "Do you want a boy?" 
I asked of the clerk. "Back office," he 
said. I walked back to the little den 
with a high partition around it, and 
pushing open the door, which I noticed 
was slightly ajar, cap in hand, I stepped 
in. It was a chilly day in November, 
and before I spoke to the proprietor, 
who was bending over a desk, I turned 
to close the door, it squeaked horribly 
as I pushed It shut, and then I found 
that it wouldn't latch. It had shrunk 
so that the socket which should have 
caught the latch was a trifle too high. 
I was a boy of some mechanical genius, 
and I noticed what the trouble was Im- 
mediately. 

"Where did you learn to close doors?'' 
said the man at the desk. I turned 
around quickly. "At home, sir." "Well, 
what do you want? I came In to see 
about the boy wanted," I answered. 
24 Prnc. III. 



"Oh!.' said the man, with a grunt. He 
seemed rather gruff, but somehow his 
crisp speech didn't discourage me. "Sit 
down," he added; "I'm busy." I looked 
back at the door. "If you don't mind," 
said I, "and if a little noise won't dis- 
turb you, I'll fix that door while I'm 
waiting." "Eh," he said, quickly. "All 
right. Go ahead." I had been sharpen- 
ing my skates that morning, and the 
short file I used was still in my pocket. 
In a few minutes I had filed down the 
brass socket so that the latch fitted nice- 
ly. I closed the door two or three times 
to see that it was all right. When I put 
my file back in my pocket and turned 
round, the man at the desk was staring 
at me. "Any parents?" he asked. 
"Mother," I answered. "Have her come 
in here with you at two o'clock." he 
said, and turned back to his writing. 

At twenty-live I was a partner in the 
house: at thirty-five I had a half-inter- 
est; and I have always attributed the 
foundation of my good fortune to the 
only recommendation I then had in my 
possession — the file. 

2619. An old colored preacher was 
asked to define Christian perseverance. 
He answered: "It means, firstly, to take 
hold: secondly, to hold on: thirdly and 
lastly, to nebber leave go." 

2620. The Rev. Matthew Wilks was 

once waited upon by a gentleman, lie 
received him most kindly; but after 
some conversation asked, "Have you 
anything more to tell me?" "Nothing 
] particular." "Any other question t» 
ask?" "No." "Then." said Mr. Wilks, 
"you must leave me, as I have my Mas- 
ter's business to attend to." The gentle- 
man said afterward that he had received 
a lesson on the value of time which he 
never forgot. Joseph Alleine used to 
say "Give me a Christian who counts his 
time more precious than gold." 

2621. I remember Benjamin Disraeli, 
as I saw him last, sitting on the Govern- 
ment bench, in the House of Commons, 
the most powerful European then living. 
His imperturbable calm was his most 
conspicuous characteristic. The black 
lock of hair that fell over his pale, wide 
brow had a careless look of good-nature, 
and his thick, swollen lips and twisted 
mouth seemed Just ready to laugh at the 
world. His was not the best of hearts, 
for he laughed at, rather than with the 
world; I fear he loved us little. Yet I 
could but recall that crisis In his career 
when hissed down, his youthful voice 
drowned by the opposition. In his maid- n 
effort, years ago. n was his < liatig<-l<'--> 
good-nature that kept him from despair 
and assured his final us<endancy< "You 



The Christian Life. 



— 370 — 



Zeal. Earnestness. 



will listen to me yet," he calmly an- 
swered, smiling. — Haynes. 

2622. When Apelles, the Greek paint- 
er, was asked why he bestowed so much 
labor upon his pictures, he replied, "Be- 
cause I am painting for eternity." We, 
too, use fast colors as we paint the pic- 
ture of our lives for eternity. 

2623. He who begins by halving his 
heart between God and mammon will 
end by being whole-hearted for the 
world and faint-hearted for Christ. We 
are. so constituted that it is impossible 
for us to exercise a divided allegiance; 
we must be out-and-out for God, or we 
shall be in-and-in for the world and all 
its interests. — A. J. Gordon, D. D. 

2624. A subordinate clerk in a pub- 
lishing office without wealth or funds or 
scholarship, Granville Sharp, determined 
to overthrow the slave trade in Great 
Britain, to secure decisions in the courts 
against its rightfulness, and to influence 
natural legislation for its downfall. With 
every judge and lawyer in the kingdom 
opposed to him, he entered on the study 
of law, from its very rudiments, and, 
while toiling daily at his clerkship for 
bread, mastered the great principles of 
legal science, searched the records of ju- 
dicial decisions and parliamentary en- 
actments, and gathered the material he 
required for his great purpose. Publishing 
the results of his investigations, and scat- 
tering his essays widely through the land, 
Sharp fought his test case to the high- 
est tribunal of the realm, wrested from 
Lord Chief Justice Mansfield the admis- 
sion of previous error, and secured the 
promulgation of the decision that freed 
every slave on the soil of England. The 
result of his personal endeavors aroused, 
for the completion of his mighty under- 
taking, Clarkson and Wilberforce and 
Buxton and Brougham; and the contest 
entered on single-handed was continued, 
with constantly fresh accessions of funds 
and favor, until slavery was abolished in 
all the British dominions, and then in 
America; and now every freedman on 
our purified soil owes his liberty, instru- 
mentally, to the moyement begun by 
Granville Sharp, the humble ordinance 
clerk, who heard the cry of God, "Be 
thou strong . . . and show thyself a 
man!" and in fearless independence rose 
up to battle and conquer the world. — 
H. Clay Trumbull, "Shoes and Rations." 

2625. A New England clergyman, en- 
forcing on his congregation the necessity 
of practical godliness, and contrasting 
the early Christians with those of the 
present generation, very properly re- 
marked, "We have too many resolutions 
and too little action. 'The Acts of the 



Apostles' is the title of one of the books 
of the New Testament; their resolutions 
have not reached us." 

2626. In one of our western cities a 
Chinaman had opened a laundry. Not 
far distant, on the same street, was a 
saloon, with the words, "Never closed," 
above its doors. Near by, in another di- 
rection, a drug store hung out notice, 
"Open all night." The Chinaman wished 
to indicate that he, too, was alert and 
always ready for business, so he put 
above his door the words, "Me Wakee 
Too." Is there not a suggestion to those 
of us who are working not for worldly 
gain but for the riches which are spirit- 
ual and eternal? We see what efforts 
men will make to succeed in business, 
what efforts we ourselves make; and yet 
when' it comes to planning for church 
work we do not enter upon it with the 
same spirit. — Alexander Henry, D. D. 

2627. There was a river of difficulty 
between Shakespeare, the boy holding 
the horses at the London Theatre for a 
sixpence, and Shakespeare, the world's 
dramatist winning the applause of all 
nations by his incomparable tragedies. 
There was a river of difficulty between 
Benjamin Franklin, with a loaf of bread 
under his arm trudging along the street 
of Philadelphia, and Benjamin Franklin, 
the philosopher, outside of Boston, play- 
ing kite with the thunderstorm. An in- 
dolent man was cured of his indolence 
by looking out of the window at night 
into another window, and seeing a man 
turning off one sheet of writing paper af- 
ter another sheet of writing paper until 
almost the daybreak. Who was it that 
wrote until the morning? It was Walter 
Scott. Who was it that looked at him 
from the opposite window? Lockhardt, 
afterwards his illustrious biographer. It 
is push and struggle and drive. There 
are mountains to scale, there are rivers 
to ford. Lord Mansfield, pursued of the 
press and pursued of the populace, said, 
"If a man die in behalf of the law and 
liberty of his country, he cannot die too 
soon." And there has been struggle for 
everybody that gained anything for 
themselves, or gained anything for the 
Church, or gained anything for the 
world. We all understand it in worldly 
things. Why can we not understand it 
in religious things? 

2628. "Sire, remember the Athenians", 
was what a certain great general, op- 
posed to Athens, commanded his servant 
frequently to say to him. 

">6^9. Webster, when he got his diplo- 
nu , wenv vnth fellow students out on 
the campus and tore it up, saying, that 
if his making a success of his life de- 



The Christian Life. 



— 371 — 



Thoroughness. 



pended on that parchment he would 
never make it. That he would rely on 
his individual efforts. 

2630. One of our presidents when 
asked. "What is your coat of arms," re- 
plied, "A pair of shirt sleeves." 

2631. "O if I could only put my 
dream on canvas," said an enthusiastic 
artist. His master replied, ■"Dream on 
canvas! It is the ten thousand touches 
with your brush that you must learn, 
and then you can make your dream 
real." 

2632. When David Hogg was dying, 

he said to David Livingstone: "Now, lad. 
make religion the every-day business of 
your life, and not a thing of (its and 
starts; for if you do, temptation and 
other things will get the better of you." 
David Livingstone did make religion the 
every-day business of his life, and so 
came at last into the achievement of 
that beautiful life, so great in labor, so 
rich in love, and which closed in such 
glory of trust in God. If we dream of 
a blessed Christian life, and chafe be- 
cause we have no opportunities, let us 
faithfully do what we can, and after 
while God will make us ruler over many 
things. 

2633. When Arago. the astronomer, 
was young, be became thoroughly dis- 
cou raged over mathematics. One day he 
found on the fly leaf of a text-book a 
few words from the famous D'Alembert 
to a student who had been discouraged 
like himself. D'Alcmhcrt's advice was 
very short; it was, "Go on, sir, go on!" 
Arago said afterwards that that sentence 
was the best teacher of mathematics 
that he ever had. Following it dogged- 
ly, he went on until he became the lead- 
ing mathematician of his day. Ne man 
has ever exhausted the power that lies 
in the words, "Go on." Going ahead, 
steadily and perseveringly, step by step, 
is the secret of material, moral, and 
spiritual success. — Forward. 

2631. There is standing in New York 
City today a beautiful church edifice, 
with all modern appointments, which 
had its origin in the desire of a poor 
woman to do something for God. The 
church building had been talked of for 
some time, but the way had not opened 
for anything to be done. Finally, she de- 
clared. "We ought to stop talking and do 
something." Of her small means she gave 
a few hundred dollars, which formed 
the nucleus of a building fund, which 
grew by degrees until finally a wealthy 
gentleman gave a large sum of money 
for the erection of the building. To the 
poor woman, however, is due the credit 
Of having initiated the efforts which re- 



sulted in the building of the church. — 
Westminster Teacher. 

2635. Mrs. Ballihgton Booth relates an 
interesting little story about her little 
boy. The War Cry once had a picture 
of a boat in the midst of the sea, and 
all around it were struggling, gasping, 
sinking men and women. In the rear 
of the boat was General Booth reaching 
out his hand to the drowning. His little 
grandson, who is only a few years old, 
looked and looked at the picture, deeply 
interested in it. At last, he said, "Mam- 
ma, what is grandpa doing? Is he try- 
ing to get people into the boat, or is he 
just shaking hands with them?" — Banks. 

2636. Some one has said that move- 
ments are just as strong as the men in 
them are in earnest. The saying is true 
and worthy of acceptance. It is the 
earnest soul, the fervent spirit that wins 
out. Many a great movement has 
lagged and finally failed because of a 
lack of zeal. Many a weak cause has 
been made to overcome great obstacles 
because of the earnestness with which it 
was prosecuted. These are truisms, but 
nevertheless they have in them much of 
the philosophy of success. 

2637. It was the fiery zeal and unfail- 
ing earnestness of Garrison and Lovejoy 
and Phillips and Beecber and Brown 
that freed the slave and overthrew --the 
institution of slavery. We doubt wheth- 
er any less earnest man than Martin 
Luther could have won the Reformation. 
These are only examples, but they have 
their meaning. All liberty, and great 
achievement, all great institutions built 
up, all great endeavor brought to a suc- 
cessful issue, have been won by men 
with great souls and fervid spirits. 

Thoroughness. (2638 2653) 

2638. There is ureal spiritual strength 
in doing ail things with serious, scrupu- 
lous thoroughness. Nothing so dignities 
life and imparts into it a thousand solid 
and wholesome delights as this '"doing 
all things heartily as unto the Lord and 
not unto men." Little things come daily, 
hourly, within our reach, and they are 
not less calculated to set forward our 
growth in holiness, than are the greater 
occasions, which occur but rarely. More- 
over, fidelity in trifles, and an earnest 
seeking to please God in little matters, Is 
a test of real devotion and love. 

2639. There arc several classes Ol 
young men. There are those who do 
not do all of their duty, there are those 
who profess to do their duty, and there 
Is a third class, far better than the other 
two. that do their dot) and a little moN 
There are many great pianists, but Pad- 



The Christian Life. 



— 372 — 



Thoroughness. 



erewski is at the head because he does 
a little more than the others. There are 
hundreds of race-horses, but it is those 
who go a few seconds faster than the 
others that acquire renown. So it is in 
the sailing of yachts. It is the little 
inore that wins. So it is with young and 
old men who do a little more than their 
duty. — Carnegie. 

2640. Someone asked a famous mu- 
sician, "What is your favorite composi- 
tion?" The answer was, "Whatever I 
am playing." That is the feeling that 
will cause a musician to throw his whole 
soul into his playing and a workman to 
do his very best work. We have to like 
our work, or we shall not do our level 
best at it. It may be that our present 
task is disagreeable, but it is possible 
to take a deep pride in doing it thor- 
oughly and in leaving no rough odds and 
ends to worry others. To slight the mu- 
sic one is playing is a poor preparation 
for further music. If one makes up his 
mind that, whatever be the composition, 
he will handle the keys like a master, 
many things are possible to him. Pro- 
motion nowadays comes to few men un- 
less they like the present job well 
enough to do their work as masters. And 
also, in the day of a higher judgment, 
entrance to joyful spheres is granted on- 
ly to faithful servants. — East and West. 

2641. Marshal Ney was so sure of tak- 
ing Quatre-Bras that he reported that 
he was actually in possession. Then 
he rested his weary army a short 
distance from the place, instead 
of advancing immediately as he had 
been commanded to do. In the mean- 
time Blucher took possession, and was 
able to re-enforce Wellington with forty 
thousand men. It is the part of wisdom 
never to relax our vigilance in our spir- 
itual warfare. 

2642. Charles Dickens said of the 
principle upon which the work of his 
life had been conducted: "Whatever I 
have tried to do in my life, I have tried 
with all my heart to do well. What I 
have devoted myself to, I have devoted 
myself to completely. Never to put one 
hand to anything on which I would not 
throw my whole self, and never to affect 
depreciation of my work, whatever it 
was, I find now to have been golden 
rules." 

2643. Michael Angelo was showing a 
visitor over his studio and pointed out 
how, on the great work in which he was 
engaged, he had polished this part, 
softened that, retouched this since his 
last visit. "Yes, I see," answered the 
visitor, "hut these things are such tri- 
fles." "So they may be," replied the 



great master, "but remember that trifles 
make perfection, and perfection is no 
trifle." 

2644. In the Court of Inquiry concern- 
ing the loss of the old warship Kear- 
sarge, Lieutenant Lyman testified that 
the shipwreck was caused by defective 
charts, which did not give the proper 
information by which to navigate the 
vessel. Hence while sailing on uncon- 
scious of danger, the ship was driven 
straight to destruction. 

2645. We saw recently an ear of corn 
which had been sold at auction for 
one hundred and fifty dollars. What 
made it sell at the rate of eight thou- 
sand dollars a bushel? A young Iowa 
farmer was aroused, at a former exposi- 
tion, by the ideal of a perfect field of 
corn. He bought the prize ears and set 
himself to raise the best one possible. 
That movement has added tens of mil- 
lions of bushels every year to the crop, 
and it has enriched the nation with un- 
measured gold. 

2646. A rival of a certain lawyer 

sought to humiliate him publicly by 
saying: "You blacked my father's boots 
once." "Yes," replied the lawyer, un- 
abashed, "and I did it well." And be- 
cause of his habit of doing even mean 
things well he rose to greater. It is 
attention to business that lifts the feet 
higher up on the ladder. 

2647. Do your best. Do that which 
is assigned you, and you cannot 
hope too much or dare too much. 
There is at this moment for you 
an utterance brave and grand as that 
of the colossal chisel of Phidias, or trow- 
el of the Egyptians, or the pen of Moses 
or Dante, but different from all these. 
Abide in the simple and noble regions 
of thy life, obey thy heart and thou shalt 
reproduce the Foreworld again. — Emer- 
son. 

2648. Be sure you're right etc. "When 
you don't know what to do — don't • go 
and do it." — Gov. Winthrop. 

2649. Nestor stood before the Greek 
generals at Troy and said; "The secret 
of victory is in getting a good ready."— 
Hillis. 

2650. I find the greatest thing in this 
world is not so much where we stand 
as in what direction we are moving. To 

reach the port of heaven we must sail 
sometimes with the wind and sometimes 
against it — - but we must sail and not 
drift — nor lie at anchor. 

2651. A young man in a telegraph of- 
fice, who had shown himself an expert 
electrician, was sent from time to time 
to look after the work at other points. 



The Christian Life. 



— 378 



Enthusiasm 



The president of the company called at 
his office in the West, and, iiking his 
looks," invited him to take a trip with 
him through the State. On the trip the 
train ran off the track and the president 
expressed his fear that the train follow- 
ing might run into them. To this the 
young man replied, "I think not." To 
the surprise of the president, he bor- 
rowed a pair of '•climbers", went up 
one of the telegraph poles, cut a wire, 
and. taking: a small instrument from his 
pocket, telegraphed hack to the necessa- 
ry station, then reunited the line and de- 
scended to the ground. The astonish- 
ment of the president was great, and he 
said: "How did you know what wire to 
cut from the large number that were 
strung?" Said the young man: "I al- 
ways carry a diagram of the wires and 
poles", and showed him a complete rec- 
ord that he kept, so that when a break 
came he could direct the repairer with- 
out loss of time. "But", said the presi- 
dent, "where did you get the operating 
instrument?" "I always carry it in my 
pocket, for I do not know what may 
happen." The president said no more, 
but on his return East appointed the 
young man general electrician for a 
large part of the United Stater. 

2652. Charles Kingsley says of Turner, 
the great painter, that he spent hours 
and hours in the mere contemplation of 
nature without using brush or pencil. 
An authentic story is told of how Turner 
was once known to have spent a whole 
day sitting upon a rock throwing peb- 
bles into a lake. When evening came 
his brother painters showed him their | 
sketches and rallied him upon having | 
done nothing. He said: "I have done this, 
at least: I have learned how a lake looks 
when pebbles are thrown into it." None 
of his fellow-students could ever paint 
the ripple- as Turner painted them. 
Many men and women find to their sor- 
row and dismay that when the oppor- 
tunity of a lifetime i» presented to them 
they are utterly unable to g ra sp it be- 
cause of lack of preparation. 

2653. It Is told of General Kitchener 
during the recent war in South Africa 
that his chief of staff was the only 
pne who knew anything of his Intended 
movements when he started one day on . 
an important expedition. No warning 
was allowed to be telegraphed on ahead. 
He arrived on the spot without previous 
notice, and no general In the army knew 
when or where he might appear. N'cg- 
llgenee or absence from the post of 
duty met with -.will and -lire punish- 
ment. Even In the affairs of this world 
evil-doers are always in danger of sud- 



den judgment. It should not seem 
strange that it is so in spiritual matters. 

Enthusiasm. (2b - .">4-2G81) 

2654. In these expressive words Henry 
Martin gave utterance to his life am- 
bition. He wanted "to burn out for 
God." Men burn out in other interests 
all about us. The flames of passion lick 
up all of the best things in many a man 
— his powers of body and mind, and his 
higher nature — and they leave him at 
last a charred cinder. The fierce fires 
of ungodly ambition: the conflagration 
in a man's moral nature kindled by the 
spirit of covetousness, hatred, and other 
hell-kindled fires, burn out many a man. 
and we look upon the smoldering ruins 
with deepest pity. But -to burn out for 
God" is a glorious ambition. Fox said 
that every Quaker ought to light up the 
country for ten miles around. Manv :i 
missionary has lighted it up for a hun- 
dred miles. He has thrust aside every 
selfish aim, and thrown himself into the 
work with passionate ardor. Human 
nature could not stand the strain long, 
and after a brief career he has exhaust- 
ed his resources and died. But he 
"burned out for God." No life can make 
a better record than this. Not even the 
martyr at the stake. 

2655. George W. Cable in one of his 
Creole stories told of going to an old 
taxidermist to have a humming-bird 
Staffed. "I was saying," he goes on. 
"that a huming-bird was a very small 
thing to ask him to stuff. But he stopped 
me with his lifted palm "My fran'. a 
humming-bird has de passione, de ecsta- 
siel One drop <>f blood wid de passione 
in it — " He waved his hand with a jerk 
of the thumb in disdain of spoken words, 
and it was I who added:"Is bigger than 
the sun." So one heart glowing with a 
great passion is irresistible, uncoinpicr- 
able, almost omnipotent. 

2656. When Lord Bnnsdownc asked 
what he could do to reform the profli- 
gate people of a certain community, he 
was answered, "Send them an enthusi- 
ast." 

2657. Gipsy Smith tells of a woman's 
enthusiastic confession of Christ 
"While preaching in Aherdecn :i year 
ago and conducting meetings, I took 
lunch one day with a merchant, a Chris- 
tian man, and he said: "There Is a lady 
here who wants to see you before you 
leave the house." I saw her alone and 
she said: "Bast Sunday I sat on the plat- 
form three chairs away from you. and It 
seemed as though every word yon 
preached was meant for me, and when 
you gave an invitation for those who 



The Christian Life. 



— 374 — 



Enthusiasm. 



wanted Christ to rise I stood up. I be- 
lieve I was the first. You asked those 
who had risen for prayer to leave their 
seats and go into the vestry. I stood 
there and said to myself, 'I cannot go 
there. Everybody knows me. I am one 
of the best known women in the city 
and they all suppose I am all right', — 
the supposing comes in again — my pride 
would not let me go and I did not go." 
I offered to pray with her then, but she 
said: "That won't settle it. I am com- 
ing to the meeting tonight early enough 
to sit in the same chair, right where the 
devil defeated me, and when the invi- 
tation is given I am going to stand up 
before the 3,000 people, and when you 
ask us to come to the inquiry room I 
am going to confess Christ and get the 
victory". 

2C58. To a very successful settlement 
worker I said not long ago, "Where did 
you acquire your tact, your sympathy, 
your power of control, which make 
young girls and children as wax in your 
hands, which enable you to carry with 
you on any suggested enterprise, these 
throngs of devoted adherents?" Her an- 
swer was significant: "Do you not think 
that God gives his talent, if one has it, 
in proportion to the need, and in the 
measure of the prayer?" One who has 
no remarkable amount of enthusiasm, 
if his feeling is the true one, may gain 
it, just as she has gained her special 
grace of direction, by an application at 
headquarters, by going straight to the 
throne, and leaving a petition there. — 
Margaret Sangster. 

2659. When the troop-ship Birken- 
head was lost, a young officer, — a lad of 
seventeen, — Alexander Cumine Russell, 
commanded one of the boats carrying 
the women and children. He saw a sail- 
or's form rise close to the boat. There 
was not room for a single person more, 
but a woman in the boat cried in agony: 
"Save him! Save him! He is my hus- 
band!" Russell looked at the woman 
and her children and the struggling 
sailor, then plunged into the water and 
helped the man to what had been his 
own place of safety. Then he disap- 
peared from view among the angry 
waves and the hungry sharks. 

2660. Edward Fitzgerald and Tenny- 
son were one day looking at two busts 
of Dante and of Goethe. "What is there 
wanting in Goethe," said Fitzgerald, 
"which the other has?" Tennyson at 
once replied: "The divine intensity". — 
Literary Illustrations. 

2661. Da Vinci wrought for ten years 
upon his master picture of the "Last 
Supper," in the refectory of the convent 



of the Madonna della Grazie, at Milan, 
often for whole days, so absorbed in his 
work that he forgot to eat, and then 
again for days coming and standing in 
silence before it as if devoutly studying 
his great theme. Again, in the heat of 
noon, he would leave the cathedral, 
Where he was modeling his colossal 
"horse", and, hurrying to the convent, 
add a line or a touch of color to the pic- 
ture and return. 

2662. Silence marks the working of 
the greatest forces of life. No ear hears 
the sun draw up into the sky the count- 
less tons of water that fall in rain. No 
man hears the groaning of the oak's 
fibers as it grows to its strength and - 
height. Noise is usually an after-effect, 
and does not often accompany initial 
power. Sounding brass and tinkling 
cymbals are noisy, but not powerful. So 
the will reaches its decision in silence, 
and it does not need much shouting to 
know when a man is in earnest. 

2663. There is something better than 
realizing the ideal; it is idealizing the 
real. Something like this is back of 
all true enthusiasm. 

2664. You can not believe little things, 
and do great things; you can not be- 
lieve in half successes and accomplish 
whole ones. A man's faith sets the 
boundaries of his work. He will do 
what he believes, and accomplish what 
he believes can be accomplished. Moun- 
tains are not subdued by men who stand 
discouraged at a mole hill. A man 
must conquer the fatigues of the way in 
his own heart, or he will never set out 
on the road. Back of all free action lies 
some creed, some conviction. All great 
battles have been fought and either lost 
or won in the heart. The simple or 
stubborn confidence that leads to all- 
conquering effort — this is faith, the 
vision that vitalizes. 

2665. President Jordan, of Leland 
Stanford, Jr., University, says, "The 
world turns aside to let any man pass 
who knows whither he is going." 

2666. In temporal as well as spiritual 
affairs there is no real success without 
enthusiasm. It is ever the man who 
puts his whole heart in his work who is 
successful; the careless, the one who is 
slothful and indifferent, seldom gains 
confidence or prominence but the man 
who is pushing and energetic and enthu- 
siastic in whatever he undertakes invites 
trust, and in most instances achieves re- 
ward. There never was a man yet who 
amounted to anything in any department 
of life, but was an enthusiast. Musician, 
sculptor, minister, physician or trades- 
man, whatever his choice or occupation, 



The Christian Life. 



— 375 — 



Enthusiasm. 



if his whole soul were filled with the 
one purpose and ideal, all his thoughts 
and energies bent in the one direction, his 
desire and aim have generally been ac- 
complished. 

2667. Harvey, the discoverer of the 
circulation of the blood, would have been 
called a "phenomenal crank;" indeed he 
was charged with insanity, and the 
whole medical profession, with few ex- 
ceptions, set themselves against him. 
Robert Fulton was hooted in derision 
when his first experiment appeared to 
be on the verge of failure, as for Morse, 
the inventer of telegraphy, he was satir- 
ized in the American Congress, for 
when some one proposed a contribution 
of a few thousand dollars to assist him 
in his experiments, a senator arose and 
moved to amend by appropriating a sim- 
ilar amount to the experiments of a 
certain itinerant mesmerizer who at 
that time was lecturing in Washington. 
— Uuckley. 

2t;(>8. With Christ there came into the 
world a new saving power: and hope for 
humanity made possible an enthusiasm 
for humanity. To have seen the radiant 
beauty of Christ, and then to see in the 
vilest the possibility of Christ's likeness, 
was enough to make love and hope flame 
up into enthusiasm. Another source of 
this entrrusiasm which so characterized 
the early Christians was their love for 
their Master. — Josiah Strong, D. D. 

2669. Jesus was counted mad simply 
and solely because he was enthusiastic. 
Jesus inaugurates the spirit which has 
its ebb and flow, but which at its height 
has no regard for ease or honor or life 
itself in the service of God and man. 
And the world, realizing as by an in- 
stinct the intensity or this spirit, took 
up an attitude of ridicule and criti- 
cism, and began there and then to 
pour cold water on religious enthusiasm, 
and has been pouring cold water unto 
this day. Two states of mind were 
flung into Intense contrast: the spirit 
rapt. Inspired, and sclf-forgetrul. and 
the spirit cautious, critical, self-rcgard- 
ing, — the spirit of Christ and the spirit 
of the world. — Ian Maclaren. 

2<»7<>. I believe i" enthusiasm; — an en- 
thusiasm that has backbone to it, an 
enthusiasm that has life in It, an enthu- 
siasm that has weight and power in it. 
an enthusiasm that has usefulness In it. 
A physician cannot be very successful 
unless he is enthusiastic about his pro- 
fession . . . and I tell you a Christian 
will never amount to muc h unless then- 
is rntlm-lasm in his Christianity. — 
Wharton. 

2671. If I had the right to establish 



for all time the one unchangeable defini- 
tion of genius, I should put it into the 
following words: Genius is the power by 
which one mind generates in another 
mind an unmanageable enthusiasm. — 
Maurice Thompson. 

2672. Palissy, the potter, in 1539, hav- 
ing seen in Italy some decorated pottery, 
determined to discover the secret of 
enameling. For sixteen years he experi- 
mented. He put his whole life into his 
work, regardless of cost, of toil, of hard- 
ship, from each new failure and disap- 
pointment rising to another endeavor, 
and rejoicing even in failures because 
they narrowed down the circle within 
which success lay. He reduced himself 
and his family to the verge of starva- 
tion, and then broke up even his house- 
hold furniture to feed the fires of his 
furnace when other fuel failed! 

2673. At a county fair in Xew Enu- 
land there was a continual crowd around 
one agricultural exhibit which excited a 
great deal of admiration, and was the 
occasion of many remarks. The exhibit 
was marked. "Raised on an Abandoned 
Farm." The articles shown were grown 
by a man who had formerly followed 
another occupation, upon a farm in a 
rough hill town, which its owner had 
found an undesirable piece of property, 
and had practically deserted. The ex- 
hibit included twenty-two varieties of 
potatoes, several varieties of wheat, oats, 
barley, rye, and beans, onions, pumpkins, 
squashes, melons, beets, carrots, and 
turnips. The people kepi the proprietor 
of the "abandoned farm" busy explain- 
ing how he produced such wonderful 
results. His reply was that he took de- 
light in farming, and did the best he 
could. "O yes," said one bystander, 
"he's farming for the love of it." "And 
I Imagine." said another bystander, 
"that if the farmer who had the place 
before this man took it had farmed a 
little more for the love of it, he wouldn't 
have had any occasion to go off and 
leave It." — The Youth's Companion. 

267 1. Qnlntln Hogg, the greal London 

philanthropist, put a large fortune into 
the Polytechnic Institute. He was asked; 
"How much does It cost to build an in- 
stitute like yours? Only one man's 

life blood." was the reply. — Speer. 

267.V The story is told of a ladj who 
was obliged lo leave a home, in beauti- 
fying which she had expended much 
time and thought, as well as money. As 
she turned away from It, with tearful 
eyes, she said to a friend: "Ah. I haw 
a good deal of heart slock in that 
house." The people who do good in our 



/The Christian Life. 



376- 



Enthusiasm. 



schools and churches are those who have 
heart stock in them. 

2676. A fire-damp explosion in a 
Scranton, Pa. coal mine entombed a 
number of men. After three days' futile 
efforts at rescue the exhausted toilers 
were about to give up in despair. Just 
then a buggy was driven hastily up, and 
a young man leaped out of it. He was 
the youngest member of the firm, who 
had been absent at the time of the acci- 
dent. He was very pale, but his eyes 
were shining. The women crowded 
around him. "Dead? Not a bit of it!" 
he cried, cheerily. "They had food 
enough to keep them alive longer than 
this. Hello, boys! Why, you have made 
tremendous headway! You must be 
near the men. Give me a pick. Come 
along! We'll have them out in no time." 
He had thrown off his coat, and was 
dealing muscular whacks at the barrier. 
"Give them a cheer to let them know 
we're coming. Now, all together! 
Women and all! One — two — three — 
hurrah!" He had put new life into them 
all. A rousing cheer rang out, and ev- 
ery man worked with a will. Hours 
passed. His energy did not flag. The 
women ran for food or stimulants. The 
gangs eagerly relieved each other, dig- 
ging with zeal, and at intervals the 
cheery hurrah went up from many 
voices. At the last shout the leader 
threw up his hands for silence. A feeble 
cry was heard. The men were saved. 
They owed their lives to the enthusiasm 
of that young man. 

2677. In one of the battles during the 
American Civil War, a young officer 
stood at a battery which had dwindled 
down to a single gun. That single gun 
he loaded again and again, and fired in- 
to the thick darkness upon an aim that 
had been given him in the light. At 
last the bugles rang out the victory of 
his army; and, said he, "Then I knew 
that whatever others did, for me a 
victory meant keeping my gun loaded 
and fired." Work in that spirit. Re- 
member that "in God's army slackness 
is infamy." — F. W. Farrar. 

2678. Fra Mariano was brought to 
Florence to counteract the influence of 
Savonarola. He was a better speaker, 
a more cultivated orator. He had wider 
learning, a richer voice, and he was 
loved by the citizens too. He was con- 
sidered the greatest preacher in Italy, 
but he failed because he lacked the red- 
hot passion of the Florentine prophet. 
— McLeod. 

2679. Enthusiasm will often lift a 
man above the depressing influence of 
affliction. A noble young man was man- 
gled by falling rock, down deep in a 



Cornish mine. One day the news came 
that he had met with this terrible acci- 
dent, and that his life had been de- 
spaired of, and they were bringing up 
the poor, maimed body in the rude 
bucket that was used at that time in the 
shaft. They turned the crank, and the 
chain creaked, and the bucket came 
jolting up, every motion bringing awful 
anguish to the young man; and the 
friends gathered around the yawning 
cavern, looking down into it and wait- 
ing for the first sign of the dear one that 
might come to them. They expected to 
hear some shrieks or groans and cries; 
they were weeping and crying out while 
they waited; but as the bucket came 
nearer and nearer to the top they heard 
pome one singing, and they knew his 
voice : 

"I am coming, Lord, 
Coming now to thee; 

Wash me, cleanse me, in the blood 
That flowed on Calvary." 

2680. Enthusiasm has its price, like 
every other hid treasure or precious 
pearl. Its basis is sincerity without 
which, as Carlyle said, there is no truly 
heroic character. To be genuine in 
spirit and honest in conviction, to be- 
lieve our beliefs and act upon them — 
that is the natural basis of enthusiasm. 
A deep experience of Christ's power and 
love — that is what makes disciples genu- 
ine, for it enables them to speak what 
they know. When Morse sought to get 
from Congress an appropriation of 
JT-30,000 to build the first telegraph line 
from Baltimore to Washington a com- 
mittee of five was appointed to consider 
and report. There was a tie vote. The 
chairman left the room with Mr. Morse, 
and by and by came back and said, 
"Now, gentlemen, I am prepared to give 
the casting vote for the appropriation, 
for I have myself sent and received a 
message over the wires." Well may he 
l ave an enthusiasm for God, who has 
been in personal communication by 
prayer with the throne of God, and has 
sent and received messages from above. 
— Pierson. 

2681. James V of Scotland was on the 
eve of advancing against the English, 
and had assembled his nobles at Fala. 
None of them were willing to follow the 
royal standard, but Sir John Scott, who 
expressed his readiness to serve with the 
king under any circumstances. The 
monarch, in evidence of his gratitude, 
granted him the right to add a sheaf of 
spears to his coat of arms, and also the 
legend, "Ready, aye Ready." A score 
of followers loyal to a great cause, and 
filled with an unquenchable zeal, are 
better than a luke-warm regiment. 



The Christian Life. 



— 377 — 



Courage. Self-Sacrifice. Heroism. 



Courage. Self-Sacrifice. Heroism. 

(2682-2720) 

2682. It was once my fortune to see a 
young man take an ax in his hand and 
walk across two hundred yards of open 
ground under the fire of four hundred 
dismounted troopers, and deliberately 
cut down a telegraph pole. While he 
was chopping away at the tough cedar 
wood I could plainly see the splinters 
whirling away from the pole from top 
to bottom, as the whizzing bullets, aimed 
at him, crashed through it, or seamed 
its sides with ragged scars. Near by 
stood a brick chimney, where a house 
had been burned down; a twelve-pound 
shot struck the pile, and it went tumb- 
ling to earth, scattering its bricks about, 
some of them striking the young sol- 
dier's legs. lie did not waver. As reg- 
ular as a beat of a pendulum was the 
swing of that ax, and when the pole 
fell friends and foes vied together in 
yelling their admiration of the young 
man as he deliberately shouldered his 
ax and returned to his place in his com 
maud. — Maurice Thompson. 

2083. During a plague in Marseilles, 
the physicians decided that nothing 
could be done to save the people, unless 
a victim could be dissected, and the na- 
ture of the disease learned. But who 
would do this? Dr. Guyon rose and said 
he would do it. He wrote his will, bade 
his family farewell, entered the hospital, 
made the dissection and examination, 
wrote out the results, and in a few hours 
\\a> dead. But now. the physicians could 
treat the disease, and the plague was 
stayed. That was done in the spirit of 
Chi ist. — Peloubet. 

2681. When Dr. Schauffler was told by 
the Russian minister at Constantinople, 
"My master, the czar, will not let you 
put foot on that territory," Schauffler'a 
reply was, "My Master, the Lord Jesus 
Christ, will not ask the czar of all the 
Ittissians where he shall put his foot." 
— Canon Farrar. 

2C8o. A .sick soldier on furlough was 
sent to .Mount Mans field, Yt.. to light lor 
his health. Arriving at the hotel on the 
summit, he found all the rooms taken 
except one, and that was the poorest in 
the house. He did not complain, but, as he 
was obliged to lie in his bed the greater 
part of the day, the outlook was cheer- 
less to him. A New York schoolmistress 
hail the best room in the hotel, and had 
engaged it long in advance because of 
the grand view to be had from the win- 
dows. As soon as she heard of the sol- 
dier's assignment, she went to the clerk 
and asked to be moved from her mom 
and have the sic k soldier placed in it. 



She stipulated that her giving up the 
room for his sake should be kept a se- 
cret from the soldier, and that he 
should be left to think that some guest 
had departed and left it vacant. She 
left all her pictures, tidies, and little 
knickknacks that adorned the room, to 
make it look as homelike as possible, 
and she took the meaner room with its 
cheerless outlook, repaid by the thought 
that the sick man could lie in his bed 
and look down into the valley where 
Stowe nestled, or watch the distant 
mountains with their changing shadows. 

2686. There is David Livingstone, 
converted at twenty, thirty-two years a 
missionary in Africa, sleeping in West- 
minster Abbey amid the great of the 
English people. When I think of that 
man, decorated by geographical and 
scientific societies, honored by courts and 
parliaments, offered the freedom of cit- 
ies, and yet sleeping on the coarse, damp 
grass, eating bird seed and roots and 
African maize, forty times scorched with 
fever, his arm torn by the teeth of a 
lion — he stands before me transfigured 
like one of the tall angels whom Isaiah 
saw next the throne of God. There are 
three scenes in his life that are most 
prominent. One was when he turned 
away from his dear Mary's grave to find 
a balm for his broken heart in trying 
to redeem Africa. The second was when 
he thought he was going to be called 
home and his great heart protested. He 
said, "If I am to go on the shelf, let that 
shelf be Africa." And the third was 
when Stanley found him and tried to in- 
duce him to return; and although he 
was weak, he would but send messages 
back home and labor on for a little 
while and die on his knees in the atti- 
tude of prayer. David Livingstone gives 
us the lesson of an incarnated con- 
seiencc. a life swayed by the Spirit. — 
Bishop Galloway. 

2687. .lane Welch was the daughter of 
the bravest man Scotland ever knew. 
When her husband was exiled, she went 
to the king to plead for his return lest 
he should die in a distant land. "Aye. 
madam," said her sovereign, "one word 
and he shall come back to thee; bid him 
recant And she lifted her apron and 
said to her king. "Your Majesty, with 
all respect, I would rather catch his 
bead here." — Burred. 

2688. Faith kindles courage. The offi- 
cers of an exploring vessel In the Arctic, 
hemmed in and Imprisoned by masses of 
ice. could read in the sky cnc li morning 
thai the open sen lay not fur avvuv s,, 

the Christian's vision of lies Ten makes 
him brave. 

268IJ. The- lepers lived on the Island "'. 



The Christian Life. 



— 378 — 



Courage. Self-Sacrifice. Heroism. 



Molokai without authority or moral re- 
straint; there was no doctor among 
them; they all lived together in grass 
huts. There was no church on the 
island. Father Damien consoled the dy- 
ing hours of two thousand lepers; he 
brought to them a church and a library; 
he built for them white-washed cottages, 
and showed them how to plant gardens, 
for eleven years he was the only clean 
man in all that crowd of rotting men. 
Then the disease smote him, and the 
sacrifice of the man was complete. 
After four long years of agony, to use 
his own expression, he "toiled up hir, 
Golgotha." On a spring day in 1889 
the welcome angel of death came. 
Many had never heard of him. But 
when he died every paper in the _ civil- 
ized world told the story of his life, 
and a wave of profound emotion 
stirred the hearts of the nations. You 
can not hide the man who serves. 
Self-sacrifice is sure certificate of great- 
ness. When the millionaires and war- 
riors of the nineteenth century are for- 
gotten, the leper priest of Molokai will 
still lovingly be remembered on earth. 
— N. McGee Waters, D. D. 

2690. It is an April evening in 1521. 
Torches have been lighted. As Luther 
goes in to appear before the Emperor 
of Germany, the greatest general of th" 
empire taps him on the shoulder and 
says; "My poor monk, my poor monk, 
you are on the way to make such a 
stand as I have never made in my 
toughest battles." The Emperor, the 
Electors and princes of Germany are 
there. In front of the King, on a table, 
are piled the books which this monk of 
Wittenberg has written. Luther was 38 
years old. He has condemned the er- 
rors of the Church, and is asked to re- 
cant. The Emperor haughtily demands 
an answer without horns, plain. Wheth- 
er he will retract what he has said con- 
tradicting the decision of Councils. 
Luther steps forward and briefly an- 
swers, "Since your imperial Majesty re- 
quires a plain answer I will give you 
one without horns or hoofs. It is this: 
I must be convinced either by the testi- 
mony of the Scriptures or by clear ar- 
gument. I cannot trust the pope or 
councils for both have erred. I cannot 
and will not retract." An awful silence 
falls upon them all. And then the Au- 
gustinian monk continues: "I can do 
nothing else. Here I stand. So help 
me God. Amen". 

2691. On August 14, Rasalama, the 
first martyr of the Church of Madagas- 
car, was borne to the fatal spot of exe- 
cution, a high cliff, down which the 
Christians were thrown. Rasalama 



calmly knelt on the earth, committed 
her spirit into the hands of her Re- 
deemer, and fell with the executioner's 
spears buried in her body. The heath- 
en executioners declared: "There is 
some charm in the religion of the white 
people, which takes away the fear of 
death." Most of her more intimate 
companions were either in prison or 
concealment; but one faithful and lov- 
ing friend, who witnessed her calm and 
peaceful death, when he returned ex- 
claimed, "If I might die as tranquil and 
happy a death, I would willingly die for 
the Savior too." Just before her mar- 
tyrdom, Rasalama wrote a letter to one 
of the missionaries who had taught her, 
in which she said, "This is what I beg 
most earnestly from God — that I may 
have strength to follow the words of 
Jesus who says: 'If any one would come 
after me, let him deny himself, and take 
up his cross, and follow me.' Therefore 
I do not count my life as a thing worth 
mentioning, that I may finish my course, 
that is, the service which I have re- 
ceived from my Lord Jesus. . . . Don't 
you missionaries think that your hard 
work here in Madagascar for the Lord 
has been, or will be, of no avail. No, 
that is not and cannot be the case; for 
through the blessing of God your work 
must be successful." — Missionary Com- 
ments. 

2692. A father was an officer in the 
Union Army, whose son was a subaltern. 

He called his son; wrote out an order, 
and handed it to him, saying, "Deliver 
this to the general away down on 
the firing line." The young man placed 
the message under his belt, mounted 
his horse, and rode away. The enemy's 
bullets flew thick and fast while he 
made the dangerous ride. He drove the 
spurs into the flanks of his gallant steed, 
and went with iron nerve to deliver the 
message. The father stood and watched, 
and waited, and wondered, while that 
strange conflict raged in his soul that 
must take place where the father and 
the officer are one person, and the son 
and subaltern the other, and that son 
exposed to danger by the father's com- 
mand. At last the son rode back into 
his father's presence on his foam-cov- 
ered steed, and dismounted. The father 
threw his arms about his boy's neck, 
and said, "My son, I did not want you 
killed, but I had to send a man that I 
could trust." So God's bravest and best 
soldiers are in the hard places. — "The 
Changeless Christ." 

2693. Melvin plucked his sovereign, 
Charles Stuart, by the sleeve in Scot- 
land, and said: "Sire", — the king had 
refused the right of assembly to the 



The Christian Life. 



— 379 — Courage. Self-Sacrifice. Heroism. 



people and old Melvin said to him, "Sire, 
Sire, thou hast forgot that there is a 
king born in Scotland in these last days 
before whom all the Stuarts and all 
others who rule by a quasi jus divine 
must doff their bonnets and bow down." 

"Who is this sir?" 

"King people, sire." 

2694. A young man in a London om- 
nibus noticed the blue ribbon total ab- 
stinence badge on a fellow-passenger's 
coat, and asked him in a bantering tone, 
"How much he got" for wearing it. 

"That I cannot exactly say," replied 
the other, "but it costs me about £20,- 
000 a year." 

The wearer of the badge was Freder- 
ick Charrington, son of a rich brewer, 
and the intended successor in his fa- 
ther's business. He had been convinced 
of the evil of the ale and beer trade and 
refused to continue in it. though it 
would have brought him an income of 
£20,000 a year. 

lie preferred a life of Christian phil- 
anthropy to a career of m<mey-ma£dng, 
and his activity soon made him known 
through the kingdom as a most success- 
ful temperance evangelist. His work, 
organized in the tent-meeting on Mile 
End road, has grown steadily for thirty 
years, and now fills "the largest mission 
hall in the world." 

2695. On one of the early Christian 
monuments at Home there is an epitaph 
of a young military officer, declaring 
that he whose name is graved thereon 
"deemed himself to have lived ions 
enough when he shed his blood for 
Christ." 

2(>9f>. A good many years ago I was 
stopping in a home in the West, and 
saw there a bright hoy of thirteen. He 
didn't bear the name of the family he 
was living with, and yet was treated 
like one of the family. I asked the lady 
of the house who he was, and she said: 
"lie i- the son of a missionary. His par- 
ents couldn't educate their children in 
India, so they came back here. But 
they had learned the language of India, 
and they did not feel that It was right 
for them to stay. Finally the husband 
said: 'You stay here and educate the 
children and I will go back.' The 
mother said: 'No. God has used me 
there with you and we will go together.' 
'But', the father said, 'you can't give 
up those children. You never have been 
separated from them since they were 
born. You can't leave them In this 
country and go back.' She said: •! can 
do it for Christ, if he wants me to.' " 

They made it a matter of prayer. 
Then that mother came down and took 
her boy to her bosom, huKged him and 



kissed him with a smile on her face — 
not a tear, and left. She went to five 
homes in the same way. She went back 
to India, but only lived a year and then 
went to meet her Lord .and Master. 
Some years afterward I was preaching 
in Hartford and found a young man" 
who was in the habit of picking up the 
rough boys of the streets and bringing 
them to my meetings. He would sit 
with them around him, and after the 
sermon would try to lead those boys to 
Christ. It pleased me very much and I 
asked who he was. They told me his 
name and said that he was in the theo- 
logical seminary. I found that he was 
one of those live sons and all of them 
expected to return to India to take up 
I the work that their father and mother 
had left. There is no account of that in 
history, but it is known up there in 
heaven. 

2097. Astronomers tell us that in the 
distant past the substance of the moon 

I formed a part of the earth, and that 
in the course of cosmic changes, it was 
thrown out into space, diminishing the 
earth's size. But it is the moon upon 
which the earth depends to illumine its 
darkness. So the deeds that cost us 
self-denial wiH some day come back in 
benediction for our own lives. 

2098. When that extraordinary man. 
— perhaps the most Inspiring leader of 
men in our generation, — General Ann- 
strong, was first undertaking his work 
for the negroes in Virginia, he wrote a 
letter to a friend in the North, saying: 
"Dear Miss Ludlow: If you care to sail 
into a good hearty battle, where there Is 
no scratching and pin-pricking. but 
great guns and heavy shot only used, 
come here. If you like to lend a band 
when a good cause is short-handed, 
come here." Could any brave man or 
woman resist a call like that? It was 
a call to arms, a summons to a good 
soldier of Jesus Christ. — Prof. Francis 
G. Peabody. 

2099. When the noble-hearted Chris- 
tian. Captain Allan Gardiner, was dying 
of slow starvation on the desolate shores 
of Plctou Island, he yet painted on tin- 
entrance of the cavern which was his 
only shelter, a hand pointing down- 
ward to the WOrdfl "My soul, wall thou 
still upon God, for my hope is in him." 
Near that mute, pathetic symbol of un- 
shaken trust his skeleton was found. 
To die of hunger on an Antarctic shore 
among savages, not one of whom he had 
succeeded ill con vert i ng — could any- 
thing look like a deadlier failure': And 
yet from timt heroic death of faithful 

anuiilsh hit*, sprung the ".real Anicrl it i 

mission. 



The Christian Life. 



— 380 — Courage. Self-Sacrifice. Heroism. 



2700. Albert Spechbaeher, a Tyrolese, 
ten years old, in a war with the French, 
saved his village by throwing himself 
upon a partly sawed-through log, across 
a deep ravine, over which the enemy 
was about to cross, and hurling it, and 
himself, onto the rocks below. 

2701. Descending from the platform, 
the executioners of John Huss snatched 
the chalice from his hand, saying, "O, 
cursed Judas! Since thou hast aban- 
doned the counsels of peace and art of 
the same mind with the Jews, we take 
from thee this cup filled with our Lord's 
blood." "My trust is in the liord God 
Almighty." was his reply. "My hope is 
in his mercy, for whose name's sake I 
patiently suffer this blasphemy." 

2702. An English Colonel in India 
said; "In the first charge of my cavalry 
in battle, I always tremble into courage 
and self-recollection." 

2703. During the German struggle 
for liberty in the first decade of the 
nineteenth century, it is said that eleven 
Prussian officers were seized by the 
French and condemned to be shot. After 
commending their souls to God and giv- 
ing a cheer for their king, the command 
to fire was given, and ten of the eleven 
fell dead. The survivor, a mere lad of 
twenty, was only wounded in the arm, 
and a suggestion was made that the 
young Prussian be pardoned, but he 
checked it by replying, "No pardon! No 
pardon! Aim better, my men. Here is 
my heart, and it is beating for my king!" 
The guns were reloaded, the second 
command was given, and the loyal sub- 
ject of his monarch joined his comrades 
in the trench of the dead. "His heart 
was beating for his king," and that 
meant his life. 

2704. "England expects every man to 
do his duty." This signal was hoisted 
by Lord Nelson, the English command- 
er, just before the battle off Cape Tra- 
falgar. It was greeted with great cheer- 
ing on the part of the sailors, and the 
battle was a complete victory for the 
English. In the midst of the battle 
Lord Nelson was struck in the shoulder 
by a musket ball. He was carried be- 
low, and when his wound was examined 
by the surgeon, it was pronounced mor- 
tal. He died a few hours after, without 
a groan. 

2705. In Pekin there was a young 
Chinaman who had been for a time a 
pupil in the mission. He begged the 
missionaries to give him some Christian 
work to do. They fitted him out with 
a colporteur's pack, and from that time 
on he gave himself to the task of carry- 
ing Bibles out into the country places. 



s In the course of his journeyings he 
learned much of the Boxers. He lis- 
tened in order to be able to help his 
friends, ,the missionaries. The hour 
came. It was June 13th, the day of one 
of the early massacres. The young col- 
porteur himself was in a place of safety, 
but others were not. He hurried into 
the city to give warning. So far as is 
known, all whom he warned escaped; 
but it was too late to save himself. The 
infuriated mob surrounded him. "Are 
you a Christian?" they asked. "I am," 
he replied, and straightway began to 
preach. They beat him upon the head 
and mouth to silence him, but still the 
eager words came. Finally,, they killed 
him with the most horrible tortures. 
He died with his Master's name on his 
lips. — Youths Companion. 

2706. The prophet has been in all 
ages, and is now, the minister of liberty, 
of righteousness. There have been Chris- 
tian prophets as well as Hebrew 
prophets. Such was St. Ambrose, closing 
the doors of Milan Cathedral on the 
mighty Theodosius, when he came red- 
handed from the massacre of Thessa- 
lonica. Such was Wycliff, giving to 
England on open Bible. Such was John 
Huss, freeing Bohemia from traditional 
falsehoods. Such was Luther, breaking 
the yoke of oppression. Such was Bish- 
op Ken, rebuking Charles II. for his 
unrepented sins. Such was Wesley, 
startling the slumber of faithless Eng- 
land. Such was Howard, purging the 
prisons of their cruel horrors. Such 
was Lord Shaftesbury, making his 
friends of the humblest, and the most 
castaway. Such was Clarkson, purging 
his country from the horror of slavery. 

Such have been in all ages, all good 
and brave men, who disdained to ^ell 
truth for advantage, or to palter with 
God for gold; who did the thing, and 
scorned the consequence. — Farrar. 

2707. During the Boxer riots the 
Boxers tested the native Christians they 
had seized. Drawing a rude cross upon 
the ground, they called on their prison- 
ers to trample it under foot, offering 
life and freedom to those who did so, 
and death to those who refused. In 
that hour of terror some fell from a 
scarcely grasped faith, but many thou- 
sands — men, women and children — 
could not bring themselves to pvit a 
contemptuous foot on the rudest symbol 
of the holy passion of their Redeemer, 
and they died unflinchingly. 

2708. During John Adam's adminis- 
tration, there was trouble between the 
United States and France, and a war 
was feared. This country was not 

I strong enough then to engage in a war 



The Christian Life. 



— 381 — 



Courage. Self-Sacrifice. Heroism. 



with France, and Charles C. Pinckney 
was one of the ambassadors sent to 
France to try to adjust the difficulties. 
While at the French court, he was in- 
formed that in order to secure peace 
the United States must make a loan to 
the French government and pay secret 
bribes to the members of the French 
Directory, which was then the ruling 
power in France. It was then that 
Charles C. Pinckney uttered these fa- 
mous words in reply to this insulting 
demand, "Millions for defence, but not 
one cent for tribute." Affairs were soon 
after settled when Napoleon Bonaparte 
overcame the French Directory, and a 
new agreement was made with the 
United States. 

2709. When General O. O. Howard 

was a cadet at West Point, the other 
cadets laughed at him because he would 
go to church and Sunday-school. After 
he had been many years a brave soldier 
he said that his companions' laughing 
and making fun had been harder to 
face than all the shot and shell of the 
battle. But he said: I gripped my Bi- 
ble, shut my teeth, and went for moth- 
er's sake." Any boy who means to be 
true to his mother's teachings and to 
the Lord will some time have to stand 
alone. But that is God testing him. If 
he stands firm, he can do something fine 
with his life. 

2710. I was crossing the shoulder of 
one of the lower Alps, the Furren Alp, 
whose bold, rocky head looks down into 
the lovely valley of Engleberg. My 
guide-book told me that I should 
reach a place where the visible track 
would cease, but it vouchsafed no 
further information. I reached the 
place, and with the place the end 
of a beaten road. For a time 
I wandered about uncertainly, guided 
only by the somewhat vague and capri- 
cious counsel of a compass. And then 
I caught sight of what seemed like a 
splash of blood upon a rock, and then 
at some little distance another rock 
similarly splashed, each one I came to 
bringing into view another further 
away. And then I inferred that these 
were to be my dumb guides across the 
trackless waste. I was to follow the 
blood marks I By the red road I should 
reach my destination! Those rod marks 
upon the Furren Alp brought me back 
to myself, to my ministry, and to my 
people. I seemed to see more clearly 
than I had ever seen before that the 
only wise and safe course for them and 
for me and for all men. in the midst of 
our trackless years, is to follow the red 
mark-, and lo pursue the sacrificial life. 
"If any man will come after me," let 



him follow the red road. "Let him de- 
ny himself, and take up his cross daily, 
and follow me." — Congregationalist. 

2711. On one occasion old John 
Howie, (the father-in-law of James, 
and the great-great-grandfather of the 
author of "The Scots Worthies") had 
gone to bed, worn out with an attack of 
asthma, and fell asleep. He dreamed 
that lie was at Kilmarnock Cross, and 
heard General Dalzell give orders to a 
party of his men to go to Lochgoin and 
search for Pentland rebels. They com- 
pelled him to go with them as guide; 
and, after accompanying them two 
miles, one of the soldiers maltreated 
him so badly that he awoke. He again 
fell asleep, and again dreamed that he 
was acting as guide to the soldiers; and 
that, when they were crossing a water, 
one of them took him by the shoulders 
and pushed him into the stream. He 
awoke; but again fell asleep and again 
he dreamed that he was leading the 
soldiers; and that he accompanied them 
until "he came to his own hill-foot," 
where they again ill-treated him. He 
awoke for the third time, and was so 
impressed by the dream that he cried 
aloud to those who were sheltering in 
the house to look out. They ran to "a 
little height at the house-end", and, in 
the grey light of the morning, discerned 
the gleaming bayonets within forty falls 
of the house. They had just time to 
rush into a low-lying ground and moss, 
which led into a brook, under the banks 
of which they got out of sight. — Prince- 
ton Theological Review. 

2712. Isabel Howie, of the famous 
Scotch family, was a brave woman. On 
one occasion, when five of the sufferers 
had spent the whole night with her hus- 
band in prayer and conversation, they 
were surprised in the morning. The 
night had been very stormy, and, on that 
account, they felt the more secure. 
Suddenly the door was opened, and a 
sergeant, who had left his men outside, 
stepped in. Isabel Howie at once 
rushed up to him, and, exerting all her 
strength. pushed him backwards to- 
wards the door. In the struggle he fell, 
and the gun dropped out of his hand. 
The Covenanters ran into the byre, 
which communicated with the house, 
and emerged in two parties. James 
Howie and his son John leaving the byre 
by one of its two doors, and the rest 
leaving It by the other. The larger 
party had to run four or five miles in 
order to escape. From thai day. Isabel 
Howie was a marked woman; and many 
a cold night she had lo spend in a 
moss-hag with a young child al her 
breast. Before the Revolution CO! 16, 



The Christian Life. 



— 382 — 



Courage. Self-Sacrifice. Heroism. 



the house of Lochgoin had been plun- 
dered twelve times. — Princeton Theol. 
Review. 

2713. A more remarkable example of 
Christian courage and heroism has 

never been presented than that shown 
by Mrs. S. J. Brooks, the telephone 
operator of Folsom, N. M., in 1908, who, 
when warned by a resident of the hills 
to flee for her life from the flood speed- 
ing to engulf the valley, rejected the op- 
portunity to save herself and employed 
the hour that intervened between the 
warning received and her own death by 
drowning in calling up subscribers by 
telephone and acquainting them with 
their danger. More than forty families 
have already acknowledged their lives 
saved through the magnificent courage 
of one frail woman, whose lifeless body, 
with the telephone headpiece still ad- 
justed to her ears, was found twelve 
miles down the canyon. — Christian 
Work. 

2714. During the battle of Chancel - 
lorsville, to hold the advance of Gen. 
Stonewall Jackson with 25,000 men until 
Gen. Sickles could get his guns into po- 
sition, Major Keenan, of the Eighth 
Pennsylvania, with a few hundred cav- 
alry was ordered forward, to engage 
them. "You must hold them at any 
cost," said General Sickles. "I will," 
was his calm, smiling response, al- 
though he knew the order was his death 
warrant. Ten minutes later he was 
dead, and a good part of his regiment 
lay bleeding around him, but their 
charge had stayed the Confederate rush 
and accomplished its purpose, for 
Pleasanton was ready to sweep the 
ground with his artillery. 

2715. Chaplain McCabe told about a 
superannuated Methodist preacher, who 

was an officer thirty years ago and more 
at Missionary Ridge, who amid the rain 
of bullets and bursting of shell shouted 
to his soldiers, "Come on! Come on!" 
and they followed him in a glorious 
charge up the mountain. General 
Grant, who was present and looking on, 
said to General Sheridan: "Did you or- 
der that charge?" "No," said Sheridan; 
"they are doing it themselves." — Banks. 

2716. Several years ago there was an 
earthquake in Japan near the coast, and 
an old man who had been through 
earthquakes looked toward the sea and 
saw a wave 30 or 40 feet high rise up 
in the air and recede from the land. He 
ran out of the village to the high ground 
where the rice shocks were and set 
them afire. When the people saw the 
fields burning they rushed out, and, 
when some one accused him of being 



the incendiary, they were about to stone 
him, for the rice fields were their food, 
but he said, "Look," and as they looked 
back toward the village they saw it sub- 
merged by the waves. If the people had 
not come out to see their rice fields 
burn, they would all have been drowned. 
The old man was then the hero of the 
town. God sometimes has to attract 
our attention by treating us severely, to 
burn some things in our lives in order 
to save us from danger, to be severe in 
order to be gentle, and when we see his 
purpose in it we love him all the better 
for it. — Sunday School Times. 

2717. In 1483 Torquemada became 
Grand Inquisitor General of all Spain, 

and the organic laws of the new Tribu- 
nal were framed, which Inquisitor Gen- 
eral Valdez, in 15 61, brought to their 
final form. Appointed jointly by King 
and Pope, the inquis.itors-general be- 
came invested with absolute 1 power. 
Llorente estimates that under Torque- 
mada 8,800 were burned; under Seza, 
1,664; under Ximenes, 2,536. Prom 
1483 to 1808 — when Joseph Bonaparte 
abolished the Inquisition — the estimate 
is: burned alive, 31,912; burned in effi- 
gy, 17,659; subjected to various pains, 
penalties and penances, 291,450, a total 
number of victims reaching 323,362! — ■ 
Dr. A. J. Piersoni 

2718. Moffat, looking into the eyes of 
a savage, who threatened his life, calm- 
ly said, "We are resolved to abide by 
our post. . . . You may shed our blood 
or burn us out. . . . Then shall they 
who sent us know that we are persecut- 
ed indeed." Mrs. Moffat stood by with 
her babe in her arms. Moffat threw 
open his waistcoat, and said, "Now, 
then, if you will, drive your spears to 
my heart." The Lord again heard 
prayer. The chief was confounded. He 
shook his head significantly, and said 
to his followers, "These men must have 
ten lives when they are so fearless of 
death. There must be something in 
immortality." 

2719. Miss Liu Wen Lun, a teacher in 
the girls' school, and her widowed 
mother were seized by the Boxers. All 
were surprised that the teacher showed 
no signs of fear. She was given her 
choice either to recant or die. She re- 
plied: "I can never deny my precious 
Savior. You can kill me, but you can 
not compel me to deny Jesus and wor- 
ship false gods." Her body was hacked 
from head to feet in a shocking man- 
ner, and then thrown into a dry well. 
The mother is supposed to have been 
killed at the same time. 

2720. One night Coligny heard the 



The Christian Life. 



— 383 — 



Self-Seeking. Worldliness. 



sobs of his wife, the Lady Charlotte de 
Laval. "I regret," said she, "to disturb 
your rest. But think, my lord, that 
while we are reposing here in luxury, 
the bodies of our brethren, our own 
llesli and blood, are lying- in prisons, or 
in the fields, at the mercy of dogs and 
ravens. I tremble to think that your 
prudenc e may be worldly. Oh, my lord, 
the blood of our dead weighs heavily on 
my soul!" Coligny explained to her 
the difficulties of civil war, and added, 
"'Put your hand on your heart, and 
think if you would have the courage to 
endure flight, exile, shame, and hunger 
not only for yourself, but, what is worse, 
for your children; if you will suffer 
death by the hand of the public execu- 
tioner, after having seen your husband 
exposed to the mockery of the rabble, 
and your children servants to your bit- 
terest enemies. 1 give you three weeks 
to decide, and if your heart is strong 
enough to bear all this, then will I go 
and die with you and with your friends." 
Charlotte de Laval answered with these 
sublime words: "My lord, these three 
weeks are over!" Death was merciful 
to the heroic woman; it spared her most 
of the calamities of the civil war, and 
the direst of them all, the murder of 
her beloved 'ord. — Missionary Review. 

Worldliness. Self-Seeking. 

(2721-2761) 

2721. George Eliot, in "Romola" 
makes her heroine, in speaking of Tito 
to Lillo, give this quiet but remorseless 
analysis of bis selflsb life: "There was 
once a man. very near to me, who made 
all fond of him by his clever and beau- 
tiful manners. He had no thought at 
first of anything cruel or base. But be- 
cause he tried to slip away from every- 
thing unpleasant and cared for nothing 
else SO much a* I > i — . own comfort and 
ease, came at last to commit the basest 
deeds. Denied his father; betrayed 
every trust that he might keep himself 
-.ilc and comfortable. And yet calam- 
ity overtook I tim. 

What a piiliiic thai is of the self- 
seeking worldling. lie shuts out God, 
he lives for sclf-gratilicatiou. He shirks 
life's responsibilities. And he pays the 
price of character-deterioration, and 
final failure. 

2722. In the gorgeous ritual used In 
enthroning the pope-, there is a remark- 
able stage. When the wall that had 
closed the entrance where the college of 
cardinals had been electing the Pope, 
has been broken open and the voice of 
the clerk of the Holy College has been 
heard proclaiming the name of him who 



is to be Pope, a procession is formed to 
St. Peter's. As they pass up the aisle 
of that imposing building to where the 
throne is, there is a sudden pause. A 
priest suddenly appears, within his 
hand a reed and on it a bundle of flax. 
The lighted taper in his other hand is 
applied to it and in a moment the ashes 
have fallen at the feet of the supreme 
pontiff and you hear a sonorous voice 
say, "Pater Sancte, sic transit gloria 
mundi." (Holy Father, thus passcth 
the glory of the world). Three times 
this is done, and then the procession 
moves on. — Myers. 

2723. A man who had been a whaling 
captain, once when he was asked to give 
his heart to God he said, "Give God my 
heart? I have no heart. If you were 
able to dig down to the place where 
my heart ought to be you would find the 
image of a whale." 

2724. A ragged beggar was creeping 
along the street. He carried an old 
wallet, and asked every passer-by for 
a few cents. As he was grumbling at 
his lot, he kept wondering why it was 
that people who had so much were nev- 
er satisfied, but were always wanting 
more. "If I only had enough to eat and 
wear, I should be satisfied," said the 
beggar. 

Just at that moment Fortune came 
clown the street. She saw the beggar 
and stopped. She said to him: "Listen! 
I have long wished to help you. Hold 
out your wallet and I will pour this gold 
into it: all that falls upon the ground 
shall become dust. Do you understand?" 

"Oh, yes, I understand," said the 
beggar. 

"Then have a care," said Fortune; 
"your wallet is old." 

He opened the wallet quickly, and the 
yellow metal was soon pouring in. 

"Is that enough?" 

"Not yet," saia the beggar. 

"Isn't the wallet cracking?" asked 
Fortune. 

"Never fear. Just a little more." 

said the beggar; "add just another 
handful." 

Another handful was added, and the 
wallet burst from end to end. — The 

Round Table. 

2725. I remember well how disap- 
pointing was my first view of Italy. I 
landed at Brlndisl, a .straggling. Idle 
town, with crooked, dirty streets and 
ugly houses, huddled together. And I 
had heard of sunny Italy, vine-Clad 
Italy, the artist's Paradise — ah! but 
stop; I had not yet seen the sky. Walk- 
ing on through these forbidding streets, 
I c ame at last to the open, and ascended 
n iiill just in time to watch the glories 



The Christian Life. 



Self-Seeking. Worldliness. 



of the setting sun. Then I forgot Brin- 
disi; I forgot the scowling faces of the 
strange people, the whole face of na- 
ture was transformed for me, as I gazed 
on the sky, whose radiant splendors 
kissed every visible thing and made it 
beautiful, and made my heart leap up 
in wondering gratitude to him who 
made this world so fair. I think I know 
men who have no sky over their work. 
They see the curse, they feel the sweat, 
they hear the commands of hunge.- 
calling them forth morning after 
morning, and with their eyes bent over 
their work, they grind away like slaves 
until death sets them at liberty. But 
oh! my brothers, hear also the voice of 
the Lord! He cannot give you another 
work, perhaps, but he will give you a 
new commandment: "Do all to the 
glory of God." Take away from your 
work your covetousness and selfishness 
and let this glory fall on it. It has a 
splendor which will transform your old 
employments. — Rev. T. H. Lewis. 

2726. Two friends, driving along a 
country road on the Sabbath day, in the 
far South, met a negro carrying a fat 
'possum. They remonstrated with him 
that it was the Sabbath. He replied 
that "a religion that could not bend 
enough to permit a negro to kill a fat 
'possum on the Sabbath day couldn't be 
'stablished round here noway!'' Many 
people desire a religion that will bend. 
But the type of religion that wins re- 
spect does not bend. The really great 
men are rigid on questions of right and 
wrong. Those who do ou-r best work 
will bend their knees oft; their religion 
never. — East and W.est. 

2727. A man puts on a life-preserver 
in the billows, and so some souls put on 
faith. But there is many a one who no 
more thinks of carrying faith into his 
counting-house, than of wearing a life- 
preserver in his parlor. — H. S. Carpen- 
ter. 

2728. Faith's noblest office is to de- 
tach us from the present. — Maclaren. 

Burke once said that he would not 
give a peck of refuse wheat for all that 
is called fame in this world. 

2729. If I divide my time, my 
strength, and my means between these 
worldly things and the service of Jesus 
Christ, by a well-known law I simply 
neutralize the good by the evil; nay, 
even worse, for a little folly destroys 
much good, as a single particle of per- 
manganate will deeply tinge a glass 
of water clear as crystal. 

2730. The world is like a cavern near 
Naples, in which there are poisonous 
gases. The carbonic acid gas, however, 



being heavier than the common air, 
sinks to within a foot or two of the 
ground. If a man walks upright, he will 
be unharmed. But if he stoops down, 
in a few minutes death would ensue. 

2731. Selfishness is the silver veil that 
covered the distorted and horrible fea- 
tures of Mokanna. It is the royal robe 
that covered the emperor who was a 
leper. It is not a visible crime, like 
murder, or lying, or lust, but it is qwite 
as deadly a crime to the soul. It shows 
a heart utterly contrary to heaven and 
to God, utterly unfit for heaven, em- 
bodying in itself the seeds- of all sins 
and crimes, the very fuel which kindles 
the flames of hell. 

2732. Many a professing Christian 
would be surprised to see his life as it 
appears to others who come in contact 
with him. He might repeat the experi- 
ence related in the following from "The 
Tatler" (London): "An Oxford don, 
more highly esteemed for intellectual 
activity than modesty, was asked to 
speak into a phonograph. A little later 
the machine was turned on again, and 
he was requested to listen to his own 
voice. He listened in silence, then 
turned to the company. 'It is very 
strange!' he said, in a tone of mingled 
surprise and resentment. 'I can't un- 
derstand it, but through this machine I 
am made to speak in a peculiarly bump- 
tious and affected manner!' '' 

2733. Henry Ward Beecher has a 
quaint illustration of this idea of an evil 
motive spoiling all — even the loveliest 
actions. "I noticed", he said, "a vagrant 
spider taking a morning-glory, in full 
bloom, and spinning his web over the 
mouth of it. And there never was a 
prettier nest in this world — a nest more 
richly gemmed with beauty — than this 
was. But, after all, it was the same 
spider, whether he lay in the dark hole 
at the corner of the trellis or in the 
blossom of that exquisite flower. Now, 
selfishness may weave its web in the 
dusky places or in the hideous-looking 
recesses of a man's disposition or about 
the mouths and graces of sweet affec- 
tions; but it is the same selfishness, after 
all." 

2734. The Nardoo plant of Australia 
closely resembles flour, but it lacks its 
nutritive properties, and those who feed 
on it, though insensitive to hunger, slow- 
ly starve to death. So it is with the 
world-centered soul. 

2735. The highest service which we 
can render to God in ourselves and 
through the lives of our fellow-men is 
simply but strenuously to live, in the 
fear and love of God and without self- 



The Christian Life. 



— 385 - 



Self-Seeking. Worldliness. 



consciousness or needless anxieties as to 
effects, the life which, in its main out- 
lines, circumstances have prescribed to 
us. 

2736. A self-centered life will always 
be a disturbed life, because it is a life 
out of poise. Everything is centripetal. 
There is nothing to prevent a whole uni- 
verse of friction from crushing and 
wearing upon the soul. Attention, in- 
terest, affection — all center on self. No 
wonder there is distress. The cure is 
normal action — action in the interest of 
others. And the supreme motive for 
action is love. Get in love with sonic- 
thing, or somebody; lose yourself in 
some absorbing effort to better the life 
of j r our fellows, and in that absorption 
shall come balance, immunity and 
peace. — Congregationalism 

27:57. Sensitiveness — which is one 
pha>c of selfishness — is a source of 
much unhappiness in the world. We 
have sometimes thought that the volume 
of this suffering might be decidedly re- 
duced if the sufferers could only be 
brought to see that oversensitiveness in- 
stead of being a virtue, the mark of re- 
finement and breeding, is in reality a 
somewhat offensive species of egotism. 
It assumes that others are going to the 
trouble to remember our little whim- 
sicalities and to snub us for them, when 
as a matter of fact, other people are 
like ourselves, thinking of themselves 
alone. The man who thinks himself to 
be the center of the world will find the 
world a cold and cruel one. It does 
not revolve around him; indeed, it is un- 
aware of him. His thin skin and his 
sufferings are matters neither of satis- 
faction nor of sympathy. The world is 
busy. 

27:'»8. In the early centuries — the 
times of martyrdom and of hardships — 
the preacher could set heaven over 
against earth and appeal to them on the 
ground of its inducements. Not so now. 
Karth is attractive, and holds out 
counter inducements which cast their 
spell over men's hearts. — President 
Tucker. 

27:*.!). Wealth Increasing with start- 
ling rapidity. In the "Missionary Review 
of the World" is the following state- 
ment: "In 1850 the whole wealth of the 
country was $7,000,000,000. The prod- 
ucts of the soil. In 1908, amounted to 
$7,778,000,000, or more than the whole 
country was worth In 1850. But not 
only is the sum total rapidly increasing, 
but it is increasing more and more rap- 
Idly. From 1800 to 1890 the average 
daily increase over all consumption was 
$4,000,000. From 1890 to 1900 it was 
$6,400,000, and from 1900 to 1904 it was 
r> Prnc III. 



$13,000,000. In all this vast increase of 
wealth in the hands of men various mo- 
tives are at work, and according to the 
motive which actuates men in their 
money making, so will it be a blessing 
or a curse to those engaged in its ac- 
quisition. 

2740. "My life has been a failure." 
said a celebrated French Marshall, after 
devoting his best years to the world. 

2741. On the bank of an Indian river, 
so the fable runs, a stork was one day 
busilj hunting for slugs and snails. A 
swan dropped down beside him, and he 
was delighted with her beauty. "Where 
did you come from?" asked the stork. 
"From heaven, far above the moun- 
tains," said the swan. "Is it a good 
place to live?" "Oh, it is beautiful far 
beyond this," was the reply. "Do they 
have any snails there?" asked the stork. 
"No. incjeed," said the swan, with an ex- 
pression of disgust. "Oh, well. then. I 
don't care to go there," was the delib- 
erate reply. How many, many of this 
earth are in love with low and sensual 
pleasures, and will prefer them even to 
the joys of a beautiful heaven. They 
prefer snails! 

27 12. Every life of religious ease has 
its nemesis. It will lose what little 
possessions it has and finally be cast out 
into utter darkness. Unused gifts de- 
cay, unappreciated privileges depart, un- 
improved opportunities withdraw. 
Those who are complacent with their 
own spiritual attainments will lose the 
little spirituality they have; those who 
are satisfied with an unprogressive, sta- 
tionary church will soon find their 
church an ecclesiastical skeleton stag- 
gering to its grave; those who are un- 
concerned about the social mission of 
the church and are happy to be shut 
up in their own little ark, will soon And 
a leak in the boat that will send it to 
the bottom. — -The Interior. 

2743. Passionate ambition. Mahomet 

II summoned his grand Vizier to his 
bedside at dead of night and bade him 
"give" him "Constantinople", saying; 
"Do you sec this pillow? All night long 
I have tossed on it. \Yc must become 

masters of Constantinople." — Gibbon. 

274 1. Some one. one day. went to a 
wealthy Invalid with an appeal lor help 

for a family who were in distress. 
"These people are suffering from cold 
and hunger. "I am sure I don't see how 
they can be suffering from the cold, 
when the weather is so pleasant." said 
the invalid, looking complacently about 
hex own cheerful, well-heated room. 
So long as she had every comfort her- 
self, it was dilliciili for her to realize 



The Christian Life. 



— 386 — 



Self-Seeking. Worldliness. 



that others were suffering. So, today, 
there are those who are living in the 
blaze of Gospel light who seem to for- 
get that all the world is not thus fa- 
vored. 

2745. The best preacher in New York 
is a silent man. You may see him 
standing on the corner of Broadway and 
facing the multitudes that hurry past, 
preaching without a word or gesture. 
His hands are bound behind his back; 
his lips are sealed. It is only his atti- 
tude that speaks; but what a sermon! 
"Men and women of the jostling crowd, 
what seek ye? Wealth is yellow dust 
that will presently sift through your 
stiff fingers! Pleasure is like a snow- 
flake in the river, a moment white, then 
gone forever! Honor is a wreath of lau- 
rel that fades with the setting sun! 
Pause and consider the things that are 
worth while because they endure! Live 
today that ye may live forever*!" It is 
a bronze figure of Nathan Hale, the pa- 
triot spy. — David James Burrell, D. D. 

2746. By the side of a country road 
stands a large elm. The mistletoe has 
fixed on its branches. This wintry 
weather the mysterious parasite is the 
only green thing about the tree, from 
which it steals its sustenance. The seeds 
of the mistletoe have a glutinous qual- 
ity; they adhere where' they fall, sprout 
and send down rootlets that pierce to 
the sap of the tree. Thus it feeds and 
grows. This dwarf shrub is not a graft, 
it is an alien growth. It has nothing 
in common with the lordly tree on which 
its paltry, stiff plumes nutter. I often 
go that road for the serious lessons the 
mistletoe suggests. I look up at the 
sinister growth that benefits nothing, 
and think of the evil habits that get 
fastened on men to their injury — Rev. 
S. C. Baldridge. 

2747. A selfish man is a Dead Sea, 
and wants all things to be inlets without 
any outlets; but a character, like a 
sweet-water lake, must have outlets as 
well as inlets. His life is an interesting 
study for his likeness to the Dead Sea. 
Dr. T. S. McPherson. 

2748. The devil seeks to do with our 
works what he is thought by the High- 
landers of Scotland to have done with a 
peculiar plant which grows among the 
heather. The roots of this plant termin- 
ate so abruptly that it looks as if all the 
ends had been cut off, and so the saying 
is that this was the work of the devil, 
who bit off all the ends because they 
possessed a healing virtue. Certainly 
this is his manner of working in the 
world. He will not very much object to 
your beginning many good things, if you 
stop short in the middle and bring them 



to no abiding issue. You can make as 
many good resolutions as you please if 
you never put them into practice. You 
may launch a hundred religious and be- 
nevolent schemes for reaching the mas- 
ses at home and the heathen abroad if 
you give them up in petulant discontent 
at the first discouragement. You may 
have the soundest creed in Christendom 
if in your life it is a dead letter. In 
short, if you allow Satan to bite off the 
ends of your good works, he will 
make you welcome to all the beginnings. 
— MacKay. 

2749. "One must live!" I see no such 
necessity. The time will come when 
you must die, and if you can't live with- 
out doing wrong it is plain that for you 
that tune has come. For we do not 
know that God wants you to live, but 
we do know that he does not want you 
to do evil. Do not think that this is a 
mere play upon words. How many of 
the glorious army of martyrs might 
have lived if they had only compro- 
mised. When brought before their 
judges the decisive question invariably 
was; "Are you a Christian?*' "Yes" 
meant fire, or stake, or sword, or the 
lion's gory mane. "No" meant instant 
deliverance. The truth meant death; a 
lie meant life. Is any trial that has 
ever come upon you to be compared for 
a moment to that? Then never again 
urge as an excuse for worldly practices 
this word — "One must live." 

2750. A bubble is bigger than a drop, 
but it does no more to fill the spring, 
for bubbles are but drops distended. 
Bubbles of pride, bubbles of hypocrisy 
and self-assertion, bubbles of outward 
seeming unhelped by inward worth, 
shine on the surface of the river of 
time, until God's finger touches them 
and they are gone. — The Congregation- 
al ist. 

2751. It was one of the conceits of 
ancient poetry that the oarsman, 
Charon, was permitted on one occasion 
to visit the earth. From a lofty moun- 
tain top he looked down upon the cities 
and palaces and works of man. As he 
went away, he said, "All these people 
are spending their time in just building 
birds' nests. No wonder they fail and 
are ashamed." Building birds' nests to 
be swept away in the floods, when they 
might be erecting palaces of immortal 
beauty to dwell in forever. — J. R. Miller, 
D. D. 

2752. Dr. Guthrie preached a sermon 
from the words, "Demas hath forsaken 
me", having loved this present evil 
world." He presented Demas as a pirato 
hung in chains, alluding to the old Eng- 



— 387 — 



Self-Seeking. Worlcliiness. 



lish custom of erecting along the bor- 
ders of the Thames piles of timber, in 
the form of huge cages some forty or 
fifty feet high, in which pirates were 
hung up until the flesh dropped from 
their bones, and the bones fell asunder, 
leaving the chains dangling and clank- 
ing among the wooden bars: a loud and 
lasting warning to every tar who sailed 
up or down the stream as to the fate of 
any man who might be convicted of 
piracy on the high seas. — Irvine. 

2753. There Is but one lake on the 
surface of the globe from which there 
is no outlet, and that is the Dead Sea, 
which receives much, but gives nothing. 
Such a lake is a perfect illustration of 
a church all whose efforts terminate up- 
on itself. Around it there will be deso- 
lation, and 'in it there will be no life. — 
William M. Taylor, D. D. 

2754. I saw once, lying side by side in 
a great workshop, two heads made of 
metal. The one was perfect: all the 
features of a noble, manly face came 
out clear and distinct in their lines of 
strength and beauty; in the other scarce- 
ly a single feature could be recognized: 
it was all marred and spoiled. "The 
metal bad been let grow a little too cool, 
sir," said the man who was showing 
it to me. I could not help thinking how 
true that was of many a form more pre- 
cious than metal. Many a young soul 
that might be stamped with the image 
and superscription of the King, while 
warm with the love and glow of early 
youth, is allowed to grow too cold, and 
the writing is blurred and the image is 
marred. — Canon Shore. 

2755. There are so many people who 
cannot enjoy amusements without a dash 
of wickedness in them! A representa- 
tive Frenchwoman held aloft a glass of 
pure water in her jewelled hand at a 
banquet, and thus moralized: "Oh, if it 
were only a little wicked to sip that 
water, how sweet it Mould taste!" So 
many seem to think that a spice of sin 
sweetens the taste of pleasure! 

2756. Speaking in connection with an- 
other subject. Dr. W. L. Watkinson says: 
"Practical men say that there is no bar- 
ricade like snow. A bullet fired from a 
distance of fifty yards will not penetrate 
a wall of snow six feet thick; whereas 
the same bullet passes through dense 
earthworks and shatters trees when dis- 
charged from a much greater distance. 
The trick of tlx- -nmv Is all Its own. It 
greets the missile with disarming cour- 
tesy, lulls It with a caress, kills it with a 
kiss. Strangely enough the fairy flakes 
are more effectual than solid cores of 
■wood or steel. In this same way the 



spirit of worldliness lulls, disarms, re- 
pels all the approaches of the Spirit, 
and the influence emanating from the 
other world. 

2757. There is danger in worldly ab- 
sorption. The native Peruvians derided 
their Spanish conquerors for building 
massive houses, for in the earthquakes 
of Peru, more lives are lost from the 
falling of heavy objects than from any 
other cause. 

2758. Caligula spent four hundred 
thousand dollars for one supper. The 

ordinary cost of a banquet of Lucullus 
was one hundred thousand dollars. 
Croesus was worth only about seven- 
teen millions, which is about the yearly 
income of one man in America. And 
he was no more happy than Xerxes, 
who, not content with enormous armies 
and fleets and wealth that was fabulous, 
offered a reward to the inventor of a 
new pleasure. 

2759. Off Cape Horn we witnessed a 
very singular sight. For some miles 
there was a narrow strip of water, 
where the great waves flew in broken 
spray, and dashed high over the ship. 
On either side the sea was comparative- 
ly calm, whilst this boiled with fury, 
rolling and singing. Yet there was no 
rock about which the sea surged, nor 
was there any such fierce wind as to ac- 
count for it. Overhead the air was 
thick with sea-fowl. Thousands of 
birds dived into this troubled water. 
The smaller fish were, I suppose, flung 
up by the toss, and thus fell a prey to 
the birds. I asked naturally what was 
the reason of this strange sight, and 
found it was the point at which the tide 
met the strong current of the sea, and 
here they raged together. Within the 
tide only ran and it was calm. Without 
the current prevailed and there too was 
calm. On this troubled bit they met 
and neither prevailed. It Is the picture 
of those who are at once too religions 
to belong to the world — too worldly to 
belong to religion: torn by both and sat- 
islied by neither. — .Mark Guy I'curse. 

27ii<). The noises of the world drown 
the voice of God. While on Broadway, 
New York, I have often heard the 
chimes of Trinity Church pour out their 
music at noonday. But I have noticed 
thai very few of the busy crowds on the 

street followed the music. TOO many 
sounds dispute with the chimes the pos- 
session of the ear. I have tried to fol- 
low the sacred song pealing through the 
air, but note after note was lost in the 
roar of the city, and in the noise and 
rattle of the wheels of commerce. The 
song was broken Into a hundred un- 



The Christian Life. 



— 388 — 



Drifting. 



meaning parts. There are hours, how- 
ever, when the chimes in the Trinity 
steeple are heard in all their power and 
emphasis without a break. These are 
the midnight hours of solitude. There 
is no difficulty in hearing and enjoying 
the anthems on Christmas night, or on 
that night each year when the bells ring 
out the old -year and ring in the new. — 
Hall. 

2761. All is vanity. Bagehot, writing 
of Lady Mary Wortley Montague, de- 
scribes this inner weariness. "Society is 
good," says the woman of fashion, "but 
I have seen society. What is the use 
of talking or of hearing bon mots ? I have 
done both till I am tired of doing either. 
I have laughed till I have no wish to 
laugh again, and made others laugh till 
I have hated them for being such fools. 
As for instruction, I have seen the men 
of genius of my time, and they tell me 
nothing of what I want to know. They 
are choked with intellectual frivolities." 

Spiritual Indifference. Drifting. 

(2762-2795) 

2762. The city of Adria, in Northern 
Italy, which was at the beginning of the 
Christian era so famous as a seaport that 
it gave its name to the Adriatic Sea, is 
now sixteen miles inland. There was a 
time when the waters of the sea, throw- 
ing their rippling waves upon the banks, 
sung a continual song for the listening 
ears of Adria. The unchanging sea 
tempered the heat, and at evening time 
its breezes cooled the brow heated by 
the toil of the day. Ships bearing sup- 
plies of food daily entered the harbor. 
But now all has changed. The debris 
from the mountains and valleys around 
has filled the harbor and driven the 
waters back and the sea, which was 
once the joy and comfort and source of 
supply for the city, is now sixteen miles 
away. The experience of Adria is that 
of many Christians. There was a time 
when God's grace was a continual 
source of joy and comfort and supply. 
But slowly and imperceptibly the world 
was carried into the channels of the 
life, and the sea of God's grace was 
pushed away. — Shirey. 

2763. An engineer from Cologne has 
just discovered a new system for petri- 
fying the bodies of the dead, and claims 
that a body so preserved would take the 
place of a statue, and he- believes that 
some day famous people will be petri- 
fied in this way. — Many a church is 
merely such a museum of mummies. 

2764. A man was carried in a dream 
to a church. In his vision he saw the 



organist vigorously playing the organ, 
but no sound was heard. The choir 
and congregation began to sing, but 
their voices were not heard. Then the 
minister began, energetically, to pray, 
but no tones came from his lips. The 
man turned in wonder to his angel 
guide. "You hear nothing," said the 
angel, "because there is nothing to 
hear. These people are not engaged in 
worship, but only in the form of wor- 
ship. Their hearts are not touched, 
and this silence is the silence that is yet 
unbroken in the presen.ce of God. But 
listen now." And, listening, the man 
heard a child's voice, clear and distinct 
in all that silence, while the minister 
seemed to pray, and the people seemed 
to join. Only the child's voice was 
heard, because only the child's heart 
was touched. "Our Father which art 
in heaven." "That," said the guide, "is 
the only true worship in all this great 
church today: all the others are con- 
cerned with but the appearance of wor- 
ship." 

2765. And will any one tell me, and 
expect me to believe it, that if the 
Church has been faithful to her great 
powers and opportunities, there would 
have been one alien faith left today? I 
never hear a reference to the Moham- 
medan <;reed and Moslem history with- 
out shame. That history is the largest 
and foulest blot upon the career of the 
Church. The Moslem power sprang 
from the ashes of an extinguished Mis- 
sionary fire; the Moslem power could 
never have arisen in the days of a liv- 
ing Church. Anti-Christs, what are 
they? They are the spawn of degener- 
ated Churches. — Rev. E. E. Jenkins. 

2766. The epitaph of an ancient city 
was written in the words 'Deleta Silen- 
tia." The legend runs that its prince, hav- 
ing been alarmed once without cause, 
gave orders that no word of evil tidings 
should be brought on pain of death. 
He spent his days and nights in ease 
and pleasure. When the foe came the 
sentinel dared not sound the tocsin. At 
last his master was startled from his 
ease by the shrieks of the dying when 
his palace was in flames, and the city 
taken. "Deleta silentia" — destroyed by 
silence! Thus many a soul, suppressing 
all the kindly influences from above, 
has gone on smiling toward death. — 
Burrell. 

2767. Schopenhauer. the luxurious 
pessimist, knowing no better god, died 
with the gilded statue of Gotama Budd- 
ha looking at him from the mantelpiece. 
That disuse may destroy spiritual fac- 
ulty, evil habits grow fixed, and disbe- 



The Christian Life. 



— 389 - 



Drifting. 



lief unbroken become final and fatal, 
are awful and admonitory facts. 

27C8. There was laid one morning on 
a minister's pulpit, a little folded paper 
containing the words, "The prayers of 
this congregation are requested for a 
man who is growing rich." — Dr. J. R. 
Miller. 

2769. King James the Second com- 
manded an Act of Parliament, called 
ftie "Liberty of Conscience Act," to be 
read in all the churches. The clergy | 
were very unwilling to read it, and 
some of their congregations did not 
wish to hear it. One Sunday a clergy- 
man, when the time came for reading 1 
the document, said to his congregation: 
"Though I am compelled to read this, 
you are not compelled to hear it", upon 
which the people rose up and left the 
church, and the clergyman read the Act 
of Parliament to the pews, hassocks, 
and walls. But we may not thus treat 
the Gospel. This is God's message to 
our -ouls. 

2770. Carlyle, in narrating an in- 
stance of the preservation of court eti- 
quette in the palace of Louis XVI., 
while the mob was demanding entrance 
to his private apartments, and the em- 
pire was going to pieces, compares it to 
the house cricket still chirping amid 
the pealing of the trump of doom. 

2771. \ vessel was once approaching 
Liverpool. Night was drawing near, the 

sky was cloudy, and there were tokens 
of a gathering storm. The captain did 
not seem to understand his business, 
and managed to get his vessel away 
down on the flats, where it was in immi- 
nent danger of being wrecked. A pilot 
started out to board the ship. He 
would have been glad to have avoided 
the job; but it was his turn, and he 
must go where duty called. The pilot 
boat came alongside, and the pilot 
jumped into the chains, sprang on deck; 
and said to the captain: "What have 
you brought your ship down here for? 
Call all hands aft." They came, and he 
said. "Now boys, it's death, or deep 
water:*' The men saw at once that 
there was work to be done, and a pilot 
on board who knew his business. They 
sprang (o their places With a will, and 
by putting forth their best exertion'-, 
tin y -a\c(l the ship. Are there not too 
many people who are out of the chan- 
nel, and drifting onto the shoals of 
w orldlincss, who need to hear the faith- 
ful pilot's voice crying out, "Now, boys. 
It is death or deep water?" 

2772. A gentleman was walking on 
the Parade at Llandudno ami was 



watching a pretty little vessel with its 
white sails shining in the sunlight. 
"How is it that this ship does not seem 
I to be moving?" he said to a seaman 
standing by; "her sails are spread, and 
there is plenty of breeze, but she seems 
to make no progress" "She's anchored, 
sir," replied the sailor. "That's just 
how it is with many of us," said the 
gentleman, in answer; "there is every- 
thing to help us on our heavenward 
journey, but we can make no progress 
at all because we are anc hored to some- 
thing here on earth — some sin indulged 
in, or some worldliness we cannot give 
up." 

2773. We were in a pottery and saw a 
vase fresh from the potter's wheel. 
With the pressure of the linger we could 
dint it. With the movement of our 
hand we could shape it. When we saw 
the vase again it had gone through the 
fire. Try as we might we could not 
dint it then, our hands could no longer 
affect its shape. The only thing our 
hands could do would be to break it. 
For a score of years perhaps, God's 
finger touched us, and our souls re- 
ceived an impress. His hand was on 
us and we yielded. Possibly today that 
hand makes no impression. What is 
the trouble? Has that hand lost its 
cunning? Has the truth lost its impres- 
siveness? Nay, but we have lost ours. 
The penalty of the disuse of a faculty 
Is the loss of it. Neglecting religious 
knowledge and privileges, the very pow- 
er to make any use of them slowly 
passes away from us. 

2774. Away on the coast I have seen 
some projecting crag, bold and mighty, 
joined, as it seemed, and rooted with all 
the solid continent: one with the ground 
that stretched down through the round 
world and away under the seas to the 
shores of the far west, and inland bound 
to the hills that were topped and 
crested with the granite crags, — there 
it stood facing the blasts of the Atlan- 
tic defying them and looking proudly 
forth on the wild seas that stormed and 
tossed below it. Yes. winds and waves 
would never have fetched it down. But 
within were hollow place's, tiny stream- 
that washed the deepening water- 
courses: then came the silent frosts that 
gnawed at it, crumbling underneath it: 
so hollowed out within: then came some 
day the crash and din of thunder and 
clouds of dust that darkened heaven 
and the proud headland was hurled far 
down below, dashed by the tumbling 
seas and swept triumphantly by the 
wild waves. On, my brother, are you 
the man, whose prayers were once fer- 
vent pleadings with God, und now they 



The Christian Life. 



— 390 — 



Drifting. 



are an empty round of phrases? — Mark 
Guy Pearse. 

2775. The clock of the Pottsdam 
Garrison church, which Frederick the 
Great in his day had placed in the tow- 
er of that cathedral, and which hourly 
chimed forth the familiar strains of the 
old choral, "Praise the Lord", and half- 
hourly, "Be ever faithful, ever true", 
suddenly stopped, and ceased to intone 
its sacred melodies. The cause of this 
sudden cessation of both its works and 
its music was the intrusion of a brown 
butterfly, which alighted in its wheel- 
works and brought to a standstill the 
correct and never-failing time-keeper 
and choral-intoner." Is it not often 
thus with the heart of man, out of 
which swell songs of joy and praise — 
songs suddenly and unexpectedly re- 
duced to silence? The cause of it often 
is so insignificant a thing as a transient 
thought, a carking care, which becomes 
entangled in the delicate spiritual works 
and brings the heavenly music to a 
standstill. — Lutheran Herald. 

2776. Dr. G. Campbell Morgan says 
that at a great meeting in Manchester, 
England, Holman Hunt's beautiful pic- 
ture of Christ Knocking at the Door 
was thrown upon a screen. "Why don't 
they let him in?" a twelve-year-old boy 
excitedly asked his father. "I suppose 
they don't want to," his father an- 
swered, but that did not satisfy the boy. 
"Oh! no, it can't be that; anyone would 
want to let him in, he said, and then he 
added, "Oh! it's because they're living at 
the back of the house". And this ap- 
plies to multitudes who are too much 
engrossed with life's cares and pleas- 
ures to heed the Master's knocking. 

2777. It is amazing to see with what 
coolness some of the church members 
will say — "Now, I do not interfere; if 
the officials and pastor consider it is 
best to go ahead on certain lines, they 
can do so, I will not stand in their way; 
I just let them do as they please". Yes, 
and in that very position as they idle 
they do stand in the way. They are not 
as they suppose blocks on the side of 
the track, they are right on the rails, 
impeding the train. A single soul has 
been so inert and inefficient, that it was 
as much as the driving power of the 
whole organization could do to go over 
him to victory. Each counts. If not 
for, he is included in those against. — 
Chas. M. Griffin, D. D. 

2778. These men excused themselves 
out of the feast, but not one of them 
could excuse himself back. So it is per- 
fectly possible for any one to excuse 
himself out of heaven, but none can ex- 



cuse himself into heaven when once the 
door is shut. — A. F. Schauffler, D. D. 

2779. "Of course, I am not a Chris- 
tian. I don't pretend to be. I do a 
great many things that are wrong, but 
I don't make any loud profession like 
neighbor John across the street." What 
kind of a spirit is underneath such a 
confession? The man who makes it 
talks as if he thinks frankness about 
being a sinner is almost equal to salva- 
tion. Being wicked, he appears to be- 
lieve that a confession of his wicked- 
ness will make him more meritorious 
in the sight of God. The fact that we 
are outspoken in our evil does not 
change the character of the evil. — Her- 
ald and Presbyter. 

2780. One sinner destroyeth much 
good. So does one objector. Out on 
the crowded street was a long line of 
vehicles, most of them with strong, wil- 
ling horses to draw them. There were 
carriages, delivery wagons, great trucks, 
express wagons, and vehicles of all de- 
scriptions, but they were all standing 
still. What was the trouble? Why, in 
the very forefront there was a lean, 
weak little horse, attached to a light 
buggy which a child could draw. That 
lean little horse was balky. He would 
not pull a pound, but he succeeded 
most wonderfully in stopping a whole 
procession. Probably every church has 
at least one member who is built on the 
pattern of that balky horse. — Cumber- 
land Presbyterian. 

2781. Mr. Meyer, in describing back- 
sliders, tells us of his stylographic pen. 

It was one of some value, and had been 
given to him for his private use. For 
a long time he carried it with him 
everywhere, and used it on all occa- 
sions. And then a more improved pat- 
tern came out and he used the new one 
instead of the old; the old one was still 
his, but it was disapproved and set 
aside. Mr. Meyer says he can imagine 
how the pen would say, as it thought of 
the past: "There was once a time when 
he used me always — and now, never. 
There was a time when I knew his 
thoughts before anyone else, and now I 
am set aside. There was a time when I 
was his closest companion, and now I 
am never used." — Chapman. 

2782. A great deal of the skepticism 

of the day is merely the superficial 
thinking — or lack of real thought — of 
worldly indifference, and deserves to be 
treated as such. The late Dr. Jowett, 
the famous master of Balliol College, 
Oxford, evidently was a discerner of 
spirits. On day he was met in the 
"quad" by an undergraduate who in- 



The Christian Life. 



— 391 — 



Drifting. 



formed him that he, for his part, could 
find no positive evidence of the exis- 
tence of God. Quickly perceiving that 
he had on his hands a shallow-pated, 
bumptious, agnostic sprig, the wise and 
resolute master, always patient toward 
a real case of distress from having 
been in distress himself, but never to be 
trifled with by pretenders, took the 
trenchant and decisive way of dealing 
with this pretentious case, and struck 
it smartly a stinging blow after his 
fashion: "Well. Mr. B., if you do not 
find a God by five o'clock this afternoon, 
you will leave this college!" A simple 
bit of surgery, done- with neatness and 
dispatch; the pus let out of that tume- 
faction with one stroke of the lancet! — 
Kelly. 

2783. We effectually defeat the desire 
of God by our indifference and neglect. 
We do not dwell upon what he said to 
us in his Word; we do not think upon 
what he is doing for us; we do not obey 
his command and fulfill the conditions 
on which his promises are made. Thus 
in regard to personal grace, we do not 
cultivate that which has been given us; 
we do not reach out for more. The 
same is true in regard to the kingdom 
of God; we know there arc great results 
sought by God for the world, but they 
are not yet attained. We defeat the 
grace of God by our want of faith. "He 
could there do no mighty work because 
of their unbelief." — United Presbyter- 
ian. 

2784. Even the men of the City of 
Destruction derided Pliable for running 
back when once he had started. Be 
sure that worldlings, whatever they may 
say, do watch those that start out in 
the Christian way. and admire them, in 
spite of themselves, when they perse- 
vere. And if they backslide, as Pliable 
did, even worldlings are ashamed of 
them, though they may praise them to 
their face. The hardest, closest ice is 
that which forms on a surface which 
once has been thawed. 

2783. "I saw in California," said Dr. 
F. E. Ellinwood. "the stump of one of 
the gigantic Sc(|Uoiac. thirty-two feet 
in diameter. How had the monster 
been laid low? No arm of woodman 
with his axe could span its breadth. So 
the great trunk had been bored through 
and through in a thousand direc- 
tions, though always in the same 
plane. It was a slow process, and 
seemed to make little Impression 
for a long time. The proud form 
still rose In apparent strength, the 
mightiest in the forest. Yet the honey- 
comb process went on: the top became 
a little pale and sickly; there was a 



tremor under the influence of every 
breeze; till at length a strong wind 
brought the giant low, and the whole 
forest was shaken as by an earth- 
quake." So spiritual indifference makes 
its gradual inroads upon a life, prepar- 
ing the way for a final and irreparable 
crash. 

2786. In Westminster Abbey, on a 

slab over the poet Gay, are written 
these words, from one of his own 
poems: 

"Life is a jest, and all things show it, 
I thought so once, but now I know it." 

2787. I find the great thing in this 
world is not so much where we stand as 
in what direction we are moving. To 
reach the port of heaven, we must sail 
sometimes with the wind and sometimes 
against it; but we must sail, and not 
drift, nor lie at anchor. — Oliver Wendell 
Holmes. 

2788. "Alas! dear sir," said Pope, 
turning from his physician, "I am dy- 
ing every day of the most favorable 
symptoms." 

2789. "Neither be ye of doubtful 
mind," said Christ to his disciples. The 
word describes the tossing and veering 
of a ship that is at the mercy of wind 
and wave: a miserable condition for a 
soul to be in. The opposite and happy 
state of mind is to have a goal, an aim, 
a course in life, and to hold to it with- 
out swerving. — Henry Van Dyke, D. D. 

2790. Climbing or drifting — as with 
the soldiers, so with all of us. Those 
who get the honorable stripes of this 
world's rewards and the Captain's 
"Well done" are not those who are car- 
ried along by circumstances, but those 
who make circumstances their servants, 
and who vigorously and faith full j make 
the most of their duties and themselves. 

2791. Men can easily manufacture 
excuses for shirking duly. Some years 
ago a juror came before a Supreme 
Court Judge in Brooklyn with a certifi- 
cate that he was incapacitated for jury 
duty by deafness. The certificate was 
couched in the most technical of med- 
ical phraseology, and the judge gravely 
read it through while the afflicted juror 
stood by, his hand behind his ear, in an 
attitude of pained attention. Finally 
the judge looked up and said softly: 
"I'm sorry for you. *ir. you can go." 
"Thank you." said the delighted juror, 
starting to leave the platform. "Back 
and sit down." roared His Honor, 
"where you will be in readiness to act 
as a trial juror In this court. This cer- 
tificate is a lie." 

2792. The Athenians walk with su- 
pine Indifference amongst the- famous 



The Christian Life. 



— 392 — 



Indolence. 



ruins of their country, so debased are 
the descendants of Plato and Socrates 
that they are incapable of admiring the 
greatness of their predecessors. — Gib- 
bon. 

2793. I lived for myself, I thought 
for myself, 

For myself and none beside. 
Just as if Jesus had never lived, 
As if he had never died. 

2794. The strongest evidence of real 
spiritual decay is the calmness and in- 
difference of the soul in the presence 
of spiritual realities. There is a peace 
which death gives as well as life. It 
would appear that the unpardonable 
sin committed is not such because God 
cannot pardon, but because the soul 
cannot receive the pardon. In a prison 
on a certain day the warden announced 
to the assembled convicts that he held 
in his hand five pardons. The breath- 
less pause was too painful to be en- 
dured, and he read one name after an- 
other to the end. The last man, who 
had been twenty years within the prison 
walls, heard his name read and did not 
move a muscle. His face betrayed no 
sign of interest. Again it was read and 
there was no sign given, save a slight 
turn of the head to see who the man 
with the same name might be. It was 
only after the pardon was put in his 
hands that he began to believe that he 
was a free man. Now there we see .how 
hope had died out and how the capacity 
to accept mercy from the governor 
seemed lost. 

2795. The great cult of today is self- 
ishness. Our people are pleasure mad, 
ease mad, gold mad; parents are train- 
ing their children to "get on." They 
ought to be training them to "get up." 
We rise to the level of our loftiest and 
most worshipful thoughts and ideals. 
We sink to the level of our basest pur- 
poses. Selfishness is ruining lives and 
breaking hearts innumerable. The eter- 
nal note that lends the note of distinc- 
tion has fallen out of the deeds of time. 
Many characters are becoming medio- 
cre and imperfect. There is a crack in 
the vase, a yellow stain on the statue, 
an ugly rent in the garment, a muddy 
hue in the eye. — Hillis. 

Indolence. (2796-2800) 

2796. A young girl, who had been 
very active in Christian work, decided 
she would "take a rest for a while." 

She did so and soon found herself losing 
her interest in spiritual matters. When 
she realized her condition she imme- 
diately entered into active Christian 
work again and thus renewed her spir- 



itual life. An unoccupied room in a 
house becomes the "catch-all" for all 
the rubbish of the household. We can- 
not let ourselves "take a rest" even for 
a little while, for the world is ever near 
with its tempting sights and sounds to 
unmake us, and, before we are aware 
of it, it has filled our lives with its 
poisonous rubbish.- — Record of Chris- 
tian Work. 

2797. The church is full of apoplectic 
saints who are crammed full with spir- 
itual truths but are suffering from lack 
of exercise. We, as pastors, elders, 
deacons and people, have something else 
to do than administer a Gospel board- 
ing-house and an evangelical restaur- 
ant. — Parkhurst. 

2798. We can only hold fast what we 
have by constantly using it. If we have 
a measure of love we must daily study 
the means of manifesting it. It is easily 
recovered from yesterday, but not from 
the day before. If we have joy we 
must persevere in rejoicing; every day 
must have its spiritual joy. Our peace, 
too, we must daily see to it that it is 
with us. Whatever we would retain we 
must keep near our consciousness; our 
will, our memory, our understanding, 
all must be conversant with it. — George 
Bowen. , 

2799. In one of his novels Robert 
Louis Stevenson says of a certain char- 
acter: "His career was one of unbroken 
shame. He did not drink, he was ex- 
actly honest, he was never rude to his 
employers, yet he was everywhere dis- 
charged. Bringing no interest to his 
duties, he brought no attention; his day 
was a tissue of things neglected and 
things done amiss; and from place to 
place and from town to town he carried 
the character of one thoroughly incom- 
petent". 

2800. Leisure misused — an idle hour 
waiting to be employed, idle hands with 
no occupation, idle and empty minds 
with nothing to think — these are the 
main temptations to evil. Fill up that 
empty void, employ these vacant hours. 
Fix your attention on things above, and 
then you will be less and less troubled 
by the cares, the temptations, the troub- 
les of things on earth. — Dean Stanley. 

Hypocrisy. Inconsistency. Insincerity. 

(2801-2814) 

2801. It is one of the mixed results 
of revivals that some gain a religious 
vocabulary, rather than a religious ex- 
perience. — George Eliot. 

2802. In Roman building contracts 



The Christian Life. 



— 393 — 



Hypocrisy. 



the words "Sine cera", (i. e. "without 
wax") were frequently used. Some- 
times the blocks of marble from Mt. 
Atlios, famous for their beauty, would 
be chipped or marred in transportation. 
Builders doctored them with white wax. 
While this could not be seen at first, 
later it would come off by frost and 
rain. To avoid this these words were 
inserted. They wanted marble as sound 
as it looked. 

2803. Seneca's fame as a moralist 
and philosopher was due, perhaps, in 
the first instance to his position about 
the Court, and to his enormous wealth. 
A little merit passes for a great deal 
when it is framed in gold, and once es- 
tablished it would retain its reputation, 
from the natural liking of men for vir- 
tuous cant. Those lectures to Lucilius 
on the beauty of poverty from the 
greatest money-lender and usurer in the 
empire! Lucilius is to practise volun- 
tary hardships, is to live at intervals 
on beggars' fare, and sleep on beggars' 
pallets, that he may sympathise in the 
sufferings of mortality and be inde- 
pendent of outward things. If Seneca 
meant all this, why did he squeeze live 
millions of our money out of the pro- 
lines with loans and contracts? — 
Froude. 

2801. George Eliot, in one of her 
novels, says that great delusions are 
sometimes mistaken for great faith. 

2805. John Bunyan wrote: "What I 
preached to Others I did myself feel, 
yea, I did smarting! y feel!" 

280(>. Some men think the invisible 
powers will be soothed by a bland pa- 
rent he-is bere and there, coming from 
h man of property. — George Eliot. 

2807. May not religious scruples be 
like spilled needles, making one afraid 
of treading, or sitting down, or even 
eating? 

2808. Hack in the days when paper 
money was at its worst someone tells of 
making a purchase in a shop kept by 
a Scotch woman. He laid the bank- 
note on the counter, and the shop- 
woman took her "bank-note detector" 
to test It. At length she thrust back 
the money saying. "All, man. it wlnna 
stan* the book." So. when all is said 
and don*-, the Bible is the ultimate test 
of lite and character. — Burrell. 

2809. "There are 80016 men." says the 
author of Middlemarch, "whose celestial 
Intimacies do not improve their domes- 
tic manners." 

2SI0. Once upon a time a Japanese 
peasant went to heaven, and the first 
he saw was a long shelf with 



something very strange looking upon it. 
"What is that?" he asked. "Is it some- 
thing to make soup of?" (The Japan- 
ese are very fond of soup.) "No", was 
the reply; "those are ears. They be- 
longed to persons who, when they lived 
on earth, heard what they ought to do 
in order to be good, but they didn't 
pay any attention to it, so when they 
died their ears came to heaven, but the 
rest of their bodies could not." After a 
while the peasant saw another shelf with 
very queer things on it. "What is that?" 
he asked again. "Is that something to 
make soup of?" "No," he was told; 
"these are tongues. They once be- 
longed to people in the world who told 
people how to live and how to do good, 
but they themselves never did as they 
told others to do; so, when they died, 
their tongues came to heaven, but the 
rest of their bodies could not." 

2811. A noted author describes cer- 
tain people "whose imitative piety and 
native worldliness are equally sincere." 

2812. George Eliot says that "there 
are people who contrive to conciliate 
the consciousness of filthy rags with 
the best damask." 

2813. A thoroughgoing genuineness, 
transparent sincerity is often effective in 
influencing others for good even when 
no direct and conscious effort to influ- 

j ence them is put forth. Someone tells 
of an American teacher who was em- 
ployed in Japan on the understanding 
that during school hours he should not 
utter a word on the subject of Christi- 
anity. The engagement was faithfully 

| kept, and he lived before his students 
the Christ-life, but never spoke of it 
to them. Not a word was said to in- 
fluence the young men committed to his 
care. But so beautiful was his charac- 
ter and so blameless his example, that 
forty of the students, unknown to him. 
met in a grove and signed a secret cove- 
nant to abandon idolatry. Twenty-five 
of them entered the Kioto Christian 
Training School, and some of them are 
now preaching the Gospel which their 
teacher has unconsciously commended. 
Christ's Gospel received Its corrobora- 
tion" in its fruitage. 

2811. What we think about the things 
that are greatest will determine how 
we do the things that arc least. What 
are your primary thoughts about God? 
The prints of those thoughts will he 
found in your courtesies, in your Inter- 
course, in the- common relationships of 
life. In the government of commerce, 
in the control of the body, and in all 
the affairs of home and market and 
I Held. — J. H. Jowett. 



The Christian Life. 



— 394 — 



Questionable Amusements, 



Questionable Amusements. (2815-2832) 

2815. There are three practices more 
or less indulged in by a large number 
of Christians, which according to all 
observations only tend to destroy spirit- 
ual life and unfit them for spiritual 
work. We speak of the dance, the 
theatre and the card table. We do not 
in this place enter into any discussion 
of the subject, but state it as a fact 
which we have carefully observed for 
more than twenty years. We have 
never known a Christian who was an 
habitue of the theatre, or the ball-room 
or of card parties, who was ever of 
much use to the church spiritually. 
They are not the Christians whom the 
pastor relies upon for the prayer-meet- 
ing; or to lead inquirers to the Savior. 
We are sure that nine-tenths of the 
ministers of the Gospel who have been 
successful soul-winners will bear us out 
in this statement. — Rev. George F. Pen- 
tecost, D. D. 

2816. Pleasure is Nature's premium 
on healthy exercise of function. The 
more of it the better. There is no as- 
ceticism about the Gospel of Jesus 
Christ, though his followers have often 
tried to tack it on. We all like pleas- 
ure, and are not ashamed to own it. 
Not suppression, but fruition, is the 
ideal of our nature. There is not a bad 
appetite or passion in our nature, un- 
less perversion makes it so. Our bodies 
are good; and physiological function is 
good, and the pleasure that comes of it 
a thing to be rejoiced in as the seal of 
vigor and vitality. Our minds are good; 
and all joys of mental exercise are glor- 
ious witnesses to the divine image in 
which we are made. Our heart's loves 
are good and tender ties that bind us 
together in families and friendships and 
mutual affections are the best gifts of 
God to men. — Pres. Wm. De Witt Hyde. 

2817. A teacher was pleading with 
his pupils against gambling, when one 
of them asked, "Do you play cards?'' 
He admitted he did. It was useless for 
him to urge that he never played for 
money. In his scholars' eyes cards and 
gambling were inseparably connected. 
He saw that he had lost his influence 
with them, and he felt it deeply. When 
he went home he threw his pack of 
cards into the fire and has never played 
since. 

2818. In a railroad train sat four men 
playing cards. One was a judge and 
two of the others were lawyers. Near 
them sat a poor mother: a widow in 
black. The sight of the men at their 
game made her nervous. She kept quiet 
as long as she could, but finally 



rising, came to them, and addressing 
the judge, asked, "Do you know me?" 
"No; madam, I do not," said he. "Well," 
said the mother, "You sentenced my 
son to prison for life." Turning to one 
of the lawyers she said, "And you, sir, 
plead against him. He was all I had. 
He worked hard on the farm, was a 
.good boy, and took care of me until he 
began to play cards, when he took to 
gambling and was lost." 

2819. A Chinaman, says the "Chris- 
tian Advocate", applied for the position 
of cook in a family in one of our west- 
ern cities. The lady of the house and 
most of the family were members of a 
fashionable church, and they were de- 
termined to look well after the charac- 
ter of the servants. So, when John 
Chinaman appeared at the door he was 
asked: "Do you drink whiskey?" "No." 
said he. "I Clistian man." "Do you 
play cards?" "No, I Clistian man." He 
was employed and gave great satisfac- 
tion. He did his work well, was hon- 
est, upright, correct and respectful. 
After some weeks the lady gave a "pro- 
gressive euchre" party and had wines 
at the table. John Chinaman was called 
upon to serve the party, and did so with 
grace and acceptability. But next 
morning he waited on the lady and 
said he wished to quit work. 'Why, 
what is the matter?" she inquired. John 
answered: "Clistian man; I told you so 
before, no heathen. No workee for 
Melican heathen!" 

2820. A mother returned from a card 
party where she had come very near 
winning a beautiful prize. Her disap- 
pointment was so great it actually made 
her ill enough to go to bed. Her son, who 
dearly loved her, found upon inquiry 
that there was a duplicate of the costly 
vase to be had in the city, so he bought 
it and brought it to her bedside. 
"Where did you get the money, my 
boy?" she asked at length. "I won it." 
he responded frankly. "I won it last 
night down at the club from Mr. So- 
and-So. "You won it!" she almost 
shrieked with horror. "O my son, you 
surely never play cards for money! 
Don't tell your mother her only son is 
a gambler." "Mother," came the reply, 
"before you call me that name let me 
ask you a question — What is the differ- 
ence between playing cards for a prize 
as you do uptown among your friends, 
and playing them down town at the 
club for money as I do?" The mother 
had no answer to make. Unthinkingly 
she had sown to the wind and was reap- 
ing the whirlwind. — Interior. 

2821. I have all my days had a card- 



The Christian Life. 



— 395 — 



Questionable Amusements. 



playing community open to my obser- 
vation, and I am yet unable to believe 
that that which is the universal resort 
of the starved soul and intellect, which 
has never in any way linked to itself 
tender, elevating, or beautiful associa- 
tions, 'the tendency of which is to un- 
duly absorb the attention from more 
weighty matters, can recommend itself 
to the favor of Christ's disciples. The 
presence of culture and genius embel- 
lish, but can never dignify it. I have 
this moment, said Dr. J. G. Holland, 
ringing in my ears the dying injunction 
of my father's early friend, "Keep your 
son from cards. Over them I have 
murdered time and lost heaven." 

2822. It is a fact that the three lead- 
ing amusements are card-playing, danc- 
ing and theater-going. — It is a fact that 
the Bible demands that Christians shall 
be separated from the world. — It is a 
fact that not a single evangelical de- 
nomination approves of these amuse- 
ments; and many of them have for- 
mally declared against them. — It is a 
fact that worldly members of any 
church contribute little or nothing to 
the spiritual forces and work of their 
church. — It is a fact that the persons 
most difficult to win to Jesus Christ are 
the children of church members who 
approve of these pastimes. — It is a fact 
that indulgence in these amusements 
has led multitudes to disgrace and 
ruin. — It is a fact that if you are a 
Christian, indulging yourself at all in 
these worldly pleasures, and will, for 
the honor and • glory of our glorious 
Savior and Lord, at once and forever 
renounce them, you will have his sweet 
approval, the approval of your own con- 
science, and such joy as the world can- 
not give. — Munhall. 

2823. Can pleasure, then, like riches, 
be redeemed and made an acceptable 
offering to the Lord? Is there a heaven 
for the pleasure-seeker and the pleas- 
ure giver, as well as for the rich ? Most 
certainly. Normal plea-ure is the coun- 
terpart of healthy function, and blesses 
the giver no less than the recipient 
The practice of any worthy art is en- 
nobling, and gives more pleasure to the 
artist than to the looker-on. — William 
De Witt Hyde. 

2821. Our very activities may be a 
cause of backsliding if they so fill as 
to leave DO time to be alone with God. 
Leanness and starvation come from 
overwork and underfeeding. Christ was 
very busy in doing, but he often spent 
the whole night in solitary communion 
with God. — Christian Advocate. 

282.-.. Mrs. A. B. sim*. of Des Moines, 



Iowa, winner of the women's whist 
championship gave up playing. She 
said: "The card craze, as it prevails 
among the women of this country, is 
tlie most serious competitor the church 
has today. It is causing them to aban- 
don home and church interests. I have 
had letters from women in every lead- 
ing city in the United States, in which 
they declared that the Church and so- 
ciety women have gone mad over bridge 
whist and other games. Letters in simi- 
lar strain have come to me from Cana- 
da, Europe and Mexico. It was when 
these messages began to pour in 
upon me that the hold cards have taken 
on civilized women fully dawned on me. 
I want the women of the country to 
hear my experience. I want to con- 
vince them, if I can, that card-playing 
and Christianity will not go together." 

2826. The theatre wastes time. Its 
devotees become intoxicated, attend 
night after night, unfit themselves for 
active duties, and squander their golden 
hours. It wastes money. How many 
young men of small salaries are tempted 
to a dishonest life by this extra de- 
mand! In a thousand ways, theater- 
going draws upon and wastes hard- 
earned money. It destroys health. 
Late hours, evil associations, want of 
rest, and sinful practices ruin forever 
this gift of God. — The Golden Rule. 

282". Would you judge of the lawful- 
ness or unlaw fulness of pleasure, take 
this rule: whatever weakens your rea- 
son, impairs the tenderness of your con- 
science, obscures your sense of God, or 
takes off the relish of spiritual things — 
in short, whatever Increases the 
strength and authority of your body 
over your mind, that 1111112' Is a sin to 
you, however innocent it may be in it- 
self. — Susannah Wesley. 

2828. My advice is. Don't dance: don't 
play cards; don't go to the theater. 

Even when you prove that there is 
nothing necessarily or essentially wick- 
ed in the things we call "a social 
dance", "a game of cards", "a play at 
the theater", the fact remains that each 
thing represents an institution, and that 
these institutions, the dance, the card- 
table, and the theater, on the whole, do 
more harm than they do good. Now a 
Christian is one who lives not to please 
himself, but to do good to other*. 
Therefore, he should not encourage in 
the slightest degree any institution that, 
on the whole, does to society more harm 
than good. — Bishop John H. Vincent. 

2829. A Catholic prlesl told me that 
the secrets of the confe^sioiuil revealed 
that nearly all the fallen women were 



The Christian Life. 



— 396 — 



Godliness Profitable, 



victims of the round dance — the dance 
of the balls that people patronize. — 
Mills. 

2830. Dr. G. Campbell Morgan said:- 
"What form of amusement must you 
give vip if you become a Christian? No 

amusement that is recreation. That 
must be your philosophy of amusement 
— Re-creation. Anything that destroys 
you, spirit, mind or body, of course you 
must give up, because Jesus is set upon 
making you perfect and beautiful, and 
he will not tolerate a retention of any- 
thing that stultifies you physically, or 
dulls you mentally', or blights you spir- 
itually". 

2831. In Des Moines the directors of 
the industrial school for fallen girls 

have impressively shown what one of 
these perils is, in making it a condition 
when these girls are paroled and go 
back to try life once more, that they 
shall not go to any public dance. 

2832. Pleasurists are obedient to the 
laws of the State, to the customs of so- 
ciety, and to the mandates of propriety. 
There is nothing flagrantly immoral to 
be alleged against them. But they are 
utterly selfish, bent upon amusement or 
whatever promises personal gratifica- 
tion. They frequently give to good 
causes, but only of their superfluity. 
They never give themselves. — Christian 
Work. 

Godliness Profitable. (2833-2839) 

2833. Meeting a man engaged in 
work for the homeless people in the 
city of Boston, and who had cared for 
some three thousand persons, about 
eighty passing through his hands every 
day, we asked the question. "How many 
Christians have you found among 
them?" "Not one:" was the prompt 
reply. What is the meaning of this? 
Why are not a large proportion of the 
homeless and suffering pteople Chris- 
tians? Why do we not more often find 
the children of God in a condition of 
want? The reason is, God takes good 
care of his children, but the devil does 
not take good care of his: the Lord pro- 
vides, for his servants, the cievil neglects 
his; and though we now and then hear 
of an ungodly rich man, and of children 
of the Lord who are poor, yet for one 
who becomes rich in the service of the 
devil there are a hundred who live 
poor, wretched, beggarly lives; for every 
godless millionaire there are a thousand 
godless tramps, bummers, and dead- 
beats; and for every Christian who act- 
ually comes into distress and want, 
there are probably a hundred servants 



of the devil who are poorer than any 
Christian ever thought of being. 

2834. I once passed a magnificent es- 
tate on the Harlem Railroad. The 

house, a fine old mansion, was hardly 
visible; it was embowered in trees, and 
reached by a splendid avenue, on either 
side of which were ancestral oaks and 
pines; but only four days before my 
visit the owner had been taken to Sing 
Sing and incarcerated there under a 
sentence measuring a third of a life 
time, for fraudulent issues of stock in 
connection with the city railway of 
which he was president. Godliness is 
profitable for the life that now is. 

2835. There are external successes 
which are, in point of fact, stupendous 
failures. William M. Tweed exerted 
more power for a few years than many 
of the sovereigns of Europe; he scattered 
his bribes lavishly; with the magician's 
wand he changed the- face of the great 
city of New York, he corrupted legisla- 
tors, he blinded justice, he polluted 
everything he touched, and pointed the 
finger of scorn at the American people 
and asked with a sneer, "What are you 
going to do about it?" In the midst of 
his pinchback glory his admirers want- 
ed to build a statue to him in Central 
Park. Now, to the glory of William 
M. Tweed let it be said, that he turned 
upon those who made that proposition 
and responded: "Do you think that I 
am a fool?" William M. Tweed was a 
fearful failure and died at last, as he 
had lived, among criminals, not as be- 
fore in the enjoyment of the results of 
thefts, but in a felon's garb and dun- 
geon. — J. M. Buckley, D. D. 

2836. One thousand millions of dol- 
lars are spent by the United States an- 
nually for liquor, over five hundred mil- 
lions for tobacco, one hundred and 
sixty-five millions for education, one 
hundred and twenty-five millions for 
churches, and the pitiful sum of five 
millions for foreign missions. And yet 
this amount yields a larger per cent of 
interest than any of the other items 
mentioned. England has discovered 
the value of foreign missions, and now 
has incorporated in its governmental 
policy the responsibility of sending mis- 
sionaries to the heathen. And well may 
she, for in fifty years her outlay for 
missions in India has been only six hun- 
dred thousand dollars, while in one year 
alone her trade with that country 
amounted to thirty times that sum. 

2837. Rev. Dr. Wilbur F. Crafts tells 
of a Hebrew commercial traveler who, 
on finding no church in a certain com- 



The Future Life. 



— 397 — 



Death. 



munity left on tlie first train declining 
business relations with the people. 

2838. In the ante-bellum days, the 
slaves of a kind-hearted, generous, 
wealthy man were a happy people, 
much freer from care than most mor- 
tals, usually are; for they were fed, 
clothed, sheltered, warmed. nursed 
when they were sick, and never thought 
it necessary to concern themselves in 
the least as to how or whence these 
blessings would come. Their only care 
was to please "ole Master", for whom, 
in many instances, they would have 
been willing to die. If only we are will- 
ing to work for our Lord, gladly to sac- 
rifice for him. to spend and be spent in 
his service, if need be, to die for him, 
it is as certain as the word of God that 
he will never forsake us, nor let us want 
any good thing. 

2839. How much it would mean to be 
able, by the skill of the student of plant 
life, to convert some widespread nox- 
ious weed into a nutritions breadstuff 
plant for the sustenance of the race. 
Rut how much more it means — means 
for the good of the whole race — to take 
lives, prolific in morally disastrous in- 
fluences, and by the change wrought by 
the new birth to make them fountains 
of living water, fruitful branches on 
the tree of life. 

THE FUTURE LIFE. (2840-2972) 
Death. (2840-2914) ( See 264-301) 

2810. A Southern Christian woman, 
while dying. Imagined in her delirium 
that she was riding in her carriage 
with her faithful servant on the driver's 
seat. "Is David driving?" she asked. 
•'There is no clanger if David is driv- 
ing." "No, no. Missus," replied the 
weeping negro at her side. "Poor Dave 
can't drive now. Do Lord has hold of 
de lines." And the humble servant 
spoke the truth for all apes. The Lord 
of life holds the lines and guides his • 
children safely through the gate of 
death into the Paradise of God. 

2811. An old Scotchman, while dying, 
was asked what he thought of death. 

and he replied. "It matters little to me 
whether I live or die. If I die I will 
be with Jesus, and, if I live Jesus will 
be with me." 

2812. ■Mamma." said a little child, 
"my Sunday-school teacher tells me 
that this world is only a place In which 
God lets us live a while, that we may 
prepare for a better world: but. mam- 
ma, I don't sec anybody preparing I 
see you preparing to go into the country . 



and Auntie is preparing to come here; 
but I don't see any one preparing to 
go there. Why don't they try to get 
ready?" 

2813. When Ben's master died they 
told him he had gone to Heaven. Ben 

shook his head: "I 'fraid massa no go 
there." 

"But why, Ben?" 

"Cos", when massa go Xorth. or go a 
journey to the Spring, he talk about it 
a long time, and get ready. I never 
hear him talk about going to heaven; 
never see him get ready to go there." 

2814. "How grand the sunlight! It 

seems to beckon earth to heaven," said 
Friedrich Heinrich Humboldt, looking 
his last on the world's glory. 

2815. There is no such startling con- 
trast as that between the uproar of this 
world and the silence of that beyond. 

Yet everything bids us be of good cheer 
about the journey. It is natural, and 
always what is natural is good. Socra- 
tes was- convinced that his condemna- 
tion to death was a good thing for him. 
We, who are also condemned, may be 
sure of the same thing. The way out 
here is a way up. When the last mo- 
ment comes we shall find ourselves en- 
dowed with the feeling appropriate to 
that moment. Said Dr. Donne, when 
his turn came: "I am therefore full of 
inexpressible joy and shall die in peace." 
Men have gone out through the flames 
of the stake and found the road toler- 
able. When Dr. Taylor, the Marian 
martyr, was brought to the common 
where he was to suffer, his word was: 
"Thank God. I am even at home". — J. 
Brierly. 

28 Mi. When Horace Bushnell was dy- 
ing-, he murmured one day slowly, and 
in great weakness, to those around his 
bed, "Well now, we are all going home 
together: and I say, the Lord be with 
you — and in grace — and peace — and 
love — and that is the way I have come 
along home." 

28 1" Everything made or done here 
is organized lor migration. It is like the 
anatomical structure of birds of pas- 
sage. Everything has wings. — Austin 
Phelps. 

2s 18. Rabelais, dying, said, "I am inn- 
ing to meet the great Perhaps." 

2810. Shakespeare, in all of his refer- 
ences to death, never expresses anything 
but passionate dread. 

2850. To a lady distressed with B 

dread of dying, Voltaire » • wrote: "All 

thinKs considered. I am of opinion that 
one ought never to till Ilk of death. 
This thought is of no use whatever, save 



4 



The Future Life. 



— 398 — 



Death. 



to embitter life. Death is a mere noth- 
ing. Those people who solemnly pro- 
claim it are the enemies of the human 
race; one must endeavor always to keep 
them off." Voltaire's physician left this 
testimony: "It was my lot that this man 
should die under my hands. ... As 
soon as he saw that all the means he 
had employed to increase his strength 
had just the opposite effect, death was 
constantly before his eyes. From this 
moment madness took possession of his 
soul. Think of the ravings of Orestes. 
He expired under the torments of the 
Furies." — Dorchester. 

2851. Historians, and even ecclesias- 
tical historians, are too apt to regard 
men simply in classes, or communities, 
or corporations, and to forget that the 
keenest of our sufferings, as well as the 
deepest of our joys, take place in those 
periods when we are most isolated from 
the movements of society. Whatever may 
be thought of the truth of the doctrine, 
no candid man will question its power 
in the house of mourning and in the 
hour of death. "The world," wrote 
Wesley, "may not like our Methodists 
and evangelical people, but the world 
cannot deny that they die well". — W. E. 
H. Lecky. 

2852. It is not wonderful that souls 
without the fear of God before their 
eyes, weary of life and praying for 
death, have answered their own prayer. 

What a ghastly gallery the suicides 
would make if we could collect their 
faces. Theodore, the Abyssinian king, 
sprang off into eternity . rather than 
submit to a captivity which his proud 
spirit could not brook. Beaurepaire, 
the French general, compelled by the 
municipals to surrender Verdun to 
Brunswick and the King bf Prussia's 
60,000 men, strode away indignant to 
his room, from which, when he had 
shut the door, was heard a pistol shot 
and the heavy fall of his dead body. 
His epitaph in the Pantheon reads: "He 
chose death rather than yield to des- 
pots". It is said that Marshal Key, 
after his treason to Louis XVIII during 
the hundred days of Bonaparte's last 
struggle for the throne, fought like a 
man who only cared to die. There is a 
story that on the night of the day on 
which the abdication of the throne had 
been given, the victorious allies being 
camped on the boulevards of his be- 
loved Paris, Napoleon at Fontainebleau 
took poison. He could not bear defeat. 
— "The Ripening Experience of Life." 

2853. Dr. Abbott tells how, after sail- 
ing on the muddy waters of Lake 
Huron, he came on deck one morning, 



and, looking over the prow, started 
back in instinctive terror, for, looking 
down into the clear waters of Lake Su- 
perior, it seemed as if the keel were 
just going to strike on the sharp pointed 
rocks below; but he was looking 
through fifty or sixty feet of clear water 
at the great rock bed of the lake. 
"Now we endeavor in vain to fathom 
God's judgments. As by a great deep 
they are hidden from us. But by and 
by the sea will grow as clear as crystal, 
and through the mystery we shall see 
and shall understand. We shall know 
not only the life that was in the ocean, 
but shall trace the footprints of him 
that walked thereon." — C. E. World. 

2854. Mr. Needham told me on one 
occasion he asked an old colored woman 
what she would do in the hour of death, 

since Satan was so strong. "Well," she 
said, "when two dogs are fighting for a 
bone, does the bone do anything? It 
don't fight; it lies between them, and 
the stronger gets it. So when I come 
to Jordan, an' ole Satan tries to get me, 
'I'll turn him over to Jesus, and jest 
keep still, for Massa Jesus he's stronger 
than Satan." 

2855. The Earl of Chatham knew how 
to gain time for sleep or play without 
letting his business suffer. Dr. Todd 
says of him that "a friend one day called 
on him when premier of England, and 
found him down on his hands and knees 
playing marbles with his little boy, and 
complaining bitterly that the rogue 
would not play fair, gaily adding 'that 
he must have been corrupted by the ex- 
ample of the French.' The friend 
wished to mention a suspicious-looking 
stranger who had for some time taken 
up lodgings in London. Was he a spy 
or merely a private gentleman? Pitt 
went to his drawer, and took out some 
scores of small portraits, and holding 
up one which he had selected, asked, 
'Is that the man?' 'Yes, the very per- 
son.' 'Oh, I have had my eye on him 
from the very moment he stepped on 
shore.' " If we are thus "ready over 
night," as the saying is, we need not be 
anxiously watchful and expectant of 
Christ's coming. 

2856. "How do you happen to be in 
golf rig today, I should like to know? 
I've got to cram till midnight! Don't 
you know tomorrow's 'exam.' is on 
for nine o'clock?" "That's why I'm 
playing," returned his friend. "Want 
to be fresh for it. My work's all right 
— saw to that beforehand." 

2857. The unscrupulous Earl of 
Rochester, dying said, "Oh, would that 
I had been a blind beggar, or a leper, 



The Future Life. 



— 399 — 



Death. 



rather than to have lived in the midst 
of glorious possibilities and forgotten 
God." 

2858. When the Rev. G. Campbell 
Morgan was returning from America to 
England with a friend, he tells us, they 
watched a glorious sunset together, and 
his friend broke the long silence by say- 
ing: "What a blessed thing it is that be- 
fore we go hence God will enlarge our 
< apacity. If there is anything much 
more beautiful in heaven than that, I 
do not think I could bear it. How beau- 
tiful God must be when he paints a 
picture like that just to gladden us, and 
presently he will blot it out as though 
it didn't matter." Does not this friend's 
thought explain why we are told so lit- 
tle about heaven? Our capacity must 
first be enlarged before we can appre- 
ciate it. The few words which Christ 
spoke about our future home, though 
they fall short of what we naturally long 
to know, are full of comforting assur- 
ance. 

2859. Man in this world is like a 
traveler who is always walking towards 
a colder region, and who is therefore 
obliged to be more active as he goes 
further north. The great malady of the 
soul is cold, and in order to counteract 
this formidable illness, he must keep up 
the activity of his mind not only by 
work, but by contact with his fellow- 
tnen and with the world. — De Tocque- 
ville. 

2860. A millionaire in New York re- 
cently offered his physician all his for- 
tune, two and a half millions of dollars, 
if he would prolong his life for one 
hour: and the physician could not do it. 

2801. I have made a sketch of a gol- 
den twelve-rayed sun with the clock in 
the center. The rays correspond to the 
hours, and in each of the golden points 
a word is painted In Gothic letters. 
Here they are as they stand in succes- 
sion: I. we begin, II. we want. III. we 
learn, II II. we obey, V. we love, VI. we 
hope, VII. we search, VIII. we suffer, 
IX. we wait, X. we forgive, XI. we re- 
sign, XII. we end. The advancing han- 
dle marks the hour and its words, and 
there is many a one we should like to 
pass quickly by, so as to tarry longer at 
others — but we must accept all the 
hours, the good and the bad ones, as 
they follow each other on life's Inexor- 
able sreat clock. — "The Letters Which 
Never Reached Him.'" 

2802. A skeptic once said. "There Is 
one thing that mars all the pleasures 
of my life." "What Is that?" Inquired 
n friend. He responded. "I am afraid 
the Bible Is true. If I could know for 



I certain that death is an eternal sleep I 
should be happy; but the fear that the 

I Bible is true is the thorn that pierces 
my soul, for if the Bible is true I am 
lost forever." 

2863. Mhegard, professor of philoso- 
phy in the University of Copenhagen, 
was long an apostle of skepticism. In 
the introduction of the second edition 
of one of his works he makes a notable 
confession : "The experience of life, its 
sufferings and griefs, have shaken my 
soul and have broken the foundation 
upon which I formerly thought I could 

' build. Full of faith in the sufficiency 
| of science, I thought to have found in 
| it a sure refuge from all the contingen- 
I cies of life. This illusion is vanished; 
, when the tempest came which plunged 
me in sorrow, the moorings, the cable 
of science, broke like thread. Then I 
seized upon the help which many be- 
fore me have laid hold of. I sought 
and found peace in God. Since then I 
have certainly not abandoned science, 
but I have assigned to it another place 
in my life." — Dorchester. 

2864. Dr. F , the chaplain of New - 
gate, relates the incident, that when a 
reprieve arrived for one under sen- 
tence of death, he returned a Bible and 
prayer-book, which the doctor had giv- 
en him, with his thanks, observing that 
he had no further need of them now. 

2865. Lord Henry Otho, a follower of 
John Huss. having received sentence of 
condemnation from his popish judges, 
said: "Kill my body, disperse my mem- 
bers whither you please, yet do I believe 
that my Savior will gather them togeth- 
er again, and clothe them with skin, so 
that with these eyes I shall see him. 
with these ears I shall hear him, with 
this tongue I shall praise him, and re- 
joice with this heart for ever." As he 
was going to the scaffold he said to the 
minister, "I am sure that Christ Jesus 
will meet my soul with his angels. This 
death, I know, shall not separate me 
from him." After he had prayed silent- 
ly, he said, "Into thy hands, O Lord, 
I commend my spirit. Have pity on 
me through Jesus Christ, and let me see 
thy glory;" and so he received the stroke 
of the sword. 

2866. When a bHI is cast, two molds 
of sand arc made, an inner and an outer, 
so arranged as to form between them 
precisely the shape desired for the bell. 
The metal Is poured in and then the 
molds are broken. Bui thai form is 
not destroyed. It is only fulfilled and the 
bells ring out the glad song of fulfill- 
ment. — Peloubet. 

2867. It Is a great thing to have pre- 



The Future Life. 



— 400 — 



Death. 



pared for your home-going. When the 
plague came to London, King Charles 
fled to Hampton Court. He took with 
him all the ship money for his treas- 
ures. His people were dying like flies 
in the streets, and corpses were being 
burned on street corners. But Charles 
left no penny for the relief fund. His 
people would not forgive him for his 
unspeakable cruelty. One clay he re- 
turned to London with his outriders 
blowing their trumpets. Then the peo- 
ple refused him welcome. Every man 
went into his house and shut the door. 
A herald brought word to Charles that 
he was entering a dead city. Shame 
mantled the monarch's cheek. This 
would never do; so the king turned 
aside. That night, like a whipped dog, 
the monarch crept into town, hidden in 
the darkness. And many a man at 
death will go home to God, and the 
judgment, with no one to come out to 
meet and greet him. 

2808. I am standing upon the sea- 
shore. A ship at my side spreads her 
white sails to the morning breeze and 
starts for the blue ocean. She is an 
object of beauty and strength and I 
stand and watch her until at length she 
hangs like a speck of white cloud just 
where the sea and sky come down to 
meet and mingle with each other. Then 
some one at my side says: "There! She's 
gone!" Gone where? Gone from my 
sight, that is all. She is just as large 
in the mast and hull and spar as she 
was when she left my side, and just as 
able to bear her load of living freight 
to the place of her destination. Her 
diminished size is in me, and not in her. 
And just at that moment when some 
one at my side says, "There! She's 
gone!" there are other eyes that are 
watching for her coming and other 
voices ready to take up the glad shout, 
"There she comes". And that is — dy- 
ing. — Evangel. 

2869. "I must now hasten away, since 
my baggage has been sent off before 
me," thus Bailli de Roche, known as La 
Riviere, when the distinguished French 
philosopher was told that his servants 
had accepted his dying gift of goods too 
literally, leaving him destitute and 
alone. 

2870. Some time ago a man of large 
property died, and I asked a friend, 
"How much did he leave?" I was 
somewhat startled when he answered, 
"All of it Sir, he didn't take a cent with 
him." He went out of the world as 
poor as when he entered it. 

2871. Moody's last words are familiar, 
to all: "I see earth receding, heaven is | 



opening: God is calling me." Samuel 
Rutherford had an end equally trium- 
phant. For thirteen years he was rec- 
tor of the University of Aberdeen, and 
poured forth many vigorous volumes 
through the press. When Charles II. 
came to the throne the heroic Ruther- 
ford was to appear at Edinburgh on 
a charge of high treason. The sum- 
mons found him on his death-bed, and 
he replied to his enemies as follows: 
"I have another summons from a Su- 
perior Judge. I behoove to answer my 
first summons, and ere your day I will 
be where too few kings and great folk 
ever come." On his bed of pain he 
cried out: "Oh, for arms to embrace 
him! Oh, for a well-tuned harp!" As 
the enrapturing vision of the gates of 
paradise broke upon his failing eyes he 
exclaimed: "Glory, glory dwelleth in 
Inimanuers land." With this shout 
upon his lips he passed through the 
gate into the city. When the news 
reached Parliament that he was dying, 
some of the sycophants of the profligate 
Charles proposed that he should not be 
allowed to die as rector of the univer- 
sity. Lord Burleigh arose and said: 
"You cannot vote him out of heaven." 

2872. A beautiful fancy was that of 
Dr. Guthrie, the famous Scotch preach- 
er, who compared the infirmities of old 
age to the land birds, alighting upon 
the rigging of the bark, telling the 
weary mariner that he is nearing the 
desired haven. Life is wisely likened to 
a voyage, and its ending should be as 
the entering into the port of the home- 
land. The keel of the vessel may be cov- 
ered with barnacles and her motion not 
so rapid as when she steamed from the 
pier and began her journeyings, but 
there is something noble and majestic 
in her rounding into the haven, as our 
imagination pictures the storms she has 
weathered and the dangers through 
which she has ridden. The infirmities 
of Christian old age should call for ad- 
miration and sympathy rather than im- 
patience and resentment. — Christian 
Observer. 

2873. Among the dying sayings of 
the heavenly-minded David Brainerd, 

President Edwards has recorded the 
following: "My heaven is to please God, 
and to glorify him, and give all to him, 
and to be wholly devoted to his glory; 
that is my religion and that is my hap- 
piness, and always was ever since I 
supposed I had any true religion; and 
all those that are of that religion shall 
meet me in heaven. I do not go to 
heaven to be advanced, but to give hon- 
or to God. It is no matter where I 
shall be stationed in heaven, whether I 



The Future Life. 



— 401 — 



Death. 



have a high or a low seat there, but to 
love and please and glorify God is all." 

2874. Upon the tomb of Atolus of 
Rheims it was written: "He exported 
his fortune before him into heaven by 
his charities. He has gone thither to 
enjoy it." Happy he who has a right 
to such an epitaph. 

2875. Years ago. on a boat on the 
North river, the pilot gave a very sharp 
ring to the bell for the boat to stop. 
The engineer attended to the machin- 
ery, and then he came up, with some 
alarm, on deck to see what was the 
matter. He saw it was a moonlight 
night, and there were no obstacles in 
the way. He went to the pilot and 
said: "Why did you ring the bell in that 
way? Why do you want to stop, there's 
nothing the matter?" And the pilot 
said to him, "There is a mist gathering 
on the river, don't you see that? and 
there is night gathering darker and 
darker, and I can't see the way." Then 
the engineer, looking around and seeing 
it was bright moonlight, looked into the 
face of the pilot, and saw that lie was 
dying, and then that lie was dead. God 
grant that when the last moment comes 
we may be found at our post doing our 
whole duty; and when the mists of the 
river of death gather on our eyelids, 
may the good Pilot take the wheel from 
our hands and guide us into the calm 
harbor of eternal rest. — Talmage. 

2876. "God has been cutting off one 
source of enjoyment after another," 
said the Rev. Dr. Payson on a sick bed, 
"till I find I can do without them all, 
and yet enjoy more happiness than ever 
in my life before." — "It has pleased 
God lately to teach me more than ever," 
said the Rev. Samuel Pierce, "that like- 
ness to him, friendship for him and 
communion with him, form the basis of 
all true enjoyment." 

2877. "So I am waiting quietly every 
day, 

Whenever the sun shines brightly, I 

rise and say; 
Surely. It Is the shining of his face,' 
And when a shadow falls across the 

room 

Where I am working my appointed task, 
I lift my head and ask if he is come." 

2878. Not long ago there was a trage- 
dy on < of the great western lakes, 

in nhich a whole family was destroyed. 

A friend was asked to break the news 
to the only survivor of It. One daught- 
er was left at home and she had not 
heard as yet of what was known In all 
the town. Everyone feared for her I 
reason when told of the great calamity. 
Gathering courage for her hard task, I 
20 True. 111. 



the friend began: "I have something to 
tell you." The girl at once divined 
something terrible was coming, as she 
asked: "Is it father? where is he? And 
mother — where is mother?" The girl's 
heart stopped beating for suspense. 
"Your mother is drowned, and your 
father too." "But Tom, why is he not 
here? is he gone too?" "Yes, he too." 
The poor girl could only whisper: "And 
Jennie — is she dead too?" "Yes." "And 
Ethel and Frank and the baby?" "Yes, 
all gone." "Are they all dead?" "Yes, 
God help you, they are all gone." A 
wild look came into the tearless eyes. 
Her friend was a devout woman, and 
so she said: "But God is left." The poor 
girl gave her a blinding look, and burst 
into a flood of tears. That old-fash- 
ioned comfort which was the mainstay 
of our forefathers came to her aid. 

2879. "The best sermon I ever heard 
Mr. Spurgeon preach," says Mr. Gough, 
"was in the Boys' Orphanage. There 
was an infirmary connected with the 
orphanage, and in it was a dying boy. 
Mr. Spurgeon sat down by the little cot, 
and in a voice full of tenderness, said 
to him, — 'My dear, you have a great 
many precious promises all around this 
room, and do you know you are not go- 
ing to stay with us long? Do you love 
Jesus?' 'Yes.' 'Jesus loves you better 
than you love him, and he is going to 
take you to himself. There will be no 
suffering there. Did you have a good 
night?" 'No, sir; I coughed all night.' 
'Ah, my child, coughing all night and 
weary all day. Here, outside are the 
boys overflowing with health, and you 
coughing all night, weary all night — but 
Jesus loves you: and he is going to take 
you to him. and then he will tell you 
all about it, and then you will be glad 
you waited here so patiently." " 

2880. When Horace Bnshnel! was dy- 
ing, his wife repeated to him this text: 
"The good and perfect and acceptable 
will of God." "Yes," the dying man 
replied; "acceptable and accepted." 

2881. A certain nobleman had a ^pa- 
clous garden wmcii he left to the care 
of a faithful servant, whose delight it 
was to trail the creepers along the trel- 
lis, to water the seeds in time of 
drought, to support the stalks of the 
tender plants, and to do every work 
which could render the garden a para- 
dise of flowers. One morning the ser- 
vant rose with joy. expecting to tend hla 
beloved flowers, and hoping to find his 
favorites Increased in beauty. To his 
surprise, he found one of his choicest 
beauties rent from the stem. Full of 

f grief and anger, he hurried to his fel- 
I low servants and demanded who had 



The Future Life. 



— 402 — 



Death. 



robbed him of his treasure. They had 
not done it, and he did not charge them 
with it; but he found no solace for his 
grief till one of them remarked, "My 
lord was walking in the garden this 
morning, and I saw him pluck the 
flower and carry it away." Then, truly, 
the gardener found he had no cause 
for . his trouble. He felt that it was 
well his master had been pleased to 
take his own; and he went away smil- 
ing at his loss, because his lord had 
taken delight in the flowers. — Spurgeon. 

2882. John Huss went to his martyr's 
coronation with a radiant hope. Writing 
from his cell he says, "I am no dream- 
er; but I venture this for certain that 
the image of Christ will never be ef- 
faced. Popes and bishops have wished 
to destroy it, but it shall be painted 
afresh in all hearts by much better 
painters than myself. The nations that 
love Christ shall rejoice at this, and I, 
awaking from among the dead, and ris- 
ing, so to speak, from out my grave, 
shall see it with great joy." 

2883. On the cold, gray morning of 
the great battle of Fredericksburg, regi- 
ment after regiment marched out from 
the cover which before had hid it, and 
took its place in the long, blue line 
which was to make the assault. And 
as the great host, unit by unit, wheeled 
from column into line, and the officers 
galloped down behind the men to see 
that everything was ready for the tre- 
mendous struggle, the boys had one 
brief moment in which to look over a 
field upon which sixteen thousand of 
them were to fall before sunset. 

The veteran could scarce forbear a 
smile as he told how, quick as a flash 
of lightning, a thousand men thrust 
each a hand down into the hip pocket 
of his blue trousers, and drew forth, as 
if at one command, a thousand packs 
of cards, and scattered them to the 
winds. 

That one glance "into the jaws of 
death, into the mouth of hell," brought 
to each soldier the same thought: "To- 
morrow the bearers will be searching 
my pockets for things to send home. I 
don't care to have them send back to 
father and mother a pack of cards." 
And more than one prayer went up to 
God in that short moment ere the 
charge was sounded, that a forgiving 
Hand would blot out some things which 
looked so different now when the "sor- 
rows of death" cast their shadows on 
the field. — The Interior. 

2884. An old lady of fourscore had 
been a pillar in the church for more 
than half a century. She was ever an 



active, earnest Christian. Her life had 
been blameless and beautiful. When 
she had reached the closing period of 
life she sent for the pastor and his wife. 
The wife was first summoned to her 
room, and she was desired by the vener- 
able woman to talk to her and sing to 
her. Both requests were complied with. 
Then, dismissing the pastor's wife with 
a cheerful farewell, she sent for the 
pastor. To him she said: "Will you tell 
me why I am so nervous? I tremble, 
and am uneasy, and I cannot control 
my nerves. Can you explain this?" 
"Yes," said I, "God is taking down the 
tabernacle, gradually, a little at a time 
so that the shock of final dissolution 
will hardly be noticed." "Oh!" said she, 
"I am so glad you told me that. It 
throws much light on the subject. 
Now," said she, "I want you to sing, not 
too loud, 'How firm a foundation, ye 
saints of the Lord!' " And as I sang, 
she kept beating the time with her 
hand. The singing concluded she said, 
"Now: I want you to pray for me." At 
the conclusion, she said: "Now you can 
go. Good-bye", she said, "and be sure 
to meet me in Heaven." She died a few 
hours later, in great peace and joy. The 
tabernacle was taken down so quietly, 
that the precise moment of her de- 
cease could scarcely be determined. — 
Omaha Christian Advocate. 

2885. "Over my spirit glow and float 
in divine radiancy the bright and glori- 
ous visions of the world to which I go," 
smiled the dying St. Teresa. "That is 
enough to last until I go to heaven," 
was Archbishop Warham's answer 
when his servant informed him that he 
still had thirty pounds in his purse. 

2886. A veteran retired English offi- 
cer, who had seen much active service 
in India, was one day telling some 
friends of his thrilling experiences. As 
he related his hair-breadth escapes 
their interest grew intense. Finally he 
paused for a moment, then he said; 
"But I expect to see something much 
more exciting than any of these. They 
failed to catch the old man's meaning; 
and he added, in an undertone, "I mean 
in the first five minutes after death." — 
Donald Sage Mackay, D. D. 

2887. It is told of one South African 
tribe that they had never thought of 
anything to correspond with our idea 
of heaven. The missionary had to be 
satisfied with the best word which their 
language could afford him, which is a 
word meaning "the top of a tree." Arrl 
this is all the nearer to the spiritual 
conception of heaven that multitudes in 
Christian lands ever get. 



The Future Life. 



— 403 



Death. 



2888. "Well! God's will be clone. He 

knows best. My work, with all its 
faults and failures, is in his hands, and 
before Easter I shall see my Savior;" 
thus died the "Leper Priest of Molokai," 
Father Damien. 

2889. "Be much at death-beds." said 
Spurgeon to his students. "What splen- 
did gems are washed up by the waves 
of Jordan!" 

2890. The yearly mortality of the 
globe is 40.000.000 persons. This is at 
the rate of over 100,000 per day. The 
average of human life is 33 years. One- 
fourth of the population die at or be- 
fore the age of 7; one-half at or before 
17. Among 10,000 persons one arrives 
at the age of 100 years. One in 500 at- 
tains the age of 90, and one in 100 to 
the age of 60. 

2891. "I feel as one who is waiting 
and waited for." said Douglas Jerrold. 
"I have done my work," said Ernest 
Renan. "Happy!" breathed Raphael, 
as the earthly light faded. "We are 
all going to, heaven." forgave the dying 
Gainsborough, "and Vandyck (with 
whom he had been at variance) is of 
the company." — Colson. 

2892. In the stormy days of the 
French Revolution Miruhcaii passed out 
of the sight of his countrymen, and 
thereafter for many days when the as- 
sembly reached what appeared to be a 
perfectly hopeless situation, instinctive- 
ly it would turn and look toward the 
empty seat In which MUrabeau had sat. 
So, it has well been said, is it with us 
When death has claimed some strong 
friend on whom we were wont to lean. 

2893. "Christians never sec each oth- 
er for the last time. — Adieu!" said the 
German Princess, Maria Dorothea, as 
she bade farewell to a parting mission- 
ary. 

2891. The grave itself is but a cov- 
ered bridge 
Leading from light to light thro' a brief 
darkness. — Longfellow. 

2895. The late Dr. A. J. Gordon told 
of spending his summer out of Boston, 
and of his children who played 
throughout the long day in the dirt; but 
when they knew that he was coming, 
their hands and faces would be clean 

BS they met him at the station. One day 

he went away, and said. "Now, children, 
I do not know when I shall return. It 
may be today, perhaps not for some lit- 
tle time." As a matter of fact, It was 
one whole week before he came, but 
the children met every train that came 
In: filled with expectancy they looked 
for him, and this expectation kept them 



clean for the entire week. So should 
the thought of Christ's coming influ- 
ence us. — Chapman. 

2896. It was said of the death of 
Bishop McCabt, that when he fell, thou- 
sands wept and cried out. "My father, 
my father, the chariots of Israel and 
the horsemen thereof." It was said 
that when William of Orange died, the 
little children wept in the streets. 

2897. "O, that peace may come!" was 
the dying prayer of the "gentle queen", 
Victoria. Farewell, my children; I go to 
your father," sighed poor, high-hearted 
Marie Antoinette. Unhappy Mary, 
Queen of Scots, ill-fated Lady Jane 
Grey, and Christopher Columbus all 
departed with sad resignation: "O, Lord, 
into thy hands I commend my spirit!" 
Everyone remembers the bitter words 
of "Bloody Mary" — "After I am dead, 
you will find Calais written upon my 
heart." — Colson. 

2898. Says one who knows too well 
the emptiness of a life shaped by other 
maxims: "The most logical attitude of 
the thinker, in the presence of religion 
is to act as though it were true." 
"One should behave as though God and 
the soul existed." Whose experience 
dictates this as the philosophy of life? 
Of course, every believer's; but, I be- 
lieve in the depths of my soul, every 
infidel's not less, when daylight dies 
away from him and the shadows of the 
dark valley begin to appall. For he 
who says this is the brilliant Renan. 
the same unhappy man whose perpetual 
endeavor it has been to double damn 
his countrymen, delivering them over 
again to a reign of terror and despair. 
— Bishop Arthur Cleveland Coxe. 

2899. While death is not in any sense 
analogous to sleep, it resembles it to 
the extent that it is in the vast majority 
of instances not only painless, but wel- 
come. Pain-racked and fever-scorched 
patients long for death as the weariest 
toiler longs for sleep. 

While many of the processes which 
lead to death are painful, death itself 
is painless, natural, like the fading of a 
flower or the falling of a leaf. Our 
dear ones drift out on the ebbing tide 
of life without fear, without pain, with- 
out regret, save for those they leave 
behind. When death comes close 
enough so that we can see the eyes be- 
hind the mask, his face becomes as 
welcome as that of his "twin brother." 
— American Magazine. 

2900. Two men are going on board 
a vessel ;is it is about to sail. One l;<>c~ 
sadly, for he Is an exile, leaving every- 
thing dear behind. The land to which 



The Future Life. 



— 404 — 



Death. 



he goes is strange, and lonely, and 
dreary to him. The other goes gladly. 
He has been a student and traveler, and 
the country most dear to him is heyond 
the sea. There are the scenes he has 
most cherished, there are the friends 
that are nearest, and he is going home. 
The joy or sorrow of any departure is 
decided by what we are leaving, and to 
what we are going. It is possible so to 
live that death may be welcomed, but 
such a life is built on a faith that is 
childlike in sincerity, and manlike in 
strength and earnestness. A lady, whose 
experience on the ocean had given her 
a deep dread of it, said, "I never could 
cross it, if it were not to get home." 
So with death. How could we endure 
it, if it were not our only way to go 
home ? 

2901. A literary Chinaman was as- 
sisting Rev. Mr. Morrison in translating 
the Bible into Chinese; and this Oriental 
had gathered a great reverence and 
adoration for the Infinite One; and fin- 
ally he came to the passage, "We shall 
be like him for we shall see him as he 
is". "O, impossible!" said he, "my peo- 
ple never can believe that; let me write 
it down to their comprehension. See 
him as he is, face to face, the King in 
his glory? no; let me say, Dr. Morrison, 
that I may hope to kiss his feet." "No, 
no," said Morrison, "give the Word of 
God as it is." And so we sing in lofty 
speech, "I shall see him face to face, 
and be like him." The Christian's death 
is bright with this hope. 

2902. In the cemetery yonder there is 
a bronze representing a sculptor who in 
the midst of his interesting toil, just as 
his hand is raised to strike another blow, 
is surprised by the Angel of Death who 
arrests the uplifted arm and bids the 
workman cease. If you and I shall be 
faithful, though God's angel may sur- 
prise us in the midst of our labor, he 
will come as the angels came to the 
shepherds when Christ was born; he 
will come as a glad messenger of peace, 
a herald of glad tidings, the bearer of a 
summons to come home, that where the 
Master is we may be also. — Rev. A. S. 
Gumbart. 

2903. Tngersoll was a born leader of 
men. He might have gathered a vast 
army, and led them a victorious cam- 
paign against some of Satan's strong- 
holds. He might have been a Howard, 
a Wilberforce, a Wendell Phillips. But 
this leader of men did not lead them, 
and his following grew less and less 
until his sudden death. His was great 
eloquence, Ingersoll the orator. He might 
have swayed men's minds with the no- 



blest themes as Phillips Brooks did. He 
had a keen mind. He might have defend- 
ed the truth with the sharpest of blades. 
Bravery was his, the courage to face a 
cannon, a hostile jury, an angry — and 
deservedly angry — world. What might 
he not have done with his courage, if 
he had used it on the right side? 
What enemies of Jehovah might he not 
have sent gibbering to perdition? Ah, 
the death he might have died, with sor- 
rowing nations for his pall-bearers, with 
psalms of praise and victory pealing 
from his tomb! And alas! for the death 
he did die. — Golden Rule. 

2904. Sir Henry Wotten, a Christian 
statesman, under James I. of England, 
used to say, "How much have I to re- 
pent of and how little time to do it in." 

2905. One said to Ebenezer Erskine 
when dying, "I hope you have now and 
then a blink to bear up your spirit un- 
der affliction. He replied, "I know of 
more words (promises etc.) than 
blinks." 

2906. General Havelock's (The hero 
who went to the rescue of Lucknow dur- 
ing the Sepoy rebellion) dying words: 
"For more than forty years I have so 
ruled my life, that when death came I 
might face it without fear." 

2907. A devoted mother, after the loss 
of a darling child, wrote me these 
words: "Not a desire to keep for our- 
selves our first-born and only one arose 
in our hearts, not a doubt as to his way 
being best, not a murmur when, 
through a short, bitter agony of suffoca- 
tion, she found the door to endless de- 
lights. We sang the doxology and gave 
thanks when her breath was gone. I 
seem to live in heaven, there is such a 
quiet in my heart. He has so upheld 
us and caused us to triumph in this that 
my confidence in him is increased a 
thousandfold." — James Mudge, D. D. 

2908. The little child comes to the 
home, and love stands at the door with 
its welcome. It touches hearts with a 
heavenly magic. Hosts of pure and 
mighty affections spring into being. 
Love guards the cradle and happiness 
sits at the fireside. But another day 
and the little minister returns to "the 
service of the inner shrine." But, thank 
God, the babes cannot go back to heav- 
en and leave us as though they had 
never come into our lives. The new- 
born affections do not die. There are 
no cemeteries where sorrowing mothers 
and fathers bury love under withering 
flowers. Then comes a new ministry. 
The darling in the home adds to our 
peace and contentment here; but the 
little one in heaven becomes a magnet 



The Future Life. 



— 405 — 



Death. 



drawing its lovers upward. Those who 
have thought of heaven as a foreign 
country now sit to hear what the faith- 
ful witness reveals of its glories. The 
Christ has a claim upon our devotion 
as we think of him as taking our own 
into his tender care. We grope in the 
darkness of sorrow along- the way the 
little feet have passed. Of many pil- 
grims with their faces toward the city 
of God it might be written: "A little 
child shall lead them." May the Father 
give all bereaved parents the poet's 
vision: 

"Here at the portal thou dost stand, 

And with thy little hand 
Thou openest the mysterious gate 
Into the future's undiscovered land." 

— "The Higher Ritualism." 

2909. A "fire call" summoned the am- 
bulance from Gouvernenr Hospital, 
N. Y.. to No. 36 Hester street, at seven 
o'clock one evening. The surgeon found 
a little girl, 6 years old almost roasted to 
death. The little one's name was Annie 
Ashpurvis. Her parents sent her to the 
cellar for some firewood. She carried 
a lighted lamp in her hand. Going 
clown the cellar stairs she stumbled. 
The lamp fell from her grasp and ex- 
ploded. The flame of the burning fluid 
soon enveloped her entire body. Quick- 
ly wrapping the crisp, writhing mass of 
humanity in what is known as a "Stokes 
prepared sheet," the surgeon told the 
driver to get to the hospital quickly. 
Tenderly placing the poor little sufferer 
in a cot the house staff did all that is 
known to science to alleviate her agony. 
It was impossible to save her life. Un- 
der the influence of a narcotic she soon 
fell asleep. Thus she lay slowly breath- 
ing for seven hours. Her face was so 
swollen she could not open her eyes. 
The light of this world was forever shut 
out from her. About 2:30 next morning 
she showed signs of returning conscious- 
ness. The watchful nurse asked her. 
If she desired a drink. She distinctly 
answered "Yes." A little brandy and 
milk were given her. and then the nurse 
ran and called House Surgeon Aspoll. 
saying the little one was awake and 
talking. In a minute he was beside the 
cot. He felt the pulse, ominously shook 
his head, gave some more instructions 
and turned to go away. As he did so 
the little creature moved her body. She 
turned half around. The dim light 
of a candle shone on the blackened 
The swollen lips pursed out. and. 
iii a clear, sweel voice, the dying child 

began to -ing the hymn. 

"Nearer, my God. to thee." 
The doctor and nurse stood transfixed. 
The other patients in the silent, dar- 



kened ward leaned on their elbows and 
drank in the sweet melody. The first 
verse completed she gradually sank 
back on her pillow. Her strength be- 
gan to fail and with it her voice, and 
only the humming like distant music of 
the air of the hymn could be heard. The 
humming ceased. All was over. 

2910. It was a gray afternoon, near- 
ing sunset time, and the lake was 
rough. A family party had come down 
to the shore for the homeward crossing, 
but their small boat could not take 
them all at once. There was a brief 
consultation about the best plan of pro- 
cedure — the possible peril of crossing, 
the discomfort and risk of remaining — 
and finally the group divided and a part 
embarked. The mother, a middle-aged 
Scotch woman, stood a sturdy figure on 
the beach. and with anxious eyes 
watched the rowboat until it was a 
mere speck nearing the opposite shore. 

"They're in where it's smooth, now," 
she said, with a sigh of relief. "But I 
doubt the rest of us'll no' be able to 
cross to-night," her husband remarked, 
surveying wave and sky. "We must do 
as we can. I'll be braver lor knowin' 
the father and the lasses have won 
safe across." she answered, with the 
note of thankfulness still in her voice. 

It was only a little scene by the lake- 
side, but it brought a thought of the life 
shore and its partings, and how often, 
instead of being braver because some 
are safe, we grieve selfishly, and forget 
to be thankful that they have "won 
safely over." • 

2911. People who pass the Roths- 
child mansion in the fashionable quar- 
ter of London often notice that the end 
of one oT the cornices is unfinished. 
One is likely to ask, "Could not the 
richest man in the world afford to pay 
for that cornice, or is the lack due 
simply to carelessness?" The explana- 
tion is a very simple yet suggestive one 
when it is known. Lord Hot lischjld is 
an orthodox Jew, and every pious Jew's 
house, tradition says, must have some 
part unfinished, to bear testimony to 
the world that Its occupant is only, like 
Abraham, a pilgrim and a stranger up- 
on the earth. The incomplete cornice 
on the mansion seems to say to all who 
hurry by in the streets, bent on amass- 
ing worldly wealth, or going along with 
the maddening crowd In the paths of 
folly: 'This is not Lord Rothschild's 
home: In- is traveling to eternity:" We. 
too, should remember that we are trav- 

i elers. The good Dean Stanley left as 
j an inscription to be placed on his tomb 

these words: "The end of a traveler on 

his \\;iy to Jcru-alem!" 



The Future Life. 



— 406 — 



Heaven. 



2912. A tiny child belonging to a 
primary class was very ill. Perhaps a 
shadow fell from the grave faces of the 
mother, nurse, and doctor. The little 
one looked into the dear mother's eyes 
and asked, "Am I going to die?" "You 
are very sick, darling," said the mother, 
steadying her heart and her voice for 
her child's sake. "Perhaps Jesus means 
to take you home to he with him." 

"Will I go to Jesus, mother?" "Yes, 
dear." "Is it that Jesus that Mrs. C. 
tells about in the class? just the same 
one?" "Yes, the very same Jesus." 
"Oh, then I'm not afraid to go to him, 
for Mrs. C. keeps telling us how good 
he is and how he loves the little chil- 
dren and says, 'Come unto me and for- 
bid them not.' " — Julia H. Johnson. 

2913. Ingersoll's address at his broth- 
er's coffin. "Whether in mid-ocean, or 
amid the breakers of the farther shore, a 
wreck must mark at last the end of each 
and all; and every life, no matter if its ev- 
ery hour be filled with love and every 
moment be jewelled with a joy, will at 
the last become a tragedy, as sad, and 
dark, and deep as can be woven of the 
warp and woof of mystery and death.* * 
Life is a dark and barren vale between 
the cold and ice-clad peaks of two eter- 
nities. We strive in vain to look beyond 
the heights. We lift our wailing voices 
in the silence of the night and hear 
no answer but the bitter echo of our 
cry." With this hopeless despair com- 
pare Paul's — "I know in whom I have 
believed and am persuaded that he is 
able to keep that which I have com- 
mitted unto him against that day." 

2911. One beautiful Sunday evening 
on the Oceanic, in mid-ocean, a large 
group of Welshmen out on the main 
deck sang melodiously in Welsh and in 
English — sang the great old church 
hymns. Many hundreds of the twenty- 
three hundred souls on board crowded 
about to listen. It was dark when the 
familiar tune told us they were singing 
"Jesus, Lover of my Soul." After sing- 
" ing it in Welsh they repeated it in Eng- 
lish. Just as they finished the line, 

"Safe into the haven guide." 
the captain on the bridge tapped three 
bells (half past nine). The watchman 
on the . first lookout repeated the three 
taps loudly on his larger bell, and then 
sent out over the decks and out over the 
waves the cry, thrilling when first heard, 
"All's well!" Far up in the crow's nest, 
nearly one hundred feet from the deck, 
the watchman in the second lookout 
caught it up and sent it out farther yet 
into the ocean darkness "All's well!" 
One on deck, thinking of eternal safety, 
saifl in a moment, ''Wouldn't it be fine 



if every soul on this great liner could 
from the heart and for himself echo it 
yet again, and fling it up to thp: angels 
above, 'All's well!' " 

Heaven. (2915-2951) 

2915. A man in Dublin had a boy 
whom he almost idolized. The boy died, 
and every night the father would take 
his tallow candle and his Bible and go off 
alone and read till ten or eleven o'clock. 
"What are you doing?" some of his 
friends asked him. "Trying to see where 
Johnnie's gone. I mean to find out all 
I can about the place where Johnnie's 
gone, and then I mean to go there too." 
You can find out in the Word of God. 

2916. The materialistic temper of this 
age leaves no room for the angel. We 
no longer watch for the flash of his 
glory or listen for the rustling of his 
wings. We have relegated the angel to 
much the same category as the ghost. 
We have subscribed to the Sadducean 
doctrine that there is neither angel nor 
spirit, and so we have impoverished our 
universe and emptied it of its glory and 
romance. We pride ourselves on our 
emancipation from superstition; never- 
theless, it may well be that the Jew was 
far nearer the truth than we, and if we 
only had our eyes opened we too should, 
like Elisha's servant, see the mountain 
full of horses and chariots of fire and 
should realize that man does not go 
forth into life's fierce battle unguarded 
and unfriended, but compassed about by 
gleaming ranks of angels charged of 
God to keep him in all his ways. — • 
Jowett. 

2917. A soldier rose in a meeting soon 
after the Rebellion and said that he en- 
listed because his brother had done so. 
They had never been separated, and 
when he heard that his brother was go- 
ing to the War he decided to go too. 

I They went to the front and marched to- 
gether, shoulder to shoulder, day after 
day. At the battle of Perryville, a 
minie-ball struck his brother and he 
fell mortally wounded. There was no 
time for delay. The battle was on, and 
so he had time only to put his knap- 
sack under the head of the dying man. 
Then he bent over and kissed him on 
the forehead and started forward. He 
stopped to look back and heard the fa- 
miliar voice say "Charlie, come back a 
moment. Kiss me, Charlie, on the lips. 
There, that's for mother." As he lay 
dying, he said, suddenly: "This is glori- 
ous." "What is glorious?" "I see Jesus 
standing at God's right hand. I see the 
glories of the Heavenly land. It is glor- 
ious." 

2918. The old rabbins say that when 



The Future Life. 



— 407 — 



Heaven. 



the famine came on in Egypt, and the 

store-houses were opened, Joseph threw 
the chaff of the grain upon the Nile that 
it might float down the river, and show 
those who lived below that there was 
an abundance of provisions laid up for 
them farther up the river. So the soul- 
blessings of this world are little more 
than the husks ol' the heavenly good 
things, sent down on the river of divine 
grace, to indicate what is in store for 
us. in heaven. The peace we get here is 
very sweet; but it is only a faint pro- 
phecy of the peace of heaven. When in 
holy meditation, or in sweet communion 
in piayer and praise, faith and hope and 
love flame up, how joyous we are! And 
yet it is only a slight foretaste of what 
heaven lias iu store. 

2919. "The ship may sink and I may 
drink 

A hasty death in the bitter sea; 
But all that I leave in the ocean grave 
May be slipped and spared and no loss 
to me. 

"What care I, though falls the sky, 
And the shriveled earth to a cinder 
turn? 

No fires of doom can ever consume 
What never was made nor meant to 
burn 

"Let go the breath! There is no death 
For the living soul, nor loss nor harm 

Nor of the clod is the life of God, 

Let it mount as it will from form to 
form". • 

2920. A converted Japanese artist said 
recently to a missionary, "I suppose the 
reason why English artists put so much 
perspective into their drawings is be- 
cause Christianity has given them a 
future; and the reason ' why Oriental 
artists fail to do so. is because Buddha 
and Confucius do not raise their eyes 
above the present." — Regions Beyond. 

2921. When Charles Kingslcy lay dy- 
ing in one room his wife was danger- 
ously ill in another. She sent him a 
message one day to ask if he thought 
It cowardly for a poor soul to tremble 
before the mysteries of an unknown 
world. "Not cowardly," was his re- 
sponse, "but remember it Is not dark- 
ness we are going lo. for God is light: 

not loneliness, for Christ is with us." — 
Mackay. 

2922. What will he the substance up- 
on which Ihey -hall -land who worship 

God and praise him in the ages of eter- 
nity? I find manifold fitness in the an- 
BWer that tells us that it shall be a "sea 
of glass mingled with lire." Is it not a 
most graphic picture of that experience 
ot the rest always pervaded with aridi- 
ty, of calm, transparent contemplation 



always pervaded and kept alive by eager 
I work and service, which is our highest 
i and most Christian hope of heaven? 
! Let us be sure that our expectations re- 
j garding heaven are scriptural and true. 
I Heaven will not be pure stagnation, not 
idleness, not any mere luxurious dream- 
ing over the spiritual repose that has 
been safely and forever won by active, 
tireless, earnest work, fresh, live enthu- 
siasm for high labors which eternity will 
offer. These vivid inspirations will play 
through our deep repose and make it 
more mighty in the service of God than 
any feverish and unsatisfied toil of 
earth has ever been. — Phillips Brooks. 

2923. At death the Christian simply 
crosses the summit of the earthly life, 
and lives on a sunnier side, whilst our 
poor sight stops with the intervening 
line hills. The immediate Beyond may 
be an intermediate state of glory, where 
saints await the resurrection and the 
general judgment; a life that never ex- 
tends downward into hidden glades anil 
deep shadows and experiences of pain, 
but one that suggests rather the plain of 
Sharon, which, leaving the troubled sea 
behind it, is continually ascending until 
it enters the city by the Joppa gate. — 
Robert F. Sample, D. D. 

2921. It is mostly in fiction that ex- 
ercise of the virtues is substantially re- 
warded by some remarkable turn in for- 
tune, but sometimes fact outdoes fiction. 
Louis de Bouhet, a commercial traveler 
living in Paris, is the hero of this little 
romance in real life. M. de Boubet 
lives with his blind father, whom he has 
been supporting on a slender income. 
On his return home from a recent busi- 
ness journey he was called upon by 
two strangers. One of them was a no- 
tary from Feurs and the other the solici- 
tor to the late Marchioness de Vivens. 
They informed the astonished commer- 
cial traveler that he was entitled lo 
$2,000,000 and the splendid historical 
chateau of Vivens, left by the late Mar- 
chioness. This appeared to him like 
one of the things that happen only in 
the course of fairy stories, as he had n<> 
expectations concerning the wealth of 
his distant kinswoman. She had no 
near relatives, and the notary, after 
several days' investigation, discovered 
that the nearest relative was a cousin, 
three degrees removed, named Louis 
Odet de Bouhet. It was necessary to 
-how M. de Bouhet the written proof- 
before he would credit I. is fortune and 
accept his Inheritance. 

2925. Now. just as the gates were 
opened to let in the men, I looked in 
:il l« r them, and behold the city shone 
like the sun: the streets, also, win; 



The Future Life. 



— 408 — 



Heaven. 



paved with gold, and in them walked 
many men with crowns on their heads, 
palms in their hands, and golden harps, 
to sing praises withal. There were also 
of them that had wings, and they an- 
swered one another without intermis- 
sion, saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the 
Lord!" And after that they shut up 
the gates; which, when I had seen, I 
wished myself among them. — Bunyan. 

2926. Some things about heaven have 
been made reasonably plain, but a full 
knowledge of what we shall be has not 
been made manifest — but "we shall be 
like him." We shall be free from all 
the environments and limitations of our 
earthly bodies. It matters not what 
becomes of them.' There will be moral 
activity in heaven. One-third of the 
human family die before reaching the 
age of moral accountability. Gladstone, 
the grandest man of his time, lived to a 
ripe old age. Perfection is not attained 
at the gate of heaven; this is not God's 
way. There will be progress in heaven. 
All life is a growth — an unfolding, a de- 
velopment. Life in heaven will be no 
exception. There will be service there; 
"Therefore are they before the throne 
of God; and they serve him day and 
night in his temple. Service will not be 
labor; it will be the highest pleasure, 
the source of unspeakable joy. Heaven 
will be a social place. I cannot explain 
the Trinity — the Father, Son and Holy 
Spirit. But where there is a father and 
a son there will be social enjoyment. 
Heaven is a real home, beautiful, lovely, 
a most delightful place to live in — not 
eternally the same, but ever growing 
more beautiful, more lovely. Heaven is 
a place prepared for those who are pre- 
pared for it. — W. C. Bitting, D. D. 

2927. Anna Shipton tells of her vis- 
ion of heaven, how one night as she lay 
down, weary in her work, she fell asleep 
and dreamed that she was sailing into 
the harbor of heaven through a sea of 
glass, and myriad forms of loved ones 
were standing on the shore to welcome 
her. But looking- round, she noticed 
that the waters were filled with drown- 
ing men and women and children, and 
they were reaching out their hands with 
despairing cries for her to save them. 
Immediately she lifted up her face to 
the beautiful city and said: "Father, 
not yet do I ask thee to take me to that 
blessed heaven, but rather to send me 
back to save those lost ones." And then 
it seemed to her that the very cords of 
her heart were loosened and became 
cables as she swam through the sea. 
and the drowning ones clung to her very 
heart-strings as she painfully drew 
them home, and the very water was 



stained crimson from her own heart 
with the agony of her love. 

2928. "We loved, we love, and we 
shall love," is the epitaph on Charles 
Kingsley's tombstone. 

2929. "Heaven must be attained by a 
ladder, not by a leap, step by step, not 
at a bound." And yet Christ, who is 
the glory of heaven and the opener of 
it to us, may be had by a single act of 
the soul. "Believe on the Lord Jesus 
Christ and thou shalt be saved." He 
becomes our ladder and our way; as we 
walk in him and with him we will at 
last in and with him walk into heaven. 

2930. "You will soon meet with the 
loved ones that have gone before you 
to your Father's home," said one to a 
dying Christian. To which the dying 
Christian replied: "I do not think so 
much of that, as of meeting my Savior 
and seeing him face to face, and being 
welcomed by him at the. gate of Heav- 
en." 

2931. "Safe home, safe home in port, 

Strained cordage, shattered deck, 
Torn sails, provisions short, 

And only not a wreck; 
But oh! the joy upon the shore, 
To tell our voyage perils o'er!" 

So wrote Joseph of the Studium over 
a thousand years ago, and so say we to- 
day. "Now abideth — Hope." — Rev. S. 
A. Dyke. 

2932. When we return home from a 
long journey, it is not the house, the 
furniture or the fireside that gives us 
joy; it is the sight of the loved ones 
there. So in our Father's House it will 
not be the pearl-gates or the golden 
streets; we shall be glad when we see 
our Lord! In the language of Bonar's 
sweet hymn — which I 'heard sung at his 
funeral — 

"Christ will be the living splendor, 
Christ the sunlight mild and tender. 
Praises to the Lamb we render, 

Ah, 'tis heaven at last! 
Broken death's dread bands that bound 
us. 

Life and victory around us, 
Christ the King himself hath crowned 
us, 

• Ah, 'tis heaven at last! 

— "Help and Good Cheer." 

2933. What has been the great, and 
what is now one of the strongest and 
most influential powers or motives in 
the human heart? A desire to find 
some better place, some lovelier spot, 
than we now have. For what does the 
tradesman toil? For what does the 
physician practice? For what does 
man hope at the decline and close of 
life? Some sheltered nook, some quiet 



The Future Life. 



— 409 — 



Heaven. 



spot, where, if he cannot have a rest 
that will never be moved, he may have, 
at least, a foretaste and foreshadow of 
it. What was it that carried Columbus 
across the western wave amid insub- 
ordination within his ship, and the un- 
expectedly wild waves that roared and 
curled around and without? What sus- 
tained him on the unsound sea, amid 
the untraversed waste of waters? The 
hope of a better country. — Dr. Cum- 
mings. 

2934. There is a legend of a wealthy 
woman who, when she reached heaven, 
wa- shown to a very plain cottage. 

She objected. "Well", she was told, "that 
is the house prepared for you." Whose is 
that fine mansion across the way?" she 
asked. "It belongs to your gardener." 
"How is it that he has one so much bet- 
ter than mine?" "The houses here are 
prepared from the materials that are 
sent up. We do not choose them, you 
do that by your earthly deeds." 

2935. Too little do we. in the rival- 
ries and anxieties of our human life, 
permit the blessed influences of that 
holy world to allure and to occupy us. 
We give absorbing thought to the ques- 
tions of today. We grasp for the prizes 
of this vain world. We vex ourselves 
over the disappointments and defeats 
which are only of temporary signifi- 
cance. Yet, ever above us is a world 
which holds all the elements which ap- 
peal most strongly to natures like ours. 
It is an eternal world. It is a happy 
world. It is a world full of love. It in- 
vokes all that is best and noblest in us. 
It wins us from everything that is sor- 
did, to all that is sacred. 

2936. Seek heaven only by Jesus 
Christ. Christ tells us that he is the 
way, and the truth, and the life. He 
tells us that he is the door of the sheep: 
"I am the door; by me if any man enter 
in he shall be saved; and shall go in 
and out and find pasture." If we, there- 
fore, would improve our lives as a jour- 
ney toward heaven, we must seek it by 
him, and not by our own righteousness; 
as expecting to obtain it only for his 
sake, looking to him. having our de- 
pendence on him, who has procured 
It for us by his merit. And expect 
strength to walk in holiness, the way 
that leads to heaven, only from him. — 
Jonathan Edwards. 

2937. Days without nights, joys with- 
out sorrows, sanctity without sin, chari- 
ty without stain, possession without 
fear, society without envying; commun- 
ion of Joys without lessening; and they 
shall dwell In a blessed country win-n- 
an enemy never entered, and from 



whence a friend never went away. — 
Jeremy Taylor. 

2938. An eminent minister, after hav- 
ing been silent in company for a con- 
siderable time, and being asked the 
reasons replied that the powers of his 
mind had been solemnly absorbed with 
the thought of eternal happiness. "Oh. 
my friends," said he with an energy that 
surprised all present, "consider what it 
is to be forever with the Lord — forever." 

2939. "We know but little about the 
other side," said a lady of heaven. A 
friend replied; "You know that we in- 
vited you to visit us a year ago, and you 
came. When you received the invitation 
you had no idea about our home, the 
scenery and surroundings. But this you 
did know, that you would be most joy- 
fully received with open arms, and 
knowing this you were fully satisfied. 
The scenery would come after the wel- 
come." 

2940. To be ten minutes in the com- 
pany of Agassiz was to obtain the 
strongest argument for the immortality 
of the soul. 

2941. The resurrection flower of the 
eastern deserts, is swept from its birth- 
place, withered by heat, and yet, by a 
touch of moisture in its new home, it is 
revived, and blossoms forth in beauty. 

2912. The soul's independence of the 
body is shown by the fact that the soul 
often seems most vigorous when the 
body is weakest; at point of death. 
Large portions of the brain may be tak- 
en and not affect the thinking powers. 
In sleep, the action of the voluntary 
muscles is completely suspended, and in 
a swoon the activity of the mind itself 
is suspended, and yet the integrity of 
the soul itself is not impaired. 

2943. An old Virginia slave, like th<- 
apostle to the Indians. Eliot, whose dy- 
ing whisper was, "Welcome joy," ap- 
proached death triumphantly, saying. 
"Brother, I have had a rough time of it 
in this world, but, bless God, it is al- 
most over. I love Jesus, and I know 
that the Lord has a good home for me 
in heaven." 

29 11. Savonarola in the Florentine 
dungeon, the night before he was 
burned, was seen by the jailor to smile 
"What is it?" the guard asked. "I bear 
the sounds of falling chains, and their 
clangor is like sweet music to mine 
cars." 

2!) 15. Some years aj;o. in the city of 
Boston, a beautjful young girl lay <h- 
Ing. For a long time she refused to see 
her rector, who was Dr. Donald, of 
Trinity Church; but at last she sent for 



— 410 — 



Heaven. 



him, and he gladly came. The Youth's 
Companion tells the story. "Dr. Donald," 
said the dying girl, "I am horribly 
afraid to die! What shall I do? What 
shall I do? I went to Sunday-school, 
and I was confirmed, and I've always 
been to church, and I supposed I had 
done about all I could do: but now I 
know that I have done nothing! I am 
just being thrust out of my happy life 
here into the dark. I can't see any- 
thing:! I can't believe anything! What 
shall I do?" The rector's grave, strong 
face grew very tender as he looked at 
her. He thought a moment before he 
answered her, and then he said: "Jen- 
nie, you remember that a year ago a 
baby came into your sister's household 
— a dear, sweet, healthy girl; but as 
helpless as a wave of the sea. Do you 
remember all that was done for her? 
How everybody in the family tried to 
think of some new service for that tiny 
bit of human life — from the dainty lin- 
ens and laces made ready before she 
came to the scientific preparation of her 
food and her -rules of life, and to the 
love which waked and watched day and 
night for her comfort? Now, dear 
child, that is the kind of care that we 
human beings give to the new life which 
comes into our lives. Do you suppose 
that God is less loving than we? Can't 
you believe that in the home which he 
is calling you to enter there is making 
ready every device for your happiness 
and every protection by which love may 
make you feel at home? Think about 
that, dear girl." The word brought a 
new light to her face, even as he spoke. 
The dying girl recurred to it again and 
again, and in the very last moment, 
looking up into Dr. Donald's face with 
the ineffable smile of one who dies in 
peace, she whispered: "To prepare a 
place for you." 

2946. Rowland Hill, after preaching 
one of his great sermons and after his 
great evening audience had withdrawn, 
was heard repeating, as he paced up 
and down the aisles of his church the 
following simple words with childlike 
rapture: 

"When I am to die, 
Receive me I'll cry, • 
For Jesus has loved me, 
I cannot tell why; 
But this I do find, 
The two are so joined, 
He'll not be in Heaven, 
And leave me behind." 

— Christian Work. 

2947. How real and how near heaven 
may be to us if we only live in nearness 
of spirit to it! An invalid girl lay for 

many months in a little room that had 



two large windows, one facing toward 
the southwest and the other toward the 
southeast. On bright days the little 
room was filled with a flood of sunshine 
all day long, making it warm and cheer- 
ful. The invalid's couch was so placed 
that she could look out of both win- 
dows; and at a certain hour of the day, 
when the sun's beams struck into the 
little room at just the right angle, look- 
ing through the south window, nearest 
her couch, the pain tortured girl could 
see the reflection of the other window 
clearly outlined against the blue sky as 
if it were a window in heaven. She 
used to lie and wait eagerly for this 
hour; and when it came, and the re- 
flection was suddenly cast upon the sky, 
she would cry out, happily, "Oh, I can 
see my window in heaven!"' Then she 
would lie for a long time looking with 
rapt eyes through this sky window. So 
it came to pass, from her daily looking 
into heaven, that the blessed country 
became as real to this poor suffering 
girl as the world about her. There was 
for her no dark flood, no great silence 
and darkness and uncertainty between 
the two worlds — only a flood of God's 
blessed sunlight, and a dear, familiar 
window opening into the bending sky, 
the home of the angels. — Christian 
Work. 

2948. A dying child said to his father, 
"Lift me higher." and the father ten- 
derly lifted the child higher on the pil- 
low. But the child said, "Lift me high- 
er," and the father took him in his 
arms. "Higher, higher, higher," and the 
father lifted him till he could stretch 
his arms no farther. And the little 
one went up higher into the gloryland. 

2949. When Melanchthon came to die, 
he was asked, "Is there nothing else 
that you want?" "Nothing but heaven," 
he replied. 

2950. Revelation 21 gives the meas- 
urements of heaven. The most interest- 
ing calculation on the subject is that of 
Capt. J. B. Sharkley, a measurer of ves- 
sels in the Boston Custom House. He 
takes the statement in Revelations 21, 
and figures it out thus: "And he meas- 
ured the city with the reed 12,000 fur- 
longs. The length and breadth and 
height are equal." Twelve thousand 
furlongs — 7,920,000 feet cubed — 497,- 
793,088,000,000,000,000 feet. Reserving 
one half of this space for the throne and 
court of Heaven, and one-half of the re- 
mainder for streets, we have 124,198,- 
273,000,000,000,000 feet. We will sup- 
pose the world did, and always will con- 
tain 900,000,000 inhabitants, and that a 
generation lasts 31 Vs years, making in 



The Future Life. 



— 41 1 — 



Recognition In Heaven. 



all 2,970,000,000 every century, and that 
the world will stand 1,000,0.00 years, or 
10,000 centuries. 29.700,000,000 inhabi- 
tants. Now suppose there are 100 worlds 
like this, equal in the number of inhabi- 
tants and duration of years, a total of 
2,970,000,000,000.000 persons, there 
would be more than 100 rooms, 16 feet 
square, for each and every person. — 
Atlanta Constitution. 

2951. "A prepared place for a prepared 
people." I have a friend who for many 
years has been engaged in business in a 
great city. Successful and honored, he 
yet wishes to buy a farm and live upon 
that. His friends dissuade him. How 
do you know, they say to him, that you 
will like the new life, that you will pros- 
per in it? I want to try — is all the man 
will say. But let us see. Have you ever 
had a door-yard? Yes? And did you 
sift the soil in that and plant choice 
seeds in ribbons and circles about your 
door so that all who passed said: How 
that man loves flowers and a smooth, 
rich lawn? Have you had a garden plot 
or a place for one behind your house, 
and have you raised on that little plot 
year by year such luscious vegetables 
that your guests would ask your secret 
of gardening? If you can answer Yes to 
each of these questions, I will reconi 
mend you for promotion to a farm and 
a market-garden: if No, who would 
dare encourage you? — Pilgrim Teacher. 

2952. There is a legend of a man 
wrecked at sea and borne by the waves 
to an unknown shore. He was con- 
ducted by the inhabitants to a palace and 
saluted with reverence. Asking an ex- 
planation, he was told that "once a year 
the people took someone who reached 
their shores in this way and made him 
king. They obeyed his commands, and 
he reigned in splendor for a year." "But 
what will become of me at the expira- 
tion of the year?" "You will be placed 
in an open boat and conveyed to an 
island beyond the horizon, uninhabited 
and desolate." "What will be my fate 
then?" "It is expected that you will 
starve." Like his predecessors, the new 
king at first gave himself up to feasting 
and drinking. But toward the close of 
the year he called his chief adviser to 
him and said: "Am I still king?" "You 
are." "And will the people obey all 
my commands?" "Every one, until the 
last moment." "Then," said he, "I will 
devote (he rest of the year to sending 
forward provision- ;ind all necessarii-s 
for my comfort on that Island beyond 
the horizon." "Lay not up for your- 
selves treasures upon earth: but lay up 
for yourselves treasures in heaven." 



2953. At the close of a lecture en- 
gagement in a neighboring town. Wen- 
dell Phillips' friends entreated him not 
to return to Boston. 

"The last train has left," they said, 
"and you will be obliged to take a car- 
riage into the city. It is a sleety No- 
vember night, cold and raw; and you 
will have twelve miles of rough riding 
before you get home." 

To which he replied: "But at the 
other end of them I shall find Anne 
Phillips." 

Some of my readers may be having a 
hard time. They may find their life 
journey like that cold midnight ride of 
the famous orator. But let them think 
as he did. of the one they are to meet 
at the other end. Jesus said: "I will 
receive you to myself, that where I am 
ye may also be." Should not that prom- 
ise comfort us in the darkest hour? — 
Cincinnati Leader. 

Recognition in Heaven. (2954-2957) 

2954. Recognition is implied in the 
Scriptural representations of heaven. 

Take the figure of a mansion. Jesus 
says, "In my Father's house are many 
mansions:" what is the idea here, but 
that of a family at home, and this 
means that the good who are separated 
here, shall be united there, and this im- 
plies recognition, for leave out recogni- 
tion and the most essential feature of a 
home is gone. To poor sorrowing mor- 
tals mourning for lost ones, Jesus says, 
in substance, Let not your heart be 
troubled, there are mansions in heaven, 
where you shall find your lost ones. And 
that finding of friends which is to heal 
the sorrow caused by the loss of them 
must include recognition. — Rev. John 
W. Langley. 

2955. There we shall meet the dear 
departed ones, whose virtues and graces, 
etherealized by the touch of death, are 
garnered in our memories. In a mo- 
ment \\e shall know them. Though so 
strangely altered, though in every linea- 
ment and feature there shall be the glow 
and beauty of heaven, we shall know 
them at once. Oh, the joy of those 
meetings! Who can tell of the sweetness 
which the interchange of love shall add 
to all the felicity of heaven without 
which it would not be heaven? How 
shall we love to talk of all the way God 
has led us! — G. W. Field, D. D. 

2950. The question is often asked. 
Shall we know each oilier in heaven? 

And it is asked .sometimes with anxiety, 
Shall I have fellowship with my friend 
who on earth was the very BOUl of my 
soul? Yes, you shall. So certain is the 



The Future Life. 



— 412 — 



Judgment. Retribution. Hell. 



fact that the question is almost 
foolish. It should never have had an 
existence. Our love for God shall con- 
tinue; why not all other pure and kin- 
dred loves? To answer this question in 
the negative would imply a destruction 
which is quite opposite to the dealings 
of God with our nature. Memory would 
have to be abridged. Vision would have 
to be impaired. There would have to be 
a less or a paralysis of our affectional 
nature. Something would have to fall 
out of our mental constitution before 
our friends could fall out of our life. If 
our friends fell out of our life, why not 
all remembrance and thought of our 
salvation and of our Savior? The ques- 
tion is absurd. Certain physical rela- 
tions will cease there, but all soulful re- 
lations will continue, and these will be 
filled with joyful reminiscences which 
will keep us perpetually in the spirit 
and mood of praise. Shall we know 
our friends there? What is the signifi- 
cance of immortality if it means forget- 
fulness? How forgetf ulness narrows 
this life ? Of what use is immortality 
if we lose our identity 9 

2957. The marriage supper of the 
Lamb will not be a convocation of stran- 
gers but a home gathering in our Fath- 
er's house; and I believe we shall have 
the power to know each one, so that 
there will not be a stranger in all heav- 
en; and, of course those who constituted 
our family circle in Christ, shall be 
there, and shall be known as such. 
You tell me that heaven is the temple 
of God, that it is the city of God, that 
it is a beautiful city, and all these rep- 
resentations clothe heaven with immor- 
tal beauties and resistless attractions 
that entrance my senses, and captivate 
and fascinate my soul! But, oh, when 
you tell me that heaven is the home of 
the soul, the brightest vision of all un- 
folds before me! For there, amid the in- 
effable glories, I recognize familiar 
faces, and hear familiar voices, and my 
heart swells and throbs with, the hope 
of a blessed reunion with loved ones on 
yonder peaceful shore, where the part- 
ing hand shall never be given and 
"good-by" shall never be spoken! Yes, 
reason and Scripture and common-sense 
all unite in confirmation of the soul's 
immortal conviction that we shall know 
each other better when the mists have 
cleared away.- — Langley. 

Judgment. Retribution. Hell. 

(2958-2972) 

2958. You and I write our lives as if 
on one of those manifold writers which 
you use. A thin, filmy sheet here, a bit 
of black paper below it; but the writing 



goes through upon the next page; and 
when the blackness that divides two 
worlds is swept away, there the history 
of each life written by ourselves re- 
mains legible in eternity. — Alexander 
Maclaren, D. D. 

2959. There is a machine in the Bank 
of England which receives sovereigns 
for the purpose of determining whether 
they are of full weight. As they pass 
through, the machinery by unerring 
laws, throws all that are light to one 
side, and all that are of full weight to 
another. That process is a silent but 
solemn parable; it affords the most vivid 
similitude of the certainty which char- 
acterizes the judgment of the great day. 
— Arnot. 

2960. The Emperor Constance with 
an untrembling hand put his brother 
Theodosius to death, but in his exile the 
wraith, created by remorse, followed 
him, holding up to him a cup of red, 
warm blood, saying, "Drink, brother, 
drink!" 

2961. A man who has obtained his 
wealth wrongfully will live to see that 
wealth a curse to his children; amid it 
all, he will be unsatisfied as Tantalus 
amid the fleeing waters, while the eagle 
of remorse will ever feed upon his own 
vitals. England sells the opium to Chi- 
na, but her own empire of India is 
undermined by the growing craving for 
the drug. The last Napoleon waded to 
the throne through seas of blood, and at 
Sedan, amid seas of blood, his empire 
sank. Sin carries in itself the seed of 
its own fatal penalty; that there is no 
need for God to arise and take a thun- 
derbolt in hand; if only he keeps still 
and allows sin to work out its own re- 
sult, according to his constitution of the 
world, the wrong-doer will be abundant- 
ly punished. — F. B. Meyer. 

2962. He who sacrifices the eternal to 
the temporal loses both. An Italian one 

day found his enemy in his power. As 
he was about to pierce him with his 
dagger he said, "I will spare your life 
if you will abjure the religion of Christ." 
The wretch abjured. "Now," exclaimed 
his enemy, as he drove his weapon 
home, "I have a sweet revenge, for I 
kill body and soul." 

2963. In the reign of King Charles I. 
the goldsmiths of London had a 
custom of weighing several sorts of 
their precious metal before the privy 
council. On this occasion they made 
use of scales poised with such 
exquisite nicety that the beam 
would turn, the master of the company 
affirmed, at the two-hundredth part of 
a grain. Noy, the famous attorney-gen- 



The Future Life. 



— 413 — 



Judgment. Retribution. Hell. 



oral, standing by and hearing this, re- 
plied, "I should be loath then to have 
all my actions weighed in these scales." 
"With whom I heartily concur", says the 
pious Hervey, "in relation to myself". 
And since the balances of the sanctuary, 
the balances in God's hand, are infinitely 
exact, oh what need have we of the j 
merit of Christ! 

2964. What do the proverbs say of 
retribution? They say "God moves with 
leaden feet, but strikes with iron 
hands." "Punishment is lame, but it 
comes." "God is a creditor who has no 
bad debts." "The gods are slow but 
sure paymasters." And listen to this 
proverb, which Trench has called "aw- 
fully sublime": "The feet of the aveng- 
ing deities are shod with wool." Noise- 
lessly, they approach, as one whose feet 
are wrapped in a fleece, to strike down 
the sinner who is totally fearless and 
unsuspecting in his self-security. They 
give no sign of their coming, no signal 
appears in the sky, no rumble of their 
footfall is heard, no rustle among dry 
leaves, till the sharp ring of the axe of 
judgment echoes in the air. History 
flings a red glare on this proverb. 
Again, "Who sows thorns, let him not 
walk barefoot." "As he has brewed, so 
must he drink." "He has made the bed, 
he must lie on it." Let these suffice to 
show how this fearful truth is burnt 
deep into the soul of man, with the iron 
of old experience and brooding obser- 
vation. — Rev. R. C. Cowell. 

2965. A western farmer pointed out 
to a friend from the East a grove of 
trees. He asked him what they were. 
"Chestnuts," was the confident reply. 
"Come and see," the farmer said. The 
ground was strewn with acorns. Great- 
ly surprised, the traveler looked up. 
The leaves, surely, were chestnut leaves, 
but the boughs hung full of acorns. It 
was the chestnut-oak of the west. Not 
the leaf, but the fruit decided its spe- 
cies. We often detect the chestnut- 
oaks. What only begins to appear here 
Is made clear to all beings at the har- 
vest, or the Judgment, — Monday Club 
Sermons. 

2906. When we fall into the outer 
darkness, we do not go in bands and 
companies — each man iniisl fall by him- 
self. And this same solitariness will 
mark the Judgment or each soul. "Thou 
must go forth alone", is the hardest part 
of the verdict pronounced upon the im- 
penitent sinner. 

29(17. Huxley said: "I am a very 
strong believer in the punishment of 
certain kinds of actions, not only In the 
present but in all the future a man can 



have, be it long or short." And I sup- 
pose that all men with a clear sense of 
right and wrong have now and then de- 
scended into hell and stopped there long 
enough to know what infinite punish- 
ment is. For if a genuine immortality 
awaits us, such immortality, without 
some change like that depicted in the 
thirteenth chapter of Corinthians, must 
be in eternal misery." 

2968. Describing the later days of Ra- 
leigh's career at Court, Kingsley sums 
up the tale of his fopperies with the 
words: "But enough of these toys, while 
God's handwriting is on the wall above 
all heads. Raleigh knows the hand- 
writing is there. . . . Tragic enough 
are the after-scenes of Raleigh's life; 
but most tragic of all are these scenes 
of vain-glory, in which he sees the bet- 
ter part, and yet chooses the worse, and 
pours out his self-discontent in song 
which proves the fountain of delicacy 
and beauty which lies pure and bright 
beneath the gaudy, artificial crust. What 
might not this man have been! And he 
knows that too. . . . Anything to forget 
the handwriting on the wall, which will 
not be forgotten." — Literary Illustra- 
tions. 

2969. Strauss wrote near the end of 
life: "I have reached, indeed over- 
stepped the threshold of old age. There 
every earnest man has to listen to the 
Voice within: 'Give an account of thy 
stewardship, for thou mayest be no lon- 
ger steward.' " 

2970. Chaplain McCabe once talked 
with Admiral Schley in the harbor of 
Valparaiso. He asked him what he was 
thinking about during the battle of 
Santiago. Schley replied, "Well, you 
would hardly guess. In the midst of that 
thrilling engagement which resulted in 
the destruction of Cervera's fleet that 
Sunday morning, my mind was contin- 
ually going back three hundred years 
when the Spaniards drove my ancestors 
out of Spain. I thought how strange it 
was that I was there to help to pay that 
debt by the humiliation of that wicked 
nation." Retribution! "Because sentence 
against an evil work is not executed 
speedily, therefore the heart of the sons 
of men is fully set in them to do evil." — 
The Evangel. 

2971. A gentleman while crossing the 
Ray of Biscay, became exceedingly 
alarmed and anxious as he beheld what 
he thought was an approaching hurri- 
cane or tornado. He trembled and ad- 
dressed himself to one of the experi- 
enced sailors: "Do yon think she will be 
able to live through it?" "Through 
what?" inquired the man. "Through 



Miscellaneous. 



— 414 — 



Evangelistic. 



that fast approaching' storm!" The old 
sailor smiled and said: "Sir, you need 
not be alarmed; that storm will never 
touch us, it has passed already." So in 
regard to the believer; judgment, so far 
as sin is concerned, is past already. 
Christ has been tried, condemned, and 
executed in his stead for his sins. 

2972. In a letter to his friend Wade, 
Samuel Taylor Coleridge revealed how 
galling to him were the fetters of his 
sin. These are his hopeless words: 
"Conceive a spirit in hell, employed in 
tracing out to others the road to that 
heaven from which his own crimes ex- 
clude him! In short, conceive whatever 
is most wretched, helpless, and hopeless, 
and you will form as tolerable a notion 
of my state as it is possible for a good 
man to have. In the one crime of 
opium, what crime have I not made 
myself guilty of — ingratitude to my 
Maker; unnatural cruelty to my poor 
children; self-contempt for my repeat- 
ed promise-breach!" He wished the 
narrative of his wretchedness to be 
made public to deter others by his dire- 
ful example. As a philosopher he be- 
lieved in the freedom of the will; yet 
With Paul he was forced to cry out, "O 
wretched man that [ am, who shall de- 
liver me from the body of this death!" 
He was holden with the cords of his sin. 
What a spectacle of the loftiest human- 
ity laid prostrate, a powerful, capacious, 
aspiring mind bound down to hopeless 
slavery and anguish by one disastrous 
habit! 

MISCELLANEOUS. (2973-3001) 
Evangelistic. New Year. 

2073. That was a wise thing that 
Doctor Johnson said in his old age: "I 
have been resolving these fifty-five 
years; now I take hold on God." 

2974. The late Henry Irving tells a 
pathetic story of how the tragedian 
Mac-ready played "Hamlet" for the last 
time. The curtain had fallen, and the 
great actor was sadly thinking that the 
part he loved so much would never be 
his again. And as he took off his velvet 
mantle and laid it aside, he muttered 
almost unconsciously the words of Ho- 
ratio, "Good-night, sweet Prince," then 
turning to his friend, "Ah," said he, "I 
am just beginning to realize the sweet- 
ness, the tenderness, the gentleness of 
this dear Hamlet." One never con- 
sciously does anything for the last time 
without sadness of heart, and as we 
turn away from a year which we shall 
never see again, and which is full of 



things which have happened and can 
never un-happen, it is natural and 
wholesome that we should be visited by 
the uneasiness that springs from discon- 
tent. — Edward Jordan, D. D. 

2975. There is a passage in Virgil that 
made a deep impression upon my col- 
lege days. Evander, the soldier, has 
come to the end of his career. Looking 
backward with bitter tears and regrets, 
he recalls the past. The present mo- 
ment was big with opportunity, but he 
was unequal to its overture. Responsi- 
bilities were there, but his shoulders 
could not bear them up. An unexpect- 
ed crisis had come, and he could not 
meet it. It was an hour for a leader 
who had a giant's strength, and lo, 
Evander finds the grasshopper a burden. 
In his grief he exclaims: "Oh, that I 
was as in the day when I led my army 
out in the Valley of Praeneste." How 
pathetic the hero's cry, piercing the 
heart like a sword. Gone forever the 
physical energy that in his youth never 
tired. Gone the zest of living — life had 
run to its dregs. Gone the passionate 
ambitions, burning out like candles; 
gone all desire for the applause of men. 
For that applause now seemed empty as 
crackling thorns. And the things Evan- 
der had lost were lost forever. We 
can revisit old scenes, reopen old books, 
seek out familiar friends — we never can 
recover our lost years, and the oppor- 
tunities that have fled. All man's days 
lie on the bosom of eternity as snow- 
flakes lie upon the river's currenc. A 
moment there, then gone forever. There 
is one task to which even omnipotence 
is not equal — the task of recovering a 
wasted youth, and a lost year. — Hillis. 

2976. When Thorwaldson was asked, 
"Which is your greatest statue," he re- 
plied, "The next one." 

2977. Douglas Jerold said; "There is 
nothing at which the devil laughs more 
than at an act of parliament." The same 
thing is true of many New Year's reso- 
lutions. 

2978. Everyone of our actions finds its 
reflection in the life of someone else. 

No matter how humble may be our sur- 
roundings we have an influence on some 
other life. Individual good cheer 
means general happiness. If we are 
bright, we brighten our neighbor; the 
neighbor is an emissary to the commun- 
ity, and the community, in turn, to the 
world at large. — Christian Scotsman. 

2979. Life holds many lamps that 
shine in the night, but the brightest is 
the lamp of experience. Would you 
know how to get the most possible out 



Miscellaneous. 



— 415 — 



Evangelistic. 



of this New Year? Consider well the 
mistakes of the old year. 

2,980. Life's voyage and its perils. 
Five years ago the merchant ship Alba- 
tross sailed from an Atlantic port, bound 
for the coast of Africa. "And she will 
never reach it," said an old sailor on the 
pier. ""Why?" asked a bystander. "She 
seemed to me to be a staunch 
well built vessel." "She should have 
had a copper bottom. Here is what 
I found on her hull." He held 
out his hand, on which lay a soft, tiny 
mass, a lump of jelly within a wall of 
shell. "What harm could that do?" 
said the other, laughing.. "It is a harm- 
less, half-dead creature." "Harmless, 
half-dead creatures like that will eat 
into the soundest hull that ever was 
laid, and leave it a rotten hulk," was 
the reply. At the end of a year the good 
sh'p Albatross was reported to have 
spvung a leak, and sunk. The barnacles 
had eaten their way through the sound 
oak timbers, and brought ruin and 
death. — The Youth's Companion. 

2981. Divine help for human resolu- 
tions. Some time ago, at a meeting held 
in a large seaport town, two sailors, 
when spoken to about salvation, said: 
"It ain't no use. If we give up drink- 
ing and swearing to-night, we should bo 
as had as ever tomorrow." The leader 
of the meeting took his watch from his 
pocket and said. "Do you think the 
maker of this watch could wind it up 
again?" "Of course he could, sir!" was 
the answer. "Well, God is your maker, 
and don't you think he could wind you 
up and keep you going?" "I never 
thought of that, sir." "Come to him. 
then, and prove his power. He can put 
you in working order, and keep you go- 
ing, on board ship just as well as on 
land." — The Baptist Standard. 

2982. The upward look. There is 
a tradition that Michael Angelo, by his 
prolonged and unremitting toil upon the 
frescoed domes which he wrought, ac- 
quired such a habitual upturn <>f coun- 
tenance that, as he walked the streets, 
strangers would observe his bearing, 
and set him down as some visionary or 
eccentric. 

298:?. Cecil Rhodes arrived at the 
termination of his career with the la- 
mentation on his lip-.. "So much to do, 
and so lit tic- done"- — which was, In ef- 
fect, a confession of failure. A life 

spent in eager, Feverish quest of things 
material is certain to come to its close 

with regret, if not despair. It larks the 
glad glow and uplift that come from 
the constant performance of noble deeds 
in the name of the Master of men. It 



is dark because it has been selfish; it 
is disappointing because it has never 
risen to the royal levels of self-sacrifice. 
— Epworth Herald. 

2984. Painting life-pictures for Christ. 
Raphael's chief joy was to paint scenes 
Horn the life of Jesus. His last work, 
the culmination of years of study, was 
"The Transfiguration." It was scarcely 
finished when he became ill, and so he 
had the picture hung in the sick-room 
that his thoughts might ever be directed 
to his glorified Savior. When he died 
the picture was hung above the body, 
and, as great crowds came to pay their 
last tokens of respect to the painter, 
they beheld above him the vision which 
had transfigured his life and given birth 
to his genius. 

2985. In Baltimore, one Sunday 
morning as the people were going to 
church, a telegraph pole, large and 
strong and round, suddenly, without 
any warning, like a great strong man 
struck down by an unseen bullet, 
groaned, and then, with a snapping, 
tearing, grinding sound, the upper por- 
tion fell to the street, leaving about 
twenty-five feet standing. A crowd soon 
gathered, marveling what should have 
caused such a catastrophe. Just then 
a small boy began to climb the stump 
that was left, to investigate. When he 
reached the top he found that right 
where the pole had broken was a 
scooped-out place where a pair of wood- 
peckers had cut out their nest, and 
there in the nest was a poor little wood- 
pecker frightened half to death. 

Unnoticed, but steadily, stroke after 
stroke, the birds had dug their way back 
into the heart of that great, strong tele- 
graph pole until they had sapped its 
strength. Sometimes a man comes 
crashing down. iHis outer life has 
seemed strong and round and respecta- 
ble. The whole world marvels at it; 
but after a little bit it is discovered 
that some secret sin had eaten into his 
heart. 

2980. Albeit failure In any cause pro- 
duces a correspondent misery in the 
soul, yet it is, in a sense, the highway 
to success, inasmuch as every discovery 
of what is false leads us to seek earnest- 
ly after what is true, and every fresh 
experience points out some form of er- 
ror which we shall afterward carefully 
eschew. — Keats. 

2987. Utilizing our opportunities. An 
illustration of the new lights which 
science throws upon old questions is the 
modern explanation of an experiment 
made nearly three centuries ago by the 
Flemish physician. Van Helmont. In a 



Miscellaneous. 



— 416 — 



Evangelistic. 



pot of earth weighing 200 pounds he 
planted a willow branch weighing five 
pounds. He kept the plant well watered, 
and in five years the willow had gained 
164 pounds in weight, while the earth 
in the pot had lost only two ounces. 
Van Helmont inferred that the plant's 
gain was due only to the water which 
had been supplied. Modern botanical 
science proves that the gain was, in a 
great measure, due to carbon absorbed 
from the air. 

2988. The Book of Common Prayer 
begins the religious year at Advent, be- 
cause the nations of the globe have re- 
garded various periods as the com- 
mencement of the year. Before A. D. 
1752 our New Year began on March 25. 
It is a fortunate circumstance, for with 
this arrangement the introduction of 
Christianity into a foreign land, such as 
Persia, China, or Japan, does not inter- 
fere with its civil and legal year. John 
Wesley grafted on the eve of New Year's 
day the keeping of a "Watch Night,"' 
which, although it was regarded by his 
biographer, Robert Southey, as a strange 
innovation, is now observed by Chris- 
tians of every name. — Homiletic Re- 
view. 

2989. A great Southern statesman 

said to those who asked if some one 
should pray for him, as his pulse was 
failing: "No; my life must be my 
prayer. This solemn moment is not so 
significant as the solemn years that are 
gone. Let them stand." 

2990. A little Sliakeress with a meek 
face "beneath a large green bonnet, was 

hastening along the main street of 
Springfield Mass., one afternoon, so as 
not to keep the old elder waiting in the 
big wagon, when she unwittingly ran 
against a small newsboy, and sent his 
papers flying on the wind in all direc- 
tions. After assisting the youngster to 
collect his wares, and dropping a nickel 
into his hand with the apology, "I am 
sorry for thee, and my carelessness, my 
son", she hastened away. The little fel- 
low gazed after the retreating figure 
with awe, and at last turned to a com- 
panion with the question, "Say, Mickey, 
be that the Virgin Mary?" The little 
boy was not far wrong, perhaps. For 
no doubt the same blessed ideal of pur- 
ity and gentleness that dwelt in the 
heart of the mother of Jesus glorified 
her humble life. 

2991. I am not simply what I am, but 
what I was, as well. As a tree gathers 
up all the growths of former years, and 
contains them in itself, so my life is the 
summary and substance of all my past. 
All that I was, I am. What a solem- 



nity this tact gives to our daily living! 
Every today will soon become a yes- 
terday, and then it will be fixed and 
stereotyped forever; but it will still" be 
a part of myself. O man! O woman! 
look out for your todays, if you would 
have your yesterdays look backward 
with a smile. — The Watchword. 

2992. One of the most forceful of 
English writers said, in his old age, as 
he took up a volume he had writ- 
ten when he was twenty-three, 
"My God, what a genius I had 
when I wrote that book!" But this is 
not a healthy way of looking at the 
past; it usually betokens some morbid 
feeling. Dean Swift, when he made 
that remark, was on the verge of in- 
sanity. — Zion's Herald. 

2993. Some fifty years ago a gang of 
Belgian miners, angry with another set 
of underground workers, set a mass of 
coal on fire to smoke out their com- 
rades. How well they succeeded, let the 
record of half a century tell. Years 
have passed away; a generation has 
-faded; the angry passion of those who 
sought revenge has become a thing of 
the past; but the fire started long ago 
blazes on, and no earthly skill has yet 
found a way to extinguish it. And this 
same thing is true of the influence of 
our deeds and words. Let us guard 
them carefully. 

2994. We cannot get so far away from 
our past as to be sure that it will never 
overtake us. If our own memory shall 
agree not to appear against us in court, 
there are other memories which may 
do so. Therefore the only security is to 
make your present such that when it 
becomes a past you will not be afraid 
to meet it. "There is nothing covered 
that shall not be revealed, and hid that 
shall not be known," says Matthew. 
Happy is the man, therefore, that is not 
afraid of his past; so that, whether he 
meets it at midday or at midnight, he 
may not hide from it as an enemy, but 
may shake hands with, it heartily, and 
say, I am glad to see you. — The Watch- 
word. 

2995. A society woman, greatly ad- 
mired for the beauty of her person and 
the loveliness of her character, relates 
an early experience that proved a turn- 
ing point in her life. While away at 
school she found herself in a class of 
bright and pretty girls, while she herself 
was exceptionally homely and awkward 
and dull. This preyed upon her spirits 
until she became sullen and morose. 
One day her French teacher, an old 
woman, said to her, "What ails you, my 
child?" 



Miscellaneous. 



— 417 — 



Evangelistic. 



"I am so ugly and stupid," she replied; 
"that it puts me in perfect despair." 

Upon this the teacher put in her hand 
the bulb of a plant. It was coarse and 
scaly and stained with earth. "That is 
you," said the teacher. "Plant it and 
take care of it." She took the bulb and 
put it in the earth and faithfully wa- 
tered it, until at last there emerged 
from its unsightly shell an exquisite 
Japanese lily — bright omen, as it proved, 
of the unfolding of her own character. 
In some such way as this the soul that 
fully commits itself to the gentle hand 
of Christ will be changed into his image 
from glory to glory. — Christian Obser- 
ver. 

2996. An opportunity to do good is 
tantamount to a command to undertake 
the work. 

2997. In Cole's celebrated picture, or 
rather series of pictures, on the voyage 
of life, he makes the youth eager in the 
pursuit of pleasure and of fame, to rush 
forward on the turbid stream. Ship- 
wrecked he would be evidently, but for 
the guardian Angel, who hovers near, 
and guides him along the stormy scene. 
This guardian Angel personifies the care 
of God. 

2998. Let merchants write "account- 
ability" on their desks; the farmer over 
the income of his farm; the laborer over 
his wages, the professional man over his 
salary. A business man who had made 
a donation of $100,000 to a Christian 
enterprise, once said in the hearing of 
(he writer: "I hold that a man is ac- 
countable for every sixpence he gets." 

2999. In South Wales, T made (he ac- 
quaintance of a Welsh gentleman. He 
was then a landed proprietor, living in 
his own mansion, and in very comforta- 
ble circumstances. He had been before 
carrying on an extensive business in a 
large town. By the death of a relative 
he had unexpectedly come Into posses- 
sion of this property. After considering 
whether he should retire from business, 
he made up his mind that he would still 
continue to curry it on, though no lon- 
ger for himself, hut for Christ. I could 
not help being struck with the glee- 
someness of a holy mind which lighted 
up his countenance when he said: "I 
never knew before what real happiness 
was. Formerly I wrought as a master 
to earn a livelihood for myself; but now 
I am carrying on the same work as dili- 
gently as if for myself) and even more 
SO, but it Is now lor Christ, and every 
hall' penny of prolit is handed over to 
the treasurj of the Lord and I feel that 

27 Prac. 111. 



the smile of my Savior rests upon me." 
— Dr. Duff. 

3000. Improving the time. One morn- 
ing after Jenny Lind had given a chari- 
ty concert, a clergyman found her 
counting and sealing up the money re- 
ceived, preparatory to distributing it 
among the poor. He began to compli- 
ment her, but she cut him short by say- 
ing: "It is the only return I can make 
unto the good Lord for the gift he has 
bestowed upon me, which is the great 
joy of my life. I can repay him only 
through the poor and the suffering." 

Her motive in visiting America was 
to earn thirty-six thousand pounds to be 
used for educating the poor children of 
Stockholm, whose great ignorance and 
degradation touched her sympathetic 
heart. Just before embarking she re- 
marked to a friend: "May I not hope for 
God's blessing upon this work, under- 
taken for the lambs of Christ's flock? 
My daily prayer is that I may be spared 
three years in order to carry out my 
plans for my poor children in Stock- 
holm." 

3001. Living helpful lives. An old 
lady from a New England village had 

been taken by the niece whom she was 
visiting in the city to consult a young 
oculist. After a long life of steady use 
in the behalf of relatives, friends, and 
neighbors and poor people, her eyes 
had, as she expressed it, "gin out jest a 
mite," so that she had decided to get a 
pair of spectacles. "My dear madam," 
said the young oculist, after a careful 
examination, "there is no danger to be 
apprehended if you take proper pre- 
cautions, although your eyes at present 
are not in as good condition as I could 
wish. The glasses will be of great as- 
sistance, of course. Besides that, how- 
ever, I should advise entire relaxation 
of the nerves for some time to come. 
You should be free from annoyance and 
excitement, and even from care, for the 
next six months. And above all, my 
dear madam." he added, impressively, 
"you should avoid all trouble and worry. 
Do not associate with sickness and dis- 
tress. The effect of such things is to 
increase the difficulty which you at 
present experience." 

"Why child," said the old lady, look- 
ing at the doctor with an expression of 
gentle reproof In the eyes of which he 
spoke so glibly, "I- guess yon mistook 
my mcaiiin'. I came to net lilted to a 
pair of specs. I wasn't cnlctdatln* tO 
wear 'cm to heaven, but right here in 
this world o' sin and trouble. I'm afraid 
maybe you'll have to lit me all over 
again!" 



The Bible. 



Homiletic Index. 



Specific Duties, 



HOMILETIC INDEX. 



No. 
1- 



The Bible 

A Divinely Inspired Revela- 
tion 1- 

The Incomparable Book 21- 

The Bible's Influence on the 

Race 33- 

Its Influence on the Individual 42- 
Bible Study; Importance 74- 

God 97- 

Some Attributes of God 97- 

Invisible 97- 

Omnipresent 101. 

All-Seeing 103- 

All-Wlse 107- 

Omnipotent : Ill- 
Holy 114. 

Loving 116- 

The Trinity 134- 

God the Father. Providence 139- 

God in Nature 198- 

God the Son 213- 

His Deity 213- 

The Incarnation and Birth. 

Christmas 225- 

Christ's Wonderful Words 

and Works. 237- 

Christ's Death. The Atone- 
ment 245- 

Christ's Resurrection. Easter. 

Immortality 264- 

Christ's Ascension. Inter- 
cession 302- 

God the Holy Spirit 309- 

The Holy Spirit's Character 

and Mission 309- 

" Filled with the Spirit" 314- 

How the Spirit Helps Us 322- 



Sin. 



341- 



96 

20 
32 

41 

73 
96 

340 
133 

100 
102 
10(5 
• 110 
113 
115 
133 

138 
197 
212 
308 
224 

236 

244 

263 

301 

308 
340 

313 
321 
340 

623 
344 



The Fall. Sin's Beginnings. 341- 
Sin's Nature; Guilt; Growth; 

Methods 345- 369 

Doubt. Skepticism. Infidelity 370- 382 
Sin's Power; Slavery. Habit 383- 396 
Sins. Classified. The Deca- 
logue 397- 547 

The First Commandment. 

"Other Gods" 397- 401 

The Second Commandment. 

Idolatry 402- 400 

The Third Commandment, 

Profanity. Irreverence 407- 415 



No. 

Sins Classified. (Continued).. 397- 547 

The Fourth Commandment. 

The Sabbath 416- 430 

The Fifth Commandment. Fi- 
lial Love 431- 439 

The Sixth Commandment. The 
Sacredness of Life. Murder. 
Hatred. Envy. The Tongue. 

Temper. Persecution 440- 400 

The Seventh Commandment. 

Purity 461- 478 

The Eighth Commandment. 

Honesty 479- 496 

The Ninth Commandment. 

Truthfulness. Slander 497- 513 

The Tenth Commandment. 

Oovetousness 514- 547 

Temptation 548- 569 

Conscience 570- 600 

The Consequences of Sin 601- 623 

The Immediate, Present Con- 
sequences 601- 618 

The Future, Final Conse- 
quences 619- 623 

Satan. 623, 341, 345, 348, 383, 387, 394,722 

Salvation: Offered and Accepted. ... 624- 870 

God's Offer of Salvation. 

Grace ... 624- 660 

Salvation Accepted 661- 870 

Repentance. Confession of 

Sin 661- 701 

Faith 702- 735 

Faith and Feeling 736- 744 

The New Birth. Regenera- 
tion 745- 755 

Moralists 756- 761 

Christ's Transforming Power. 762- 835 
Procrastination 836- 870 

Specific Duties, Privileges and Graces 

of the Christian Life.. 871-2839 

Confessing Christ. Union 

with the Church 871- 906 

The Church. Its Place and 

Claims. Public Worship 907- 925 
Loyalty to the Church. 

Church Attendance 926- 985 

The Sacraments 936- 942 

Baptism 936 

The Lord's Supper 937- 942 

Music, Influence of. Hymns. 943- 964 

Christ Our Friend 965-1007 

Prayer 1008-1087 

Prayer and Disease 1078-1087 

Christian Love 1088-1142 

Gratitude. ThanksgivingDay. 1143-1170 



41S 



Homiletic Index. 



Miscellaneous. 



No. 

The Sunday School 2232-2272 

Young Men 2273-2292 

Education 2293-2313 

Books 2314-2319 

Thought. Reflection. Medi- 
tation. Influence of 

Mind on Body 2320-2331 

Wealth. Stewardship 2332-2379 

Philanthropy 2380-2406 

Temperance 2407-2497 

Temperance and Business. . .2407-2433 

Temperance and Health 2434-2447 

General Evils of Intemper- 
ance. 2448-2487 

Temperance Effort 2488-2497 

Earnestness. Zeal 2498-2037 

Thoroughness 2638-2653 

Enthusiasm 2654-2681 



Specific Duties. 

No. 

Specific Duties. 'Continued ) 871-2839 

* Consecration. Holiness. 

Other-worldliness 1171-1229 

Obedience 1230-1272 

Trust. Assurance. Freedom 
from Worry and Anx- 
iety 1273-1382 

The Promises 1383-1399 

Hope, Christian Optimism . . . 1400-1418 
Happiness. Cheerfulness. 

Peace. Contentment. .1419-1468 

Patience 1469-1487 

Humility. Meekness 1488-1505 

Chastening. Affliction. Ad- 
versity 1506-1596 

Christian Unity 1597-1609 

Brotherly Love 1610-1641 

Forgiving Others 1642-1667 

Kindness. Sympathy. Tact. . 1668-1773 

Friends and Friendship 1774-1785 

The Home 1786-1820 

Marriage. Divorce 1821-1834 

Mothers: Their Influence. .1835-1850 

Opportunity 1 851-1865 

Character. Will. Motive. . .1866-1914 

Hereditv 1915-1924 

Environment 1925-1933 

Influence 1934-2005 

Example : . . 2006-2. 36 

Soul-Winning. 2037-2098 

Missions, Foreign and in 

General 2099-2184 

Missions, Home 2172-2184 

The Immigrant 2185-2192 

The Young 2193-2313 

Christian Nurture. Child- 
hood. Adolescence.. 2193-2231 



Courage. Self-Sacrifice. Self- 

Denial. Heroism 2682-2720 

Self-Seeking. Worldliness. . .2721-2761 
Spiritual Indifference. Drift- 
ing. Excuses 2762-2795 

Idleness. Indolence 2796-2800 

Hypocrisy. Insincerity. In- 
consistency 2801-2814 

Questionable Amusements. . .2815-2832 
Godliness Profitable 2833-2839 

The Future LUe 2840-2972 

Death 2840-2914. 264- 301 

Heaven 2915-2957 

Judgment. Retribution. 

Hell 2958-2972. 619- 623 

Miscellaneous. Evangelistic 2973-3001 



419 



Ability. 



Topical Index. 



Chastening. 



TOPICAL INDEX. 



Ability. Talents. 1939. 1942. 1946. 1950. 

1952. 1961. 
Abstinence from Drink. 2448-2487. 
Acceptance of Salvation. 661-870. 
"Accidents," Providential. 149. 151. 152. 

163. 167. ' 
Accountability. 341. 342. 345. 
Activity, Christian. 2498-2637. 
Admonishing Wrong-doers. 366-488. 2278. 

2766. 

Adolescence. 2213. 2222. (2193-2313.) 

Adoption. 753. 754. 1007. 

Adultery. Impurity. 461-478. 2167-2168. 

2204. 2213. 2216. 2222. 
Adversity. Chastening. 1506-1596. 
Affections, The, Love to God and Man. 

1221. 1088-1785. 
Affliction. 1506-1596. 
Aim, A Noble. 2281. 
Allurements, Sin's. 2880. 
"Almost Persuaded." 836-870. 
Almsgiving. Stewardship. ■ 2332-2379. 
Altruism. 2380-2406. 

Amusements. Questionable. 1192. 2815- 
2832. 

Ambition. 1265. 2281. 2736. 2743. 2754. 
Ancestors. 1915-1924. 
Angels. 1494. 2916. 

Anger. 346. 441. 443. 446. 449-454. 456. 
2321. 

Answered Praver. 1008. 1011. 1014. 1016. 

1021. 1023. 1027. 1028. 1031. 1035. 1047. 

1048. 1054. 1064. 1065. 1077. 
Anti-Christs. 2765. 
Anxiety. 1273-1399. 
Apostacy. Backsliding. 2762-2795. 
Appetite. 2397. 
Appreciation. 1700. 
Ardor. 2654-2681. 

Ascension, Intercession, Christ's. 302-308. 
Asceticism. 2816. 
Associates. 1775. 1934-2005. 
Assurance. 1273-1382. 336. 998. 999. 
Atheism. Infidelity. 369-382. 
Athletics Overemphasized. 2279. 
Atonement, Christ's. 128. 130. 245-263. 
654. 656. 

Attainments, Christian. 821. 826. 829. 830. 

832. 1180. 1182. 1185. 
Attendance, Church. 908. 909. 918. 924. 

926-934. 



Auto-suggestion. 2320-2331. 
Avarice. 479-496. 514-547. 2332-2379. 

Backsliders. 85. 2781. 2784. 2824. 
Bad habits. 383-396. 
Baptism. 936-941. 

Belief. Faith. 702-735. 678. 679. 
Benefactors. 2332-2379. 
Benevolence. 2332-2379. 
Bereavement. 264-301. 2840-2914. 
Besetting Sins. 346-369. 
Bible, The. 1-96. 1366. 1383-1399. 
Bible and Human Progress, The. 33-41. 
808. 

Bible, The, Influence on the Individual. 

42-73. 826. 762. 835. 
Bible, The, Inspiration of. 1-20. 
Bible-Schools. 39. 
Bible-Study. 74-96. 489. 2223. 
Bible and Woman, The. 62, 65. 
Bigotry. 1597-1609. 

Blessings, God the Source of. 1143-1170. 
Books. 30-38. 96. 469. 473-478. 704. 1797. 

1953. 2212. 2293. 2314-2319. 2326. 
Boy, The Influence of a. 2369. 
Brahminism. 1093. 
Bravery. 2682-2720. 
Brotherly Love. 1610-1773. 
Buddhism. 1093. 

Business and Religion. 689. 1234, 2833- 
2839. 

Business and Temperance. 2407-2433. 2471- 
2479. 

Calamities and God. 171. 177. 181. 
Calmness. 1434. 

Calumny. 502. 507. 508. 512. 1681. 1899. 

Card-Playing. 2815-2832. 

Care, Worry. 1506-1596. 

Careless, The, Spiritual Indifference. 2762- 

2795. 
Caste. 795. 

Catastrophies and God. 171. 177. 181. 
Catechetical Instruction. 208. 2197. 2203. 

2204. 2206. 2210. 2216. 
Chance or Providence. 139-197. 
Character. 1380. 1866. 1914. 1915. 1934. 
Character Transformed by Christ. 762-835. 
Charity (Christian Love). 1597-1785. 
Charitv (Philanthropy). 2380-2406. 
Chastening. 1506-1596. 



420 



Cheating. 



topical Index. 



Deliverance from Danger. 



Cheating. 479-496. 

Cheerful Giving. 2371. 2378. 

Cheerfulness. 1419-1468. 

Child-Labor. 2401. 2405. 

Child, The Death of a. 2908. 

Child-Nurture. 2193-2313. 850. 

Children, Christian. 2197. 2203. 2204. 

2208. 2224. 
Children's Dav, Origin of. 2262. 
Choice. 836-870. 
Christ. 199-288. 

Christ's Atoning Death. 245-263. 658. 

Christ Our Friend. 965-1007. 

Christ's Transforming Power. 58. 1093- 

1095. 1119. 1194. 1960. 
Christianizing Wealth. 2359. 
Christian Liberty. 753. 754. 815. 1940. 
Christian Living. 871-1272. 
Christianity and Human Progress. 33-41. 
Christian Science. 2330. 2331. 
Christmas: 225-236. 909. 1293. 
Church, The. 907-925. 
Church and Community. 913. 914. 918. 
Church Attendance. 926-934. 
Church Building. 920-923. 935. 
Church, Conditions of Growth. 650. 914- 

919. 

Church, The. Its Claims. 907-925. 
Church, Lovaltv to. 926-935. 
Church-Membership. 871-906. 
Church Music. 943-965. 
Church Work. 2498-2637. 
Church Worship. 907-925. 
Church Union. 1597-1609. 
Church, Uniting with the. 871-906. 
Circumstances. 1925-1934. 
Citizenship, Good. 1879. 1880. 1885. 1887. 
1891. 

Civility. 1670. 1673. 1677. 1687. 1705. 1706. 

1730. 1736. 1738. 1757. 1767. 1769. 
Civilization and Missions. 2141. 33-41. 
College, The Christian. 2296. 2310. (2293- 

2373.) 

Comfort (Christ Our Friend). 965-1007. 

(Trust.) 1273-1382. 
Commandments, The. 397-547. 
Commercialism. 362-368. 2206. 
Communion with God. 904-939. 1044. 

1068. 1069. 1075. 
Communion Service. The. 245-263. 937- 

942. 965-1007. 1117. 

Companionship of Christ, The. 965-1007. 

Competition. 2338. 

Compromises. 2749. 

Concentration. 2638-2653. 

Conduct. 1869 1870. 1872. 1878. 1885-1892. 

Confessing Christ. 871-906. 

491 



Confession of Sin. 677. 678. 718. (661- 
701. 

Confidence in God, Trust. 1273-1399. 
Conflict, Life a. 343. 348. 1901. 548-569. 

1506-1596. 
Congregation, The. 916. 924. 
Conservation of Energy. 1991. 1993. 
Consequences of Sin. 601-623. 
Conscience. 311. 424. 493. 570-600. 613. 
Conscience Money. 586. 
Consecration. 745. 1171-1279. 
Consistency. 1111-1229. 1970. 2004. 
Consolation. 2840-2972. 
Contempt. 1495. 
Contentment. 1419-1487. 2301. 
Contrition. 661-701. 
Controversy. 1597-1608. 
Conversation, Religious. Soul-Winning. 

2037-2098. 
Conversion. 661-735. 1053-1202. 187. 
Conversion of Noted Men. 696-700. 
Conviction of Sin. 662-664. 670. 673. 677- 

701.) 

Convictions. 2520. 2594. 2664. 2665. 2680. 
Courage. 2682-2720. 2616. 
Courtesy. 1671-1677. 1703-1711. 1722. 1737. 
1741". 

Covetousness. 514-547. 2332-2379. 
Cowardice. 871-874. 886. 905. 
Creation. 110-112. 

Criminals. 1871. 1920. 1922. 2275. 2387. 

2394. (1915-1934.) 
Cross, The. Atonement. 245-263. 
Culture, Christian. 2193-2313. (2293.) 

DAMiEfo, Father. 2689. 
Dancing (Questionable Amusements.) 2815- 
2832. 

1 taring. 2682-2720. 

Day of Judgment, The. 2958-2972. 

Deaconesses. 168. 1627. 

Dead, The Blessed. 298. 

Death (Funerals.) 264-301. 2840-2957. 

1297. 1329. 767. 1222. 198. 120. 1366. 

1368. 1383. 1386. 1394. 1398. 1400. 
Deathbed Repentance. 675. 678. 2864. 
Death Without Hope. 617. 621. 
Decalogue, The. 397-545. 
Decision. 1258-1272. 

Decision Day. 2244-2256. 390. 2266. (See 

Christian Nurture.) 
Decision for Christ. 390. 836-870. 
Dedication of a Church. 1959. 907-925. 
Deitv of Christ. 213-224. 
Degeneracy. 345. 1866-1914. 
Delay Dangerous. 836-870. 
Deliverance from Danger. 1286. 1291. 

13D4. 1318. 1326. 1327. 1335. 



Denominational Exclusiveness. Topical Index. 



Glory. 



Denominational Exclusiveness. 1597-1609. 

Dependence upon God. 1273-1382. 

Depravity. 1917. 1921. 1922. 1924. 

Depression. 1367. 1368. 1382. 1386. 1410. 

Design. 108-118. 

Despair. 373. 1289. 1297.. 1300. 

Despondency. 1367. 1368. 1382. 1386. 1410. 

Determination. 2654-2681. 

Devil, The. 623. 341. 345. 348. 383. 386. 

387. 394. 416. 722. 1274. 
Difficulties. 1506-1596. 
Diligence. 2498-2637. 

Disappointment. 1509. 1518. 1521. 1527. 

1533. 1534. 1539. 1540. 1552. 1558. 
Discipline. Probation. 1506-1596. 1876. 

(548-569.) 
Discontent. 1419-1487. 

Discouragement. 1509. 1517. 1518. 1527. 
1529. 1538. 1543. 1546. 1547. 1551. 1559. 
1691. 

Disease and Prayer. 824. 1078-1088. 1671. 
Disobedience. 1230-1272. 
Divinity of Christ, The. 213-224. 
Divorce. Marriage and the Home. 1786- 

1834. 470. 473. 
Dogmatism. 1597. 1600. 1605. 
Doing Good. 1668-1773. 
Doubt. 370-382. 129. 398. 836-864. 1707. 

2077. 2913. 
Dreams. 711. 1405. 2711. 
Drifting. Spiritual Indifference. 2762-2795. 
Drunkenness. 2407-2497. 
Duties of the Christian Life. 871-1272. 
Dying Grace. 1542. 

Earnestness. Zeal. 2498-2637. 

Easter. Immortality. Death. 264-301. 120. 

308. 2840-2914. 
Education. 2293-2373. 1889. 
Educated Classes, The. 2390. 
Effort, Christian. 2498-2914. 
Egotism. 345. 

Eighth Commandment, The. 479-496. 

Election. Predestination. 1253. 

Emotions. Feeling and Faith. 736-744. 

Encouragement. 1668. 1673. 1683. 1689. 
1694. 1696. 1700. 1702. 1720. 1722. 

Endurance. 1470. 1471. 1476. 1477. 1487. 

Enemies. 1562. 1575. 1587. 

Energy. 2583. 2586. 2587. 

Enthusiasm. 2654-2681. 2498-2637. 

Environment and Heredity (See Chris- 
tian Nurture.) 776. 827. 1309. 1801- 
1871. 1915-1934. 1968. 1982. 2211. 

Envy. 440-460. 514-547. 345. 1422. 1432. 

Error. 382. 

Eternal Punishment. 619-623. 2973-3150. 
Eternity. 264-301. 2840-2972. 



Ethics and Religion. 397. 398. 
Evangelism. 1934. 2037-2098. 
Evil. 341-369. 

Example, Influence of. 2006-2036. 2226. 

1935-2005. 2369. 2378. 
Excuses, Spiritual Indifference. 687. 689. 

2762-2795. 

Experience. 999. 965-1007. 1087-1139. 2680. 
Experience, Christian. 1307. 1118. 1182. 

1183. 2680. 
Extravagance. 2361. 2365. 2389. 2400. 

Failure. 2597. 1509. 1510. 1512. 1514. 1517. 

Faith. 702-735. 1035. 1349. 

Faith and Feeling. 736-744. 

Faithfulness. 578. 2498-2637. 

Fall, The. 341-344. 

Fame. 2736. 2743. 2728. 2734. 

Family, The. 1786-1834. 

Family Prayer. 1816-1820. 

Fanaticism. 458. 459. 1603. 2654-2681. 

Fatalism. 2509. 

Fatherhood of God. 139-197. 

Faults, Little. 2641-2644. 

Fear. Anxiety. 1273-1382. 

Feelings and Faith. 736-744. 

Fellowship with Christ. 965-1007. 924. 

Fervor. 2498-2637. 

Fidelity to Duty. 578. 2498-2637. 

Fifth Commandment, The. 431-439. 

Filial Love. 431-439. 1698. 1722. 2205. 

First Commandment, The. 397-401. 

Foes, Spiritual. 1562. 1575. 1587. 

Foreign Missions. 2099-2184. 

Forgetting Wrongs. 1666. 

Forgiveness, God's. 624-660. 

Forgiving Others. 1642-1667. 346. 

Formalism. 2801-2814. 

Fortitude. 2682-2720. 

Fourth Commandment, The. 416-430. 

Free Grace. 624-870. 

Freedom of the Will. 1258. 1272.- 

Friendship. 1002. 1774-1785. 

Frivolity. 2761. 

Fruitfulness. 2498-2637. 1171-1229. 
Funeral Thoughts. 2840-2914. 264-301. 

767. 120. 198. 1296. 1297. 1299. 1329. 
Future Life, The. 2840-2972. 

Gains, Unlawful. 481. 490. 495. 

Gambling. 481. 490. 495. 

Generosity. 1744. 2346. 2355. 2358. 2360. 

2364. '2366. 2367. 2371. 2376. 2378. 2379. 

2391. 

Gentleness. 1665. 1671. 1682. 
Giving. Stewardship. 2332-2379. 1974. 
Gladness. Joy. 1419-1468. 
Glory. Fame. 2736. 2743. 



422 



God, Attributes of. 



Topical 



Index. 



Judgment-Day, The. 



God, Attributes of. 97-340. 
God's Immanence. 977. 979-982. 988. 989. 
995. 1026. 

God's Love. 116-133. (Providential Care.) 
139-197. (Offer of Salvation.) 624- 
870. 

God's Providence. 139-197. 

God in Nature. 198-212. 

Godliness. 1171-1229. 

Go.dliness Profitable. 2833-2839. 360. 

Godly Sorrow. Repentance. 661-701. 

Good Works. Christian Efford. 2498-2637. 

Good Works, Moralists. 724. 755-761. 

Gold. Wealth. 2332-2379. 

Gospel, The. Redemption. 624-660. 

Grace, Free. 624-660. 

Graces, Christian. 1088-2832. 

Gratitude. 1143-1170. 

Grave, The. 264-301. 2840-2914. 

Greatness, Worldly. Ambition. 2721-2761. 

Growth in Grace. 1866-1914. 

Grumbling. 1463-1468. 1483. 

Guidance. 172. 179. 182. 184. 192. 691. 1051. 

Guilt. 346-369. 

Habit. 383-396. 687. 2306. 2557. 
Happiness, Joy. 1419-1468. 
Hatred. 440-460. 346. 

Health and Happiness. Disease and Prayer. 

1078-1088. 2320-2331. 
Heart-Life. 1171-1229. 
Hearing and Heeding. 353. 
Heathenism. (Missions.) 2099-2184. 
Heaven. 2915-2957. 123. 265. 266. 2077. 
Hell. 2958-2972. 619-623. 
Heredity and Environment. 1915-1934. 

357. 365. 567. 1801. 1871. 1969. 1982. 

2210. 2211. 
Heroism. 2682-2720. 
Hindrances. 1506-1596. 
Hinduism. 1093. 
History, God in. 139-197. 
Holiness. 1171-1229. 

Holy Spirit. The. 309-340. 138. 745-755. 
'1194. 

Home. The. 1786-1820. (Mothers.) 1752- 

1764. (Marriage.) 1738-1751. 
Home Missions. 2172-2184. 1917. 
Honoring Parents. 431-439. 
Honesty. 479-496. 
Hope. 1400-1418. 1452. 
Hospitality. 1772. 1758. 1765. 1769. 
Hospitals. 2381. 

Human Nature. Depravity of. 341-369. 
Humility. 1488-1505. 413. 1049. 2078. 
Humor. 1702. 

Husband and Wife. 1821-1834. 



Hymns. Music. 943-965. 
Hypocrites. 2801-2814. 

Iceland. 2493. 
Ideals. 2281. 2663-2681. 
Idleness. 2796-2800. 
Idolatry. 402-406. 2135. 2146. 
Ignorance Dispelled by Education. 2293- 
2373. 

Image Worship. 402-406. 
Imagination, The. 2320-2331. 
Imitation of Christ. 1171-1229. 
Immanence, God's. 977. 979. 982. 988. 9S9. 

995. 1026. 
Immigrant,' The. 2185-2192. 1616. 
Immortality. 264-301. 2840-2972. 
Impatience. 1469-1487. 
Importunity in Prayer. 1011. 1016. 1028. 

1045. 1064. 1070. 
Impulsiveness. 2597. 
Impurity. 461-478. 

Incarnation and Birth of Christ. 225-236. 
Inconsistency. 2801-2814. 
Indecision. Procrastination. 836-870. 
Indifference, Spiritual. 2762-2795. 
Indolence. 2796-2800. 

Industry. 2563. 2569. 2592-2600. 2800. 

Infidelity. 370-382. 1707. 

Influence. 1934-2005. 204. 511. 512. 797. 

850. 887. 896. 1192. 1444. 1464. 1691. 

1695. 2006-2036. 2226. 2239. 2266. 2326. 

2350. 2378. 2572. 2903. 
Influence of Mind on Body. 1989. 2320- 

2331. 

Ingratitude. 437. 1143-1170. 

Injuries Forgiven. 1642-1667. 

Insanity and Religion. 1081. 1279. 1284. 

1289. 1292. 1298.. 1304. 1305. 
Insincerity. Hypocrisy. 2801-2814. 
Inspiration of the Scriptures. 1-20. 
Installation-Service Thoughts. 920. 921. 

930. 1074. (1171-1229). 
Insult. 1642. 1657. 1662. 
Intemperance. 2407-2497. , 
Intention. Motive. 346. 348. 349. 
Intercession and Ascension, Christ's. 302- 

308. 

Intercession. Prayer. 1008-1087. 
Intermediate State, The. 2923. 
Invitation, God's. 640. 641. 
Irreverence. 416-430. 
Irritability. 440-461. 

jEALousy. 1626. 2321. 
Jrsus Christ. 213-308. 
Joy. 1419-1468. 

Judgment-Day. The. Retribution. 2958- 
2972. 619-623. 367. 



i 



Jukes' Family, The. 



Topical Index. 



Opposition a Spur to Effort, 



Jukes' Family, The. 1871. 1922. 
Jurka, Frau Ida. 1920. 
Justification by Faith. 702. 706-709. 711- 
717. 719. 726. 731. 

Kindness. 1668-1773. 
Kingdom of God, The. 33-73. 2529. 
Knowledge, The Acquirement of. 2293- 
2373. 

Labor. Christian Effort. 2498-2637. 
Law, Deliverance from the Bondage of. 

753. 754. 
Law and Gospel. 682. 753. 754. 
Learning. 2293-2373. 
Leprosv. 1516. 2689. 
Liberality. 2332-2406. 
Liberty, Christian. 753. 754. 687. 
Liberty, Personal. 1746. 
Life a School. . 1506. 1592. 1593. 1596. 
Life, The End of. 2840-2914. 
Life, Sacredness of. 440-460. 
Likeness to God. 1171-1229. 
Literature. 2314-2319. - 
Little Sins. 341. 343. 346. 348. 350. 351. 

358. 359. 1040. 2641-2644. 
Little Things, Influence of. 1947. 1951. 

1961. 1975. 1978. 1983. 1988. 
Lord's Supper, The. 937-942. 245-263. 965- 

1007. 1117. 
Lost Souls. 601-623. 
Love to God. 1088-1142. 
Love to Man. 1597-1785. 
Loyalty to the Church. 926-934. 
Lukewarmness. 914-916. 2762-2795. 
Lust. 461-478. 

Luxury. 2361. 2365 . 2366. 2389. 2400. 
Lying. 497-513. 

Madagascar. 2449. 
Mammon. 2332-2379. 

Manhood, True. 2273-2293. 1877. 1866-1914. 
Manual Training. 2564. 
Marriage and Divorce. 1821-1834. 
Martyrs. 1362. 1363. 1386. 1394. 1528. 

1575. 2566. 
Martyr-Spirit, The. 2682-2720. 
Materialism. 363-369. 2738. 2739. 
Means of Grace, The. 907-964. 
Mediator, Christ Our. 302-308. 
Medical Missions. 1743. 2130. 2163. 
Meditation. 2320-2331. 1043. 2760. 
Meekness. 1488-1505. 
Melancholia. 1362. 1368. 1382. 1411. 
Memorial Day. 1104. 1116. 
Memorv and Conscience. 571. 591-599. 
Men's Movement, The. 2273-2293. 
Mental Healing, 2320-2331. 1031. 



Mental Mirages. Illusions of Sense. 405. 
Mercy, God's. 245-263. 624-660. 
Merciful Deeds. 2380-2406. 
Mind, Influence on Body. 2320-2331. 
Ministry, The Call to the. 1051. 920. 921. 

930. 1074. 
Miracles. 242. 243. 1050. 1052. 
Miracles of Grace. 762-835. 1960. 
Misfortune. 1506-1596. 
Missions in General. 2099-2184. 133. 647. 

650. 666. 676. 
Missions, Home. 2172-2184. 
Missions and the Liquor Traffic. 2119- 

2131. 2451. 2453. 
Missions, Reflex Influence of. 2137. 2138. 

2141. 2147. 2168. 2169. 
Modesty. 1408-1505. 2376. 2732. 
Mohammedanism. 1093. 
Money. 2332-2379. 
Moral Deterioration. 1886. , 345. 
Moralists. 756-761. 1203. 
Morality. The Commandments. 397-547. 
Morality and Religion Inseparable. 397. 

398. 1203. 
Mormons. 2128. 

Mothers. 1835-1850. 2223. 432. 433. 1698. 

1713. 2223. (2193-2231.) 
Motives, Our. 346. 348. 349. 2733. 2736. 
Mountains. 1291. 1354. 1421. 
Murder. 440-460. 

Murmuring. 1369. 1374. 1380. 1382. 
Music, Influence of. 943-965. 1085. 1696. 
Mysteries of Providence. 139-197. 

Narrowness. Bigotry. 1597-1609. 

Nations, God's Dealings with. 34. 41. 140. 
145. 147. 184. 189. 

Native Missionaries. 2128. 

Nature and Grace, Their Conflict. 345. 

Nature, God in. 198-212. 

Negligence. 2640-2653. 2773. 

New Birth, The. 745-755. 762-835. 

New-Year. 1326. 1863. 2973-3002. (Oppor- 
tunity.) 752. 1350. 1339. 

Ninth Commandment, The. 497-513. 2338. 

"Now." Procrastination. 836-870. 390. 

Nurture, Christian. 2193-2231. 

Oaths, Profanity. 407-415. 

Obedience. 1230-1272. 346. 364. 365. 367. 

673. 674. 2399. 
Obedience to Parents. 431-439. 
Obstacles. 1506-1596. 
Omniscience of God. 103-106. 361. 1840. 
Opium traffic. The. 2484. 
Opportunity. 1851-1865. 2903. 2975. 
Opposition a Spur to Effort. 1518-1521. 

1530. 1539. 1545. 1558. 1559. 1562. 



Optimism. 



Topical Index. 



Restitution. 



Optimism. 1400-1418. 

Ordination Thoughts. 1074. 1051. 920. 921. 
930. 

Other Gods. The First Commandment. 
397-401. 

Pain. 1506-1596. 

Parables, Christ's. 237-244. 

Pardon. 624-660. 

Parents. 431-439. 

Passion. Anger. 440-460. 

Patience. 1469-1487. 676. 2160. 2534. 

Patriotism. 2386. 

Pauperism and Drink. 2407-2433. 

Peace. 1419-1468. 1354. 1355. 1363. 1365. 

1380. 1415. 
Penitence. / 661-701. 
Perfection, Striving for. 1171-1229. 
Persecution. 458. 459. 1362. 1363. 1386. 

1394. 1525. 1575. 1605. 1657. 2566. 
Perseverance. 2498-2653. 1476. 1477. 1479. 

1485. 1486. 1487. 1957. 
Personality, The Influence of. 1866-1914. 
Personal Liberty. 1746. 2467-2469. 2474. 
Personal Work. 2577-2584. 
Pessimism. 405. 1380. 1425. 
Pharisaism. 2801-2814. 
Philanthropy. 1679. 2380-2406. 
Physical Culture Over-emphasized. 2279. 
Pietv. 1171-1229. 
Pilgrimage, Life a. 2881. 2911. 
Pitv. 1668-1773. 
Pleasure, Lovers of. 2721-2761. 
"Point of Contact," The. 2243. 
Politeness. 1675. 1680. 1703. 1706. 
Poor. The. 2380-2406. 1915-1934. 
Poverty, Its Claims. 2380-2406. 
Power. Christ's Transforming. 58. 762- 

835. 

Power. Spiritual. 326-337. 749. 

Praise. 1668. 1710. 1711. 1718. 1753. 1771. 

Pravcr. 1008-1088. 

Pravcr and Disease. 1078-1087. 824. 
Prayer. Family. 1816-1820. 
Prayer Meeting, The. 2570. 
"Practising the Presence 'of God." 989. 
Prejudice. 1597. 1609. 
Preparation. 2303. 2855. 2856. 
Preparatory Service Thoughts. 1150. 1155. 

1156. 1174. 1178. 1182. 1183. 1190. 1207- 

1229. 

Prid.'. 1496. 2724-2732. 2746. 2750. 
Pri>r, r -. 2275. 2387. 2394. 
Pn bation. Testing. 1506-1596. 548-569. 
Procrastination. "Now." 390. 836-870. 1255. 

1271. 1272. 
Profanity. 407-415. 
Professing Christ. 871-906. 



Promises, God's. 1383-1399. 1273-1382. 

1042. 2905. 
Prophets. 2706. 

Proportionate Giving. 2356-2359. 
Prosperity. Wealth. 2332-2379. 
Proverbs, Their Testimony. 2964. 
Providence. 139-197. 250. 272. 407. 422. 
2172. 

Power, Spiritual. 326. 331. 333. 334. 335. 

337. 749. 
Psychotherapy. 2320-2331. 
Public Schools. 2312. (Education.) 2293- 

2313. 

Public Worship. 907-925. 930. 
Punishment of Sin. 601-623. 2958-2972. 
Purity. 461-478. 

Purpose in Life. 2594. 2498-2637. 
Quarrels. 441-456. 

Questionable Amusements. 2815-2832. 689. 

1204. 1621. 2019. 
Quenching the Spirit. 609. 

Readiness. 2641. 2649. 2651. 
Reading. 2314-2319. 

Rebuking Sin. 366. 408. 410. 2278. 2766. 
Receiving Christ. Conversion. 661-870. 
Recognition in Heaven. 2954-2957. 
Recreation, Christian. 2815-2S32. 
Redemption. 624-870. 245-263. 
Reflection. Meditation. 2320-2331. 
Reflex Influence of Missions. 651. 2100. 

2101. 2105. 2115. 2116. 2126. 2137-2147. 

2155. 2167-2169. 
Reformation and Regeneration. 756-761. 

(745-755.) 

Regeneration. 745-755. 322-340. 472. 764- 

835. 1194. 1200. 1202. 
Rejecting Christ. 370-3S2. 609. 689. 836- 

870. 

Religion, Genuine. 1258. 1261. 1269. 1271. 

Religion, Influence of. 33-73. 762-835. 

Religion and Sanity. 1081. 1279. 1284 
1289. 1292. 1298. 1304. 1305. 

Religious Ordinances. 907-942. 

Remorse (Conscience.) 570-600. (Retri- 
bution.) 2958-2972. 

Repentance. 661-701. 187. 

Reputation. 1899. 1910. 1886-1912. 

Resignation. 1279-12S5. 1296. 1297. 1311. 
1368. 1542-1548. 

Resolution. Earnestness. 2498-2637. 

Responsibility For Influence. 1934-2005. 

Responsiveness. 1962. 1968. 1969. 

Rest. The Soul's. 1321. 1354. 1356. 1363. 
1378. 1379. 1461. 

Restitution. 493. 586. 589. 592. 



426 



Resurrection. 



Topical Index. 



Theatre, The. 



Resurrection. 264-301. 2840-2972. 1297. 
1329. 

Retaliation. 441. 443. 445. 452. 453. 456. 
Retribution. 2958-2972. 529. 619-623. 
Revelation. 1-73. 

Revenge. 441. 443. 445. 447. 453. 456. 
Reverence. 407-415. 
Revivals. 1654. -1934. 2219. 2801. 
Riches. 2332-2379. 

Ridicule, The Fear of. 871. 873. 874. 876. 

882. 886. 890. 902. 905. 906. 
Righteousness. 1171-1229. 
Ritualism. 916. 

Sabbath, The. 416-430. 

Sacraments, The. 936-942. (Communion 

Meditations.) 965-1007. 
Sacred vs. Secular. 820. 
Sacrifice, Self. 2682-2720. 
Saints. 1171-1229. 
Salvation. 624-870. 
Sanctuary, The. 907-925. 
Sanctification. 1171-1229. 762-835. 
Satan. 623. 341. 345. 348. 383. 387. 394. 

722. 

Schism.' 1597-1609. 

School, Life a. • 1506. 1592. 1593. 1596. 
Scriptures, The. 1-96. 

Second Coming of Christ, The. 302-306. 
308. 

Secret Sins. 354-361. 1171. 

Sectarianism. 1597-1609. 1616. 

Secular vs. Sacred. 820. 

Secularized Education. 2304. 2310. 

Selfishness. 1773. 2721-2761. 

Self-confidence. 2721-2761. 

Self-control. 441-454. 

Self-denial. 1197. 1227. 1228. 2682-2720. 

Self-depreciation. 1488-1505. 

Self-examination. 1172. 1178. 1184. 1190. 

1193. 1197. 1208. 1210. 1219. 
Self-forgetfulness. 1488-1505. 
Self-righteousness. 756-761. 
Self-sacrifice. 2682-2720.-1107. 1119. 1197. 

1227. 1228. 
Self-seeking. 1773. 2721-2761. 
Senses, Temptation Through the. 557. 566. 
Sensitiveness. 2731. 
Sensuality. 461-478. 

Separation from the World. 1171-1229. 
Service. Christian Effort. 2357. 2383-2388. 

2406. 2498-2637. 
Shepherd, Christ Our. 966. 991. 1000. 
Sickness. 1585-1591. 1078-1087. 
Sickness, Ministry of. 1589. 
Silence Golden. 448-451. 
Sin. 341-623. 

Sincerity. 2680. 2764. 2801-2814. 



Singleness of Aim. 2573. 
Sin's Beginnings, Nature, Growth. 341- 
369. 

Sins Classified. The Decalogue. 394-547. 
Sin's, Slavery. 383-396. 
Sixth Commandment, The. 440-460. 
Skepticism. 362. 370-382. 268. 2087. 2862. 

2863. 2913. 
Slander. 497-513. 1471. 1681. 
Slums, The. 2174. 2179. 2180. 
Socialism. 1640. 
Social Service. 2380-2406. 
Solitude. 1178. 2760. 
Song, Influence of. 1696. 943-964. 
Sonship. 753. 754. 
Sorrow. 1506-1596. 
Soul, The. 267. 

Soul-winning. 2037-2098. 668. 900. 923. 

1108. 1695. 1960. 1982. 2290. 
Spiritual Conflict. 345. 348. 548-569. 
Spiritual Indifference. 2762-2795. 
Spiritual-Mindedness. 1171-1229. 
Steadfastness. 2498-2653. 
Stealing. 479-496. 
Stewardship. 2332-2379. 
Stinginess. 2365. (2364-2376.) 
Sub-Conscious Mind, The. 395. 396. 
Submission. 1279-1285. 1296. 1297. 1311. 
Substitution. The Atonement. 245-263. 
Success, Conditions of. 2640-2681. 
Suffering. 1506-1596. 
Suggestion. Auto-suggestion. 2320-2331. 
Suicide. 495. 2852. 
Sunday School, The. 2232-2272. 
Sunday School and Missions, The. 2233. 

2238. 2240. 
Superstition. 542. 2038. 
Surrender. 1173. 1188. 1203. 1215. 
Sycophancy. 1112. 1492. 
Sympathy. 1668-1773. 2355. 2363. 
Systematic Benevolence. 2356. 2358. 2359. 

Tact. 1668-1773. 

Talents. 1851-1865. 1939. 1942. 1946. 1950. 

1952. 1961. 2903. 
Teacher-Training: 2232. 2235. 2271. 
Teaching. 2249. 2250. 2293-2313. 
Temper, The. 440-460. 
Temperance and Business. 2407-2433. 
Temperance Effort. 2488-2497. 1964. 2034. 

2434. 

Temperance, Evils -of Intemperance. 2448- 

2487. 839. 2029. 1964. 
Temperance and Health. 2434-2447. 
Temptation. 548-569. 1847. 
Tests, Life's. 548-569. 
Thanksgiving Dav. 1143-1170. 2172. 
Theatre, The. 2815. 2822. 2826-2828. 



Theft. 



Topical Index. 



Zoroastrianism. 



Theft. 479-496. 

Therapeutics, Mental. 1078-1087. 

Third Commandment, The. 407-415. 621. 

2135. 2146. 
Thirsting for God. 1088-1094. 
Thought, Influence on Life. 346. 391-396. 

1431. 1434. 2320. 2331. 
Thought. Reflection. 2320-2331. 346. 391- 

396. 1431. 1434. 
Thoughtfulness for Others. 1668-1773. 
Thoroughness. 2638-2653. 
Time and Eternitv. 2840-2972. 
Timid Believers. 871-874. 886. 905. 
Tithing. 2356-2379. 
Tomorrow. Procrastination. 836-870. 
Tongue, The. 440-513. 1668-1773. 
Tract, Influence of a. 1951. 
Training. 2197. 2210. 2216. 
Training, Home. 1806-1813. 2193-2231. 
Transforming power of the Gospel, The. 

762-835. 666. 
Trials. 1506-1596. 
Tribulation. 1506-1596. 
Trifles, Fidelity in. 2638-2653. 
Trinity, The. 134-138. 
Troubles. Adversity. 1506-1596. 
Trust in God. 1273-1382. 954-959. 1228. 
Truth, Revealed. 1-23. 
Truthfulness. 497-513. 2338. 

Unbelief. 362-382. 2913. 

Unconscious Influence. 1936-1938. 1948- 

1956. 1971-2036. 
Unfaithfulness. 2762-2795. 
Uniting with the Church. 871-906. 
L'nity, Christian. 1597-1609. 2570. 
Unselfishness. 2682-2720. 

Vanity. 2732. 2750. 
Vengeance. 448. 452. 456. 
Vice. 345. 347. 352. 
Victory Over Sin. 762-835. 



Vigilance. 343. 348. 354. 359. 1021. 1040. 

1183. 1190. 1198. 1204. 1206. 1255. 1256. 

2608. 2641. 2651. 
Vindictiveness. 1664. 
Virtue. 1171-1229. 1866-1914. 
Visions. 771. 1362. 1365. 1405. 2711. 

War. 460. 

Warfare, Life's. 343. 348. 1901. (548-569.) 

(1506-1596.) 
Watchfulness. 343. 348. 354. 359. 1021. 

1040. 1183. 1190. 1198. 1204. 1206. 
Wealth, The World's. 2739. 
Wealth. 2332-2379. (Covetousness) 514- 

547. 1314. 
White Cross, The. Purity. 461-478. 
Wicked, The. 341-596. 
Will, The. 1866-1914. 346. 348. 445. 687. 

689. 693. 695. 
Witnesses. 871-900. 

Woman and Christianity. 56. 1786-1820. 
1835-1850. 2112. 2130. 

Women and Education. 2313. 2293-2313. 

Words, Our. 1471. 1971. (Tongue, Tem- 
per.) 440-460. (Purity.) 461-478. 
(Truthfulness.) 497-513. (Tact.) 1668- 
1773. (Influence.) 1934-2005. 

Words and Works of Christ, The Wonder- 
ful. 237-244. 

Work. Christian. 2498-2637. 

Worldliness. 2721-2832. 342. 351-354. 529. 

Worry. 1273-1399. 

Worship. Family. 1816-1820. 

Worship, Public. 907-925. 2764. 

Wrath. 346. 441. 443. 446. 449-454. 456. 
2321. 

Young, The. 2193-2313. 
Young Men. 2086. 2273-2293. 

Zeal. 1263. 2492-2637. 2654-2681. 
Zenana Work. 2112. 2130. 
Zoroastrianism. 1093. 



4ST 



Abbott, Dr. Lyman. 



Biographical Index. 



Bunyan. 



BIOGRAPHICAL, INDEX. 



Abbott, Dr. Lyman. 2853. 

Abdallah. 383. 

Abdul Hamid. 2328. 

Adams, John Quincy. 74. 

Addison. 2448. 

Adolphus, Gustavus. 950. 

Aesop. 511. 

Africaner. 772. 2591. 

Agassiz. 1155. 1616. 2542. 2940. 

Alcibiades. 347. 

Alexander the Great. 1292. 1333. 
1781. 

Alexander I of Russia. 1885. 

Alexander III. 439. 

Alexandra, Queen. 1704. 

Ambrose. 2706. 

Andereya, King. 2140. 

Angelico, Fra. 543. 

Angell, Ex-President. 2352. 

Antiochus, Epiphanes. 1603. 

Antoinette, Marie. 2897. 

Antonv, Mark. 448. 

Antliff, Dr. 1328. 

Apelles. 2622. 

Arabis, Pasha. 394. 

Arago. 2633. 

Aristotle. 1877. 2198. 

Armour, P. D. 1979. 2596. 

Armstrong, General. 2699. 

Arnold, Benedict. 545. 

Arnold, Dr. Thomas. 40. 1526. 2606. 

Arnold, Matthew. 1584. 

Arthur, King. 237. 

Astor, John Jacob. 438. 

Athanasius. 500. 

Atley, George. 249. 

Atolus of Rheims. 2874. 

Audlev. 2566. 

Augustine, St. 40. 192. 827. 

Augustine. 297. 

Bain, Alexander. 1530. 
Balzac. 1815. 
Barbarossa. 1364. 
Barnardo, Dr. 2384. 2405. 
Barnum, P. T. 722. 2391. 
Barton, Clara. 730. 
Baxter. 2611. 
Beach, Moses Y. 2333. 
Beattie, Dr. 109. 
Beaurepaire. 2852. 



Beecher, Henry Ward. 2617. 
Beecher, Lyman. 1471. 
Beethoven. 946. 2530. 
Belfrage. 1099. 

Beresford, Lord Charles. 2440. 

Bernard of Clairxeaux. 40. 1965. 

Bernardino of Siena. 1986. 

Berry, Dr. Charles A. 1188. 

Bessus. 593. 

Biddle, Nicholas. 420. 

Bilbro, Judge James A. 1055. 

Billroth, Dr. 2018. 

Bilney. 702. 

Binns, "Jack." 835. 

Binoka, King. 1025. 

Bismarck. 1492. 1666. 2338. 

Black Prince, The. 1522. 

Blake, William. 209. 

Blaine, James G. 1432. 

Blair, Dr. 1725. 

Bliss, P. P. 2203. 

Blucher. 2641. 

Boehler, Bishop. 2219. 

Bolingbroke. 612. 

Bonar, Andrew. 1360. 

Bonner, Bishop. 2566. 

Booth, Mrs. Ballington. 2635. 

Borromeo. 2217. 

Boubet, Louis de. 2924. 

Brainerd, David. 2000. 2873. 

Bray, Billy. 623. 416. 

Breadalbane, Earl of. 591. 

Bret Harte. 1475. 

Bridgman, Laura. 1199. 

Bright, John. 881. 

Brooks, Phillips. 976. 1673. 1692. 1967. 
2137. 

Brooks, Mrs. S. J. 2713. 
Brotherton, Joseph. 1426. 
Brougham. 1811. 2624. 
Browne, Sir Thomas. 2062. 
Brown, John. 249. 1334. 1843. 
Browning, Robert. 278. 1097. 
Bruce, Dr. Robert. 1231. 
Buckle. 1837. 1933. 
Bucher. 259. 1678. 
Buchanan, Dugald. 1912. 
Bull, Ole. 449. 
. Bulwer. 2606. ' 
Bunsen. 18<H. 
Bunyan. 258. 2805. 



Burbank, Luther. 



Biographical Index. 



Fawcet, Henry. 



Burbank, Luther. 2507. 
Burke, Edmund. 455. 1781. 
Burr, Aaron. 846. 
Burritt, Elihu. 2293. 

Bushnell, Horace. 1671. 1965. 1966. 2846. 

2880. 
Buxton. 1067. 
Byron, Ladv. 2204. . 
Byron, Lord. 1422. 1440. 2448. 

Cable, George W. 2655. 
Caesar, Julius. 1393. 
Cairns, Lord. 74. 
Caligula. 2758. 

Calvin, John. 1392. 2217. 2229. 2343. 
Cameron, Simon. 1992. 
Canova. 359. 

Carberrv, Countess of. 405. 
Carey, William. 153. 1216. 1505. 2114. 
2150. 

Car! vie, Jane. 1392. 

Carlvle. Thomas. 1382. 1427. 1429. 1823. 
1849. 

Carnegie, Andrew. 523. 1538. 2596. 

Catharine of Siena. 1883. 

Cecilia. St. 1338. 

Chalmers, Dr. 1094. 2063. 

Chamberlain, Dr. Jacob. 2068. 

Chambers, Robert. 2061. 2066. 

Channing, William Ellerv. 1938. 

Charles of Bala. 197. 

Charles I. 2963. 

Charles II. 1814. 2871. 2901. 

Charles IX. 459. 598. 

Charlemagne. 491. 615. 

Charrington, Frederick. 2694. 

Chase, Salmon P. 1929. 

Chatham, Earl of. 2855. 

Chesterfield, Lord. 763. 

Childs, Gc.rgc W. 1538. 2596. 

Chrvsostom. 76. 

Cicero. 107. 448. 2606. 

Clarke, Sir Gervaise. 2334. 

Clarkson. 2624. 2706. 

Clifford, Frof. 373. 

Clough, J. E. 2156. 

Coan, Titus. 2120. 

Cobden, Richard. 881. 

Colbv, John. 790. 

Coleridge. Hartley. 384. 1825. 

Coleridge. Samuel Taylor. 30. 383. 1825 

1949. 1996. 2220. 2972. 
Coligny. 273). 
Col ling wood. 1694. 
Collins, Patrick A. 2456. 
Collins. 379. 
Collyer. Robert. 1870. 
Columbus. 649. 1362. 



Condor, Dr. John. 293. 
Confucius. 1877. 2132. 
Constance, Emperor. 2960. 
Cook, Mrs. Bella. 1852. 
Cortez. 1923. 
Cranmer. 1657. 
Crillon. 2524. 

Cromwell, Oliver. 40. 898. 1392. 1892. 
Crowther, Bishop. 2149. 2451. 
Cuvler, Theodore. 1833. 1999. 
Cyrus. 1324. 

D'Alembert. 2633. 
Dalhousie. Lord. 2603. 
Damien. Father. 2689. 2888. 
Dante. 784. 2660. 
Darwin. 1487. 1691. 1825. 
D'Aubigne. 1653. 
Davis, Senator. 1702. 
Demosthenes. 1877. 
DeRoche. Bailli. 2869. 
Devereaux. 1910. 
Dewev. 2124. 

Dickens, Charles. 1440. 1550. 2642. 
Diogenes. 1422. 

Dionvsius of Halicarnassus. 173. 

Disraeli. 2621. 

Doddridge. 307. 1941. 

Dodge. Witi. E. 1961. 

Dods, Dr. Marcus. 1982. 

Donne. Dr. 2845. 

Dore. 1911. 

Drummond. Henry. 831. 1956. 2139. 
Dubois. Madame. 42. 
Duff. Dr. 2501. 
Duncan, William. 2069. 

• 

Edison-, Thomas. 1280. 2.-08. 2426. 

Eddystone. 658. 1486. 

Edwards, Jonathan. 649. 

Edward II. 2229. 

F.leanore. Oueen. 655. 

Eliot, George. 1958. 

Eliot. John. 2943. 

Elliott, General. 1240. 

Elliott. Charlotte. 949. 

Emerson, Ralph Waldo. 1905. 

Epaminondas. 1781. 

Erskine, Ebenczer. 2905. 

F.rskine, Lord. 594. 

Erskine. Ralph. 1965. 

Evans, Admiral. 1322. 

Evans, John. 785. 

Ewald. 21. 

Falconer, Keith. 1412. 
Farragut. 2506. 2617. 
Farrar, Prof. 205. 
Fawcet. Henry. 2551. 



129 



Finney, Pres. 



Biographical Index. 



Ingersoll, Robert G. 



Finney, Pres. 943. 

Fisher, Bishop of Rochester. 1386. 

Fiske, John. 1813. 

Fook, Lough. 2171. 

Foss, Bishop. 2221. 

Fox. 1781. 2654. 

Francke. 74. 2219. 

Franklin, Benjamin. 438. 1029. 1885. 1951. 

2627. 
Froude. 486. 
Fry, Elizabeth. 1812. 
Fry, Samuel. 1812. 
Fulton, Robert. 1850. 2667. 
Fulvia. 448. 

Gainesborough. 2891. 
Galileo. 25. 
Gardiner, Allen. 1487. 
Gav. 2786. 

George III. 705. 1843. 

Gibbs. 575. 

Giles, Brother. 1281. 

Gilmour, James. 1472. 

Gladstone. 512. 930. 1075. 1537. 1938. 1980. 

2060. 2315. 
Glave. 2505. 
Godfrey of Buillon. 1781. 
Godwin, William. 1691. 
Goethe. 12. 1453. 1914. 2315. 2617. 2660. 
Goldsmith. 498. 
Goodyear. 2569. 
Gordon, "Chinese." 74. 
Gordon, Dr. A. J. 2895. 
Gordon, George Maxwell. 2009. 
Gorringe, Lieut. Com. 1757. 
Gossner, Pastor. 1065. 
Gough," John B. 2879. 
Gould, Jay. 1538. 2596. 
Gounod. 1350. 
Gourrand, Colonel. 512. 
Grant, U. S. 428. 667. 1957. 2715. 
Gray. 1429. 
Grea-orv IX. 1883. 
Grey, Lady Jane. 40. 1544. 2897. 
Gudule, St. 1021. 
Guizot. 1666. 
Gunsaul.us, Dr. 1979. 
Guthrie, Dr. Thomas. 2872. 
Guyon, Dr. 2683. 
Guyon, Madame. 328. 

HADLEy, S. H. 663. 
Hadrian, Emperor. 1603. 
Hale, Edward Everett. 1904. 
Hale, Nathan. 2745. 
Hall, Robert. 2591. 
Hallam, Arthur. 1781. 
Hamilton, Alexander. 1781. 



Hampden. 1781. 

Hanayah, Rabbi Joshua ben. 97. 

Hancock, John. 705. 

Handel. 1334. 

Hanly, Ex-Governor. 2433. 

Hare, Bishop. 2026. 

Harms, Louis. 1278. 1378. 

Harvey. 2667. 

Havelock, Sir Henry. 74. 906. 
Havergal, F. R. 74. 1172. 1383. 
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. 1829. 
Haydn. 1423. 

Hayes, Mrs. R. B. 1842. 1964. 

Haygood, Bishop. 2070. 

Hazlitt, William. 1949. 

Hegel. 1380. 

Heine, Heinrich. 967. 

Henry, Patrick. 1929. 

Henry, Professor. 2543. 

Henry II. 637. 

Henrv IV. 2524. 

Henry, Philip. 1036. 

Hephaestion. 1781. 

Herkomer, Sir Hubert. 1722. 

Herschel. 359. 1815. 2605. 

Hevwood, Oliver. 2600. 

Hildebrand. 40. 

Hill, Rowland. 2111. 2946. 

Hipparchus. 25. 

Hoar, Senator George F. 1702. 

Hoch, Governor. 2172. 

Hogg, David. 2632. 

Hogg, Quintin. 2448. 2674. 

Homer. 1938. 

Hooper. 1605. 

Horace. 1781. 

Howard, General O. O. 978. 1198. 1970. 
2709. 

Howard, John. 193. 

Howe, Julia Ward. 1755. 2039. 

Howie, John. 2711. 

Hovey, H. C 375. 

Hsi, Pastor. 403. 

Huber. 2591. 

Huguenots, The. 1392. 

Hume, David. 378. 1438. 2001. 

Humbert, King. 2502. 

Humboldt. 1063. 2327. 2617. 2844. 

Hunt, John. 2609. 

Hunt, T. D. 2175. 

Huss, John. 1658. 2701. 2706. 2882. 

Huxley. 380. 

Hyacinthe, Father. 66. 

Tan Maclaren. 1668. 
Tgnatius. 1860. 

Ingersoll, Robert G. 373. 799. 1105. 2903. 
2915. 



"Ironsides," Cromwell's. 



Biographical Index. 



Monica. 



"'Ironsides," Cromwell's. 898. 
Irving, Edward. 1394. 
Ivan of Russia. 1043. 

Jackson, "Stonewall." 1015. 
James II. 661. 2769. 
James V. 2681. 
Jay, William. 1943. 
Jerrold. Douglas. 2891. 2977. 
Toachim II. 709. 
Joan of Arc. 1362. 1868. 
John The Almsgiver. 1661. 1663. 
Johnson. Andrew. 1538. 
Johnson, Dr. Samuel. 498. 1774. 1900. 
2973. 

Joseph of Studium. 2931. 
Jowett, Dr. 2782. 
Judson, Adoniram. 2107. 2782. 
Jukes Familv. The. 1871. 1922. 
Jurka, Frau Ida. 1920. 



Kant, Immanuel. 1615. 
Kean. Edmund. 2448. 2579. 
Kcenan, Major. 2714. 
Kekela. 1122. 
Keller. Helen. 208. 
Kendall, Amos. 892. 
Ken. Bishop. 274. 2706. 
Kepler. 1484. 

Kingsley. Charles. 699. 1820. 2591. 2921. 
Kipling. Rudyard. 843. 2476. 2602. 
Kitchener. General. 2652. 
Kuropatkin. 406. 

Lafayette. 103. 

Limb, Charles. 447. 1900. 1996. 

Larcom, Lucy. 2314. 

LaRochefoucauld. 1425. 

Laurance, Sir Henry. 2513. 

Le Clerc. Jean. 2565. 

Lcighton. 87. 

Lennox. James. 1910. 

Lincoln. 904. 1165. 1332. 1361. 1611. 1909. 

' 1992. 
Lindslev, Dr. A. L. 2178. 
Lind. Jenny. 964. 
Lipton, Sir Thomas. 2335. 
Lisle, Lady Alice. 191. 
Littrc. 380. 

Livingstone, David. 100. 141. 153. 696. 
1184. 1385. 1505. 2042. 2165. 2287. 2632. 
2686. 

Locke. John. 2326. 

Longfellow, II. W. 1503. 1905. 1940. 

Lor en z, Dr. 2435. 

Lorraine, Claude. 1941. 



Louis IX. 1094. 

Louis XI. 1159. 

Louis XVII. 1665. 

Lourdes, Our Lady of. 2330. 2331. 

Lovejoy. 1530. 

Loyola. 1260. 

Lucca, Pauline. 962. 

Lull, Raymond. 1134. 

Luther. 6. 736. 886. 1086. 1279. 1324. 1334 

1392. 1880. 2217. 2510. 2690. 
Lyman, Lieut. 2643. 

Macaulav. 2592. 
MacDonald, Sir John. 2596. 
Mackenzie. 1472. 
Macready. 2974. 
Mackay, Alexander. 153. 657. 
Maclaren, Ian. 1668. 
Mahomet II. 2743. 
Mahan, Captain A. T. 673. 
Malike. 2451. 
Malthus. 1691. 
Manning. Cardinal. 512. 
Mansfield, Chief Justice. 2624. 2627. 
Maria, Dorothea. 2893. 
Marie Antoinette. 2897. 
Mariano, Fra. 2678. 
Mark Twain. 2596. 
Marsh, Dr. William. 2027. 
Martin of Basle. 886. 
Martyn, Henry. 1472. 2000. 2654. 
Marsrlen. 1470. 
Mary, Queen of Scots. 2897. 
Mathewson, Duncan. 959. 
Mathsdotter. Maria. 1195. 
Maury, Lieut. 1534. 
Mavflowcr Pilgrims. 1116. 
Mayer. 2059. 
McCahc, Bishop. 2896. 
McChcvne. 1999. 
McCahc, Chaplain. 408. 2715. 
• McKinley, William. 433. 
McLeod, Norman. 2177. 
McQi'rule. James F. 524. 
Medici. Catharine dc. 1392. 
Meigs, General. 483. 
Melanchthon. 1086. 2949. 
Melvin. 2693. 
Mendelssohn. 1815. 
Mhcgard. 2863. 

Michaeiangelo. 1498. 2268. 2605. 2643. 20X2. 

Millet. 649. 812. 2547. 

Milne. Dr. 2170. 

Mirabeau, 2094. 2892. 

Moffatt. 178. 1095. 1210. 2591. 2718. 

Mohammed. 1397. 1926. 2509. 

Monica. 1045. 



431 



M onod, Frederick. 



Biographical Index- 



Rothschild. 



Monod, Frederick. 1653. 

Montagu, Lady Mary Wortley. 2761. 

Montaigne. 1885. 

Moody. 1297. 1501. 1948. 2871. 

More, Sir Thomas. 40. 

Moon, Dr. 1533. 

Morgan, J. P. 2596. 

Morrison, Robert. 2239. 

Morse. 2308. 2667. 2680. 

Motley. 2545. 

Moule, Bishop H. C G. 681. 

Mozart. 946. 955. 2223. 

Muller, Max. 15. 

Muller, George. 1273. 1379. 1968. 

Munhall, Dr. 2019. 

Murillo. 1794. 



Napoleon, Bonaparte. 1109. 1417. 1748 
2499. 

Napoleon III. 2852. 
Neesima. 404. 

Nelson, Admiral. 871. 1615. 2065. 2704. 
Neri, Philip. 1488. 
Newcastle, Duke of. 1858. 
Newman, John Henry. 697. 
Newton, John. 576. 
Newton, Sir Isaac. 5. 1916. 2543. 
Ney, Marshall. 2641. 2852. 
Nicholas, Czar. 2336. 
Nightingale, Florence. 1268. 
Nilsson, Christine. 960. 
Nitsch. 1103. 1639. 
Nloko. 666. 
Nott. 2160. 
Noy. 2963. 

Oliver. 1781. 
Omar, Khayyam. 1002. 
Oppert. 1. 
Orestes. 1781. 
Otho, Lord Henry. 2865. 
Ousely, Gideon. 741. 
Oyama. 2617. 

Paderewski. 2639. 
Page, Harlan. 1961. 2612. 
Palissy. 2672. 
Parker, Dr. Peter. 2163. 
Parker, Theodore. 60. 
Parnell, Charles Stuart. 606. 
Pascal. 1815. 2606. 
Paton, Captain John. 2048. 
Paton, John G. 811. 1031. 
Pattison, Bishop. 141. 199§. 2240. 
Paxton, Stephen. 2238. 
Payne, John Howard. 958. 



Payson, Dr. 1448. 1506. 2613. 2876. 
Peabody, George. 765. 
Pelopidas. 1-781. 
Pentecost, Dr. Geo. F. 888. 
Pericles. 1877. 

Perry, Commodore. 1744. 2139. 
Peterborough, Lord. 1789. 
Petrie, Dr. Flinders. 2322. 
Phidias. 1877. 

Phillips, Wendell. 1947. 2459. 2563. 2953. 

Philips, Captain. 1054. 

Pierce, Rev. Samuel. 2875. 

Pindar. 1877. 

Pinckney, Charles C. 2708. 

Pitt, William-. 1938. 

Pius IX. 2343. 

Plato. 405. 1877. 2198. 

Plummer, Dr. 656. 

Poe, Edgar Allen. 2444. 

Polk, Bishop. 1631. 

Polybius. 974. 

Polycarp. 40. 

Pope, Alexander. 2788. 

Porson. 2592. 

Post, Dr. George E. 1333. 

Powers, Hiram. 2195. 

Ptolemy. 25. 

Pullman. 2596. 

Pylodes. 1781. 

Pym. 1781. 

quetelet. 474. 

Rabelais. 2848. 

Rainier, Archduchess. 1182. 

Raleigh, Sir W. 376. 2968. 

Rainsford, Dr. 1673. 

Randolph, John. 366. 410. 

Raphael. 1447. 2011. 2984. 

Rasalama. 2691. 

Renan. 1815. 2891. 

Reynolds, Sir Joshua. 796. 1774. 

Rhodes, Cecil. 504. 2983. 

Richard III. 588. 

Ridley. 84. 1605. 

Riis, Jacob. 2101. 

Robespierre. 379. 2520. 

Robertson. 1944. 

Rochester, Earl of. 377. 2857. 

Rockefeller, John D. 2339. 

Rogers, Henry. 110. 

Roland. 1781. 

Romanes, George J. 2010. 

Rose, Horace W. 2577. 

Roosevelt. 730. 

Rosse, Lord. 25. 

Rothschild. 2911. 



Ruskin, John. 



Biographical Index. 



Wellington. 



Ruskin, John. 74. 1255. 1806. 
Rutherford. 74. 2871. 2901. 

Savonarola. 700. 1392. 1941. 2678. 2944. 
Schiller. 1781. 
Schley, Admiral. 2970. 
Schopenhauer. 2204. 2767. 
Schumann, Clara. 1969. 
Schweinfurth, Dr. 1375. 
Scott. Sir Walter. 1550. 1787. 1900. 2606. 
2627. 

Scott, Sir John. 2681. 
Scudder, John. 1810. 1940. 
Sehvvn, Bishop. 1998. 
Seneca. 974. 2803. 
Seward. 1811. 
Sbaftsbury. 1831. 
Shah of Persia. 2336. 
Shakespeare. 2627. 2849. 
Sharp, Granville. 2624. 
Sltaw, Barnabas. 172. 
Shelley. 369. 

Sheridan, Gen. 483. 2501. 2715. 
Sheridan. Richard B. 2448. 
Shipton, Anna. 2927. 
Shultz, Stephen. 1315. 
Sickles General. 2714 
Sidney. Sir P. 178. 1843. 
Simpson, Sir James. 1708. 
I Simeon. Rev. Charles. 2000. 
Smethcm, James. 2715. 
Smith. Joseph. 1972. 
Socrates. 652. 2284. 
Sojourner Truth. 998. 
Somerset, Lady Henry. 1019. 
Sophocles. 1877. 
Spechbacher, Albert. 2700. 
Specr, Robert E. 22-10. 
Spcner. 2219. 
Spurgeon. 167. 1360. 2S'S9. 
Stael, Madame de. 1945. 
Stanford, Leland. 2596. 
Stanlev, Henry M. 555. 644. 657. 1856. 

2013. 2115. 
Stanley. Dean. 1254. 1843. 
Stephens, Alexander. 2:91. 
Stephenson. R. L. 1550. 2308. 
Stevens, Thaddetts. 1997. 
Stewart, A. T. 2596. 
Stowc, Harriet Bcecher. 1941. 2071. 
St. Pierre. 401. 
Strauss. 2969. 
St. Teresa. 2885. 
Summerlield. 2574. 
Sumner, Charles G. 1737. 2039. 
Sutherland. Karl of. 1237. 
2s Prnc III. 



Sulla. 760. 
Swedenborg. 2845. 

Taft, President. 2154. 

Tancred. 1781. 

Tauler. 1229. 

Taylor, Father. 1615. 

Taylor, Zachary. 2616. 

Taylor, James Brainerd. 1940. 

Taylor, Jcremv. 40. 

Taylor, J. Hudson. 902. 

Temple, Sir Richard. 358. 

Tennvson, Alfred. 202. 1334. 1427. 1781. 

1954. 2536. 
Theirs. 1666. 
Themistocles. 1877. 
Theodore. King. 176. 2852. 
Theodo-ius. 95. 2706. 2960. 
Thompson, Joseph. 2485. 
Thompson, President. 2596. 
Thorwaldson. 2976. 
Tiberius. 610. 
Tissot. 246. 
Todd, John. 1565. 
Tolstoi. 1104. 
Toplady. 1600. 
Torquemada. 2717. 
Treves, Sir Frederick. 2438. 
Tso, Governor. 2614. 
Turner. 1454. 2579. 2652. 
Tweed. William M. 2835. 
Tvndall. 380. 



Vandf.rrit.t, Commodore. 2596. 
Vauvenargues. 1425. 
Victoria, Queen. 2897. 
Virgil. 1781. 

Voltaire. 35. 171. 379. 2850. 
Von Moltke. 1416. 
Von Welz, Baron. 1113. 



Wallace, William. 40. 

Wanamaker, John. 1538. 

Warham, Archbishop. 28S5. 

Warren, James II. 2176. 

Washington, Booker T. 2309, 

Washington,' George. 397. 1781. 1892. 2428. 

Washington, Mary. 1843. 

Watson, John. 1668. 

Wayland, Dr. 2111. 

Webster, Daniel. 790. 1334. 2324. 2519. 
2629. 

Webster. Dr. 595. 
Welch. Jane. 2687. 
Wellington. 1417. 2641. 



Wesley, John. Biographical Index. Zwingli. 



Wesley, John. 74. 173. 561. 800. 1253. 1263. 


Winstanley. 658. 


1600. 1843. 1961. 2219. 2526. 


Winthrop, Governor. 2648. 


Wesley, Suzanna. 561. 


Woolman, John. 1304. 


Whalon. 1122. 


Wotten, Sir Henry. 2904. 


Whitefield. 1221. 1600. 


Wurtemberg, Felix, Earl of. 608. 


Whittier, John G. 630. 2596. 




Wicliff. 2706. 


Xanthus. 511. 


Wilberforce. 2274. 2624. 


Xavier. 1260. 1682. 2217. 


Wilkes, Sir Matthew. 2160. 2620. 


Xerxes. 1838. 


William of Orange. 2896. 




William III. 1880. 


Zinzendorf. 1223. 1941. 2219. 


Williams, John. 2152. 
Wilmot. 46. 


Zurbriggen. 2052. 


Zwingli. 2217. 



134 



October 3rd, 1909. 



Illustrations (or the Sunday School Lessons. 



July 17th, 1910. 



ILLUSTRATIONS FOR THE SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS. 
(To the End of 1912.) 



1909. 

Oct. 3. (Persecution) 459. (Bigotry) 
1603. (Fidelity amid trials) 1551. 
(Heroism) 2709. 2711. 

Oct. 10. (Trust) 1281. 1306. (Divine pro- 
tection) 1285. 1286. (A youth's influ- 
ence ) 2369. 

Oct. 17. (Paul's zeal) 2686. (Confessing 
Christ) 874. 906. (Delay) 854. 

Oct. 24. (Obedience) 1242. 1270. (Enthusi- 
asm) 2667. 2668. 2674. 2676. 

Oct. 31. (The Father's care) 178. (Strange 
Providences) 143. (The calmness of 
faith) 1336. 1366. 1369. 

Nov. 7. (Divine deliverance) 151. 152. 
(God's care) 177. (Paul's trust) 1363. 
(Protection) 197. 

Nov. 14. (Safety) 195. (Confidence amid 
dangers) 1304. 1305. (Triumph over 
trials) 1547. 1573. 

Nov. 21. (Martvrs) 1362. 1363. 2566. 
(Heroism) 2700. 2703. 2705. 

Nov. 28. (Brotherlv love) 1765. 1771. 
(Temperance) 2479. 2484. 24S8. 

Dec. 5. (Christian giving) 2357. 2358. 
2361. 2364. 2369. 

Dec. 12. (Last words) 2891. (Urging to 
zeal) 2585. 2586. 2588. (Readiness for 
death) 2895. 

Dec. 19. (Golden Text) 343. 348. 1901. 
2934. 

Dec.~26.' (Christmas) 225-236. 

1910. 

JAW. 2. (Repentance) 661. 667. 677. 
(Humility) 1489. 1501. (Fruits of re- 
pentance) 683. 

Jan. 9. (The Trinity) 134-138. (Tempta- 
tion 557. (Resist the Devil) 560. 
562. 

Jan. 16. (Gospel light) 33. 41. 42. (Re- 
pentance) 684. (Zeal for souls) 2501. 

Jan. 23. (The great Teacher) 244. (Poor 
in spirit) 772. (Penitence) 690. 
(Miekness) 770. (Forgiveness) 1644. 

Jan. 30. (Formalism) 756-761. 2801-2814. 

Feb. 6. ( Pride) 1496. 2724. 2746. 2750. 
(YVr<,ng giving) 2360. (Prayer) '054. 
1067. 1068. 



Feb. 13. (Covetousnss) 514-519. Mam- 
mon) 523. 528. (Trust) 1369-1374. 
1382. 

Feb. 20. (Temperance) 2487. 2468. 2488. 

2491. (The Golden Rule) 1637. 
Feb. 27. (The wide gate) 341. 348. (Hv- 

pocrisv) 2803. 2813. (Fruits) 1245. 

1261. 

March 6. (Leprosy) 1516. 2689. (Sick- 
ness) 1585. (Prayer and healing) 
1078-1087. 

March 13. (Life's storms) 1540. 1563. 1567. 
(Deliverance) 982. 985. (Trust) 978. 
980. 

March 20. (Sickness) 1591. (Healing) 
1080-1084. (Pardon) 628-632. 124. 

March 27. (Easter) 264-301. 

April 3. (Prayer) 1077. 1086. (Faith) 
724-730. 

April 10. (The Bringer of blessings) 35. 

36. 42. 642. (Christ's compassion) 

127. 128. (Soul winners) 2063. 
April 17. (Christianitv's influence) 50-54. 

782. (Heroic service) 2706. 2707. 2711. 
April 24. (Neglected privilege) 2773. 2774. 

(Sin's final doom) 619. (Rest) 1442. 

1443. 

May 1. (The Sabbath) 416-430. 
May 8. (Temperance) 2442. 2446. 2448- 
2458. 

May 15. (The Holy Spirit) 309-340. 
May 22. (Conscience) 575. 582. 586. 

(Bold rebuke) 2278. 2766. 
May 29. (Miracles) 242. 1050. (Spiritual 

supplies) 238. 259. 
June 5. (Prayer) 1009. (Adversity) 1567. 

(Our Deliverer) 995. 
June 12. (Salvation for Jew and Gentile") 

635. 646. 651. (Praver) 1077. 1084. 

(Healing) 1078-1087. 
June 19. (Indifference) 2762. 2766. (De- 
lay) 839. 854. (Endurance) 1477. 1487. 
June 26. (Satan) 623. 341. 383. (The 

end of the world) 2958-2972. 
July 3. (The growth of the Kingdom) 

33-41. 

July 10. (Golden Text) 1-32. 
July 17. (Christ's deity) 213-224. (Con- 
fessing Christ) 871-880. 



OS 



July 24th, 1910. 



Illustrations for the Sunday School Lessons. 



June 4th, 1911. 



July 24. (Visions) 771. 1362. 1365. 
(Christ's glory) 237. 239. 241. (Friends 
in heaven) 2915. 

July 31. (Forgiving those who wrong us) 
1654-1666. (Money) 2332-2379. 

Aug. 7. (The child) 2193-2198. (Conse- 
cration) 1191-1202. 

Aug. 14. (Idleness) 2796-2800. (Christian 
effort) 2612-2615. (The reward) 2953. 

Aug. 21. (The cross) 247. (False ambi- 
tion) 1265. 2281. 2743. (Humility) 
1494. 

Aug. 28. _ (Christ the King) . 219-221. 
(Glorifying Christ by our lives) 1874. 
(Dishonoring God in His house) 915- 
917. 

' Sept. 4. (Unfaithfulness) 2729. 2735. 2741. 

(Sin's doom) 2964. 619. 622. 
Sept. 11. (Rejecting God's grace) 844. 846. 

849. (Mercy's offer) 638. (Sin's 

penalty) 617. 620. 
Sept. 18. (Good citizenship) 1910. 2180. 

2181. 2185. 2457. (Love) 1088. 1091. 

1106. 1116. 

Sept. 25. (Brotherly love) 1616. 1621. 
(Temperance) 2453. 2454. 2460. 

Oct. 2. (Ready for Christ's coming) 2840. 
2841. 2914." (The sudden call) 2902. 
(Unprepared) 2903. 2913. 

Oct. 9. (Influence) 1936. 1939. 1941. 
(Talents used) 2604. (Neglect) 2721. 

Oct. 16. (Retribution) 619. 621. (Judg- 
ment) 2959. 2960. 2966. 2967. 

Oct. 23. (Golden Text) 2594. 2710. 2720. 

Oct. 30. (Devotion) 1127. 1129. 1130. 
(Covetousness) 535. 543. 545. 

Nov. 6. (The atonement) 245-250. (The 
Lord's supper) 937-940. 

Nov. 13. (Be ready) 2914. 2903. (Vigil- 
ance) 343. 359. 1021. 1040. 1204. 

Nov. 20. (Prayer) 1015. (Submission) 
1296. 1297. 1311. (Watch and pray) 
1256. 2641. 

Nov. 27. (Christ rejected) 366. _ (The 
crime of crimes) 245. (False witness) 
497. 502. 

Dec. 4. (Self-confidence) 2750. 2754. 

(Denying Christ) 871. 873. 878. 
Dec. 11. (The cross) 249. 250. (Our 

substitute) 257. (The power of the 

cross) 258. 
Dec. 18. (Easter) 264-301. 
Dec. 25. (Christmas) 225-236. 



1911. 

Jan. 1. (Youth's opportunity and tempta- 
tions) 2276-2278. 2281. 2289. 2291. 

Jan. 8. (Idols) 402-406. (Praver) 1082. 
1083. 

Jan. 15. (Rectitude rewarded) 1248-1250. 

1252. (Zeal) 2503. 2510. (A national 

covenant) 1237. 
Jan. 22. (Influence) 1936. (National 

righteousness) 34. 35. 41. 
Jan. 29. (Godliness profitable) 2833-2839. 

(Bible study) 91. 92. 96. (Religion 

and prosperity) 403. 
Feb. 5. (The prophet) 2706. (Provi- 
dence) 150-154. (Prayer) 1082. 
Feb. 12. (God's hand in human affairs) 

194. 195. (Indecision) 836-839. 

(Prayer) 1083. 1077. 
Feb. 19. (God and I) 1318. (Trusting in 

the dark) 1361. (Depression) 1367- 

1375. 

Feb. 26. (Covetousness) 539. 544 547. 

(Conscience) 588. 591. 593-595. 
March 5. (Going to heaven) 290. (Our 

departed friends) 295-298. (Heaven) 

2915. 2921. 

March 12. (Loving ministries) 1765-1772. 

1541. 1545. 1556. 1589. (Praver and 

disease) 1078-10S7. 
March 19. (Temperance) 2415. 2417. 2419. 

2420. 2428. 

March 26. (Golden Text) 1424. 1436. 1448. 
April 2. (Affliction) 1506. 1514. 1516. 

(A child's influence) 1972-1977. 2476. 

(The prayer-cure) 1082. 
April 9. (Angel helpers) 1494. 2916. 

(Providential protection) 147. 150. 166. 

175. 176. 

April 16. (Easter) 264-301. 2915-2930. 
April 23. (Young Christians) 2194. 

(Church-building) 913. 920. 925. 930. 

2369. 

April 30. (Foreign Missions) 2100-2115. 
May 7. (Pride and humility) 2746. 1489. 

(God's school) 1518. (Chastening) 

1541. 1545. 1556. 1589. 
May 14. (Visions) 771. 1362. 1365. (God's 

holiness) 114. 115. (Rebuking sin) 

366. 488. 2766. 
May 21. (Worldliness) 2733. 2735. 2742. 

(Temperance) 2443. 2449. 2451. 
May 28. (War) 460. (Peace) 1607. 1608. 

(Prosperity) 35. 39. 41. 
June 4. (Pentecost) 309-340. 



June 11th, 1911. 



Illustrations for the Sunday School Lessons. 



March 31st, 1912. 



June 11. (Spiritual convalescence) 933. 
(Revival of interest) 934. (The Lord's 
Supper) 938. 942. (Re-consecration) 
1171. 1182. 

June 18. (Sin's power) 383. 610. 616. (Pen- 
altv) 619. (Idolatrv) 402. 404. 406. 

June 25. (Golden Text) 1215. 1219. 1221. 
1225. 

Jl-ly 2. (Our divine Ally) 1009. 1014. 
11)48. (Denying God) 397-401. (Prov- 
idence) 150. 175. 

Julv 9. (The Crucified One) 245-263. 

July 16. (Sin) 343. 348. 355. (Penitence 
and pardon ) 662. 637. 

Julv 23. (Boy Christians) 2194. 2197. 
2215. (Fruitfulness) 1189. 1202. (Idols) 
4«?. 

Julv 3d (A neglected Bible) 91-96. (The 
inspired Book) 1. 13. 21. 27. (A 
covenant) 1237. 

Ave. 6. (A divine commission) 1362. 
(Rebuking sin) 2278. 2786. (Proph- 
ets) 2706. 

Aug. 13. (The Bible and infidelitv) 46. 
63. 374-377. (Warning) 611. '(Bible 
study) 74. 

Aug. 20. (A young man's sins) 2278. 

(Sin's consequences) 602. " (Martyrs) 

1363. 1528. 1575. 
Aug. 27 (Sin's consequences) 608-623. 
Sept. 3. (Golden Text) 808. 810. 811. 
Sept. 10. ( Purpose) 2594. (Godliness 

profitable) 2833. (Temperance and 

efficiency ) 2427. 2429. 2434. 2444. 
Sept. 17. (Persecution) 458. 459. (Hero- 
ism) 2682-2690. (A present Savior) 

971. 974. 1001. 
Sept. 24. ( Courage, fidclitv) 2694. 2699. 

2703. 27H5. (Deliverance) 192-197. 
Oct. 1. (The prophet) 2706. (Voices) 

1362. (Rebuking sinners) 2062. 

( Watching for souls) 2067. 2074. 
Oct. 8. (The Gospel's transforming 

power) 762. 795. 816. 822. 826. 830. 44. 

54. 

Oct 15 (God in history) 140-150. (Church 
building) 920-923. (Giving) 2348. 2360. 
2364. 

Ocl 22 (Church loyalty) 926. (Church 
building) 935. (Devotion) 2501. 
i Dedication) 921. 925. 

Oct 29. (Praver) 1014. (Deliverance) 
995. (Grace) 628. 632. 124. 

N'm 5. (Intercession) 1017. 1023. 1028. 
175. (God's agents) 184. 186. (Soul- 
saving) 2056. 



Nov. 12. (Sin's penaltv) 602-606. 6*10. 

(Intemperance) 244S. 2454. 2480. 
Nov. 19. (Influence) 1934. 1937. (Trust) 

1333. (Praver) 1015. (Liberalitv) 

2341. (Zeal) 2550. 
Nov. 26. (Zeal for God's cause) 2575. 

(Svmpathv) 1668. (Praver) 1016. 

1031. (Penitence) 684. 
Dec. 3. (Work) 2498. 2499. (Devotion > 

2501. (Trials) 1521. 1562. (Vigilance) 

2641. 2651. 

Dec. 10. (Foes) 1562. 1575. (Tempta- 
tion) 549. 562. 2518. (The strength 
of right) 2510. (God's protection) 
1553. 

Dec. 17. (The Bible) 21-32. (Bible 
study) 75-83. (Sharing blessings) 
2357-2361. 

Dec. 24. (Christmas teachings) 225-230. 

(Hypocrisy) 2801-2814. 
Dec. 31. (Golden Text) 631-641. 

1912. 

Jan. 7. (Piety) 1184-1191. (Visions) 
771. 1362. (Christian nurture) 2215. 
2217. (Heaven) 2513. 2565. 

Jan. 14. (God's sure promises) 1383-1390. 
(Salvation) 634-637. (The fore-run- 
ner) 2706. 

Jan. 21. (The Birth of Christ) 231-236. 

(Jov) 1423. 1446. (Peace) 1461. 
Jan. 28. (Jesus Christ) 214. 224. 236. 237. 

244. 259. 

Feb. 4. (Christ's birth) 229. 230. 232. 236. 

(Conscience) 591. (Hypocrisy) 2810. 

(Giving) 2361. 
Feb. 11. (Christian nurture) 2193. 2194. 

(Child Christians) 2197. 2203. (Dutv) 

2573. 

Feb. 18. (A hero) 2682. (Repentance) 
683-686. 662. 665. 

Feb. 25. (The Trinity) 134-138. (Temp- 
tation) 557. (Resisting Satan) 560. 
562. 

Mar. 3. (Trust and obey) 1327. 1230. 

(Fishers of men) 2037. 2049. 2055. 
Mar. 10. (Praver and disease) 1078-1087. 

(Miracles) 242. (Sickness) 1585. 
Mar. 17. (Soul winning) 2070. 2071 

(Sickness) 1586. (Faith) 731. 734. 

(Pardon) 646. 
Mar. 24. (Christ the teacher) 237. 244. 

(Christ's invitation) 631. 633. (To 

save sinners) 656. 663. 
Mar. 31. (The Light of the world) 35-36. 

42-51. 642. 



0? 



April 7th, 1912. 



Illustrations for the Sunday School Lessons. December 29th, 1912. 



April 7. (Easter) 264-301. 

April 14. (The Sabbath) 416-430. 

April 21. (The Healer) 1078-1087. (Called 

to serve) 2558. 2559. 2565. 
April 28. (The Teacher) 244. (Poor in 

spirit) 772. (Penitence) 690. (Meek- 
ness) 770. 2068. 
May 5. (Forgiving others) 1646-1667. 

(Hatred) 440-460. 
May 12. (Pharisaism) 756-761. 2801-2814. 
May 19. (Purity) 461-468. (The motive) 

'346. 348. 2733. 2736. 367. 
May 26. (The Holy Spirit) 309-340. 
June 2. (Charitv) 1626. 1648. 1681. 

(Obedience) 1242. 1253. 1270. 
June 9. (The Gospel brings blessings) 

50-54. 782. (Heroic service) 2706. 

2707. 2711. 

June 16. (Penitence) 666-675. 678. (Di- 
vine compassion) 630. 631. 639. 

June 23. (Temperance) 2407-2497. 

June 30. (Golden Text) 219-224. 

July 7. (The devil) 623. 341. 348. 383. 
(Unbelief) 361-363. (Blasphemy) 366. 

July 14. (Spiritual indifference) 2762. 
2766. ( Procrastination ; 839. 854. 
(Persistence) 1477. 1487. 

July 21. (Growth of the kingdom) 33-41. 

July 28. (The enemy) 623. (The judg- 
ment) 2958-2972. 

Aug. 4. (The great salvation) 635. 636. 
642. 647. 668. 

Aug. 11. (Deliverance) 192. 193. 197. 
(Christ our friend) 1001. 1007. 1017. 

Aug. 18. (Sin's slaves) 383. (Christ's 
power to free) 772. 779. 790. 795. 

Aug. 25. (Sickness) 1591. (Prayer) 
1084. (Raising the dead) 264-301. 

Sept. 1. (Temperance) 2448. 2450. 2470. 
(Martyrs) 1362. 1363. 1368. 2565. 



Sept. 8. (Soul winning) 2070-2074. 2076. 

(Zeal) 2556. 2575. 2581. 
Sept. 15. (Opportunity wasted) 839. 840. 

(Revealed truth) 13. 20. (Rest) 1442. 

1443. 1461. 

Sept. 22. (Miracles) _ 242. 243. 1050. 
(Spiritual recuperation) 1004. 1016. 
(Christ supplying the world's needs) 

238. 259. 

Sept. 29. (Golden Text) 24. 25. 31. 33. 40. 

Oct. 6. (Trials) 1540. 1567. 1563. (De- 
liverance) 982. 985. (Trust) 978. 980. 

Oct. 13. (Formalism) 2801-2808. (Heart 
religion) 2813. 2819. 

Oct. 20. (Sahation offered all) 635. 646. 
651. (Prayer) 1077. 1084. 1086. 

Oct. 27. (Christ's transforming power) 
771. 780. 782. (The wonder worker) 

239. (Feeding the hungry) 2155. 2156. 
Nov. 3. (Our help in God) 1295. (The 

Light of the world) 1291. (Trust) 
1337. 1424. 

Nov. 10. (Temperance) 2499. 2454. 2460. 
2475. 2487. 

Nov. 17. (Christ is God) 213-224. (Con- 
fessing Christ) 871. 873. 882. (Self- 
denial) 2683. 2685. 

Nov. 24. (Visions) 771. 1362. 1365. 
(Christ supreme) 237. 239. ' 241. 
(Friends in heaven) 2915. 

Dec. 1. (Why Christians fail) 1040. 1044. 
(Sin's bondage) 396. (Deliverance) 
795. 797. 

Dec. 8. (Christian nurture) 2197. 2207. 
(Child Christians) 2203. 2204. 2247. 
2248. 

Dec. 15. (Forgiving others) 1654-1666. 
Dec. 22. (Christmas) 225-236. 
Dec. 29. (Golden Text) 1230. 1235. 1236. 
1252. 



438 



Anger. 



Junior Congregation Index. 



Zeal. 



JUNIOR CONGREGATION INDEX. 



Anger. 443-456. 

Attendance, Church. 930. 931. 

Avarice. 225. 519. 527. 

Bible, The. 13. 42. 

Bravery. 2616. 2699. 2700. 2703. 2709. 

Character. 1898. 1908. 1910. 
Cheerfulness. 1444. 

Christ, Confessing. 871. 878. 886. 893. 906. 
Christ Our Friend. 966. 971. 978. 986. 987. 

1000. 1001. 
Christmas. 226. 235. 
Church Attendance. 930. 931. 
Church Loyalty. 930. 931. 
Confessing Christ. 871. 878. 886. 893. 906. 
Conscience. 571. 573. 578. 582. 592. 593. 

598. 

Consecration. 1191-1202. 
Consequences of Sin. 603. 607. 614. 620- 
622. 

Courage. 2616. 2699. 2700. 2703. 2709. 
Covetousness. 225. 519. 527. 

Decision for Christ. 840. 842. 844. 849. 

852. 853. 859. 864. 866. 
Doing Your Best. 2639. 2643. 2646. 2649. 

2652. 

Easter. 264-266. 268. 269. 
Education. 2307. 
Effort. 1232. 

Encouraging Others. 1734. 1756. 1764. 
Example. 1223. 2026. 2029. 

Faith. 679. 692. 703. 721. 726. 729. 730. 
Forgiveness. 1643. 1650. 
Friendship. 1777-1785. 
Fruit-bearing. 1189. 1202. 
Giving. 2369. 

God's Love. 117. 120. 124. 127. 128. 

God's Power. 111. 117. 

Goodness and Greatness. 1904. 

Gratitude. 1149. 1157. 1159. 1167. 

Habit. 383. 387. 393. 394. 2306. 

Hatred. 443. 456. 

Helping Others. 1616. 

Holy Spirit. The. 319. 321. 330. 335. 339. 

Honesty. 482-485. 491. 493. 

Honoring Parents. 432. 433. 437. 439. 

HumiHry. 1489-1505. 

Hymns. 947. 948. 953. 954. 956. 959. 961. 
962. 963. 

"I'll try, Sir." 1232. 



Immortalitv. 266. 268. 285. 297. 299. 300. 
Influence. 1935. 1949. 1952. 1955. 1959. 1990. 

1995. 1996. 2091. 
Irreverence. 408-410. 

Jesus. 237. 239. 253. 257. 259. 260. 

Kindness. 443. 444. 1625. 1633. 1689. 

Life-Building. 2260. 

Mothers. 1836. 1840. 1842. 1847. 2307. 

Obedience. 1230. 1240. 1242. 1259. 1349. 
Omniscience. 103-109. 
Opportunity. 1852-1861. 

Patience. 1476. 1477. 1486. 

Perseverance. 2621. 2622. 2631. 

Praver. 1012. 1017. 1020. 1034. 1046. 1048. 

1054. 1062. 1063. 1073. 
Providence. 149. 165. 180. 190. 202. 208. 
Public Schools. 2293-2313. 
Purity. 461. 475. 

Regeneration. 748. 750. 751. 772. 781. 

787. 797. 
Repentance. 665. 685. 694. 
Resurrection, The. 266. 268. 285. 297. 299- 

301. 

Sabbath Observance. 416. 418. 420. 422. 
429. 430. 

Salvation. 637. 648. 658. 659. 662. 
Self-sacrifice. 2713. 

Sin. 341. 343. 345. 347. 348. 350. 352. 358. 
383-387. 

Sin's Consequences. 603. 607. 614. 620. 622. 
Sin's Growth. 1927. 

Song, Influence of. 947. 948. 953. 954. 956. 

959. 961. 962. 964. 
Temperance. 839. 2408. 2409. 2415. 2419. 

2420. 2454. 2460. 2461. 2462. 2466. 247(1 

2471. 2476. 2480. 
Temptation. 548. 549. 554. 555. 557-559. 

564. 565. 

Ton K ue, The. 443-451. 456. 511. 512. 
Transformed Lives. 772. 775. 780. 787. 790. 

795 797. 808. 809. 817. 831. 833. 835. 
Trials Conquered. 1522. 1530-1534. 1538. 
Trust. 1286. 1306. 

Truthfulness. 501. 504. 505. 507. 510. 511. 
512. 

Words, Our. 443-451. 
7. i \i 2516. 2572. 2618. 2619. 2622. 2624. 
2626. 2635. 



439 



Genesis. 



Textual Index. 



Deuteronomy. 







GENESIS. 


1 




111-113. 


I 


16. 


107. 108. 110. 111. 






117. 


I 


27. 


123. 125. 129. 


1 

1 


1 . 


203-211. 


-! 



A 
o. 


341-344. 


o 


q 

y. 


570-600 


7, 


11. 


58? 59? 596 597 


O 


1 T. 


548 569 


•3 
O 


?? 


6fll 611-613 


7. 

O 


23. 


617. 


4 


6. 


608. 610. 618. 


4 


Q 

O. 


440-460. 


A 


q 

y . 


850 110? 1982 2003 






2056. 2060. 2081. 


4 


:16. 


608. 609. 613. 616. 






618. 




24. 


2943 2938 2939 






2952 


6 


: 3. 


844. ~851. 852. 859. 






866. 


7 


1. 


143. 144. 150. 172. 


7 


16. 


151. 175. 176. 181. 


11 


8. 


145. 154. 189. 


12 


4. 


1230-1272. 


15 


6. 


702-735. 


16 


13. 


103-106. 361. 1840. 


17 


1. 


1171-1179. 


18:23-33. 1016. 1018. 1031. 






1048. 1077. 


19 


16. 


836-850. 


19 :26. 


861-870. 


21 


19. 


328. 330. 


22 


7. 


245-263. 


24:63. 


1043. 


25 


8. 


2840-2914. 


25 


34. 


2762-2795. 


28:15. 


146. 152. 165. 


28 


12. 


771. 1362. 1365. 1405. 






2711. 


30 :27. 


1118. 1182. 1183. 


32 :26. 


1008. 1015. 1016. 






1021. 


33 


4-9. 


1616. 1621. 1625. 


35 


3. 


1152-1154. 


37 


5. 


771. 1362. 1365. 1405. 






2711. 


39 


2. 


139-197. • 


40 


23' 


1157. 1159. 1166. 


41 


9. 


581. 582. 586. 589. 






591. 592. 598. 


45 


5-8 


. 139-197. 



TEXTUAL. INDEX. 



A7 • P. 
47 . 0. 


9onn 9oni 


oonA 
zyu4. 




701 1 
ZV1 I. 




AO 00 

4v . zz. 


•27/11 /M en 
O/. nl. 'H-. OU. 


00. 


on 


1 fX 1^0 

loo. iov. 




ZCl -OA 
OU .Z4. 


1 1 fx 1 1 Q 191 
110. llo. 


1 41 
141. 




1 *4-o. 




■ 


EXODUS. 




-?n 


l/Jy. 1/U4. 


1 765 




1769. 1772. 




3: 5. 


407-415. 




3:14. 


97-102. 108. Ill 


1 1 


4: 2. 


1971-1977. 




5: 2. 


366. 




8:19. 


139-197. 




9:16. 


170. 184. 




12:14. 


3057-3076. 1161. 


1 1 f\f\ 
1 1 00. 


13:21,22. 151. 152. 




14 :13. 


194. 




17:12. 


1625. 1626. 


1fS?7 

1 UJ / . 




1640. 




19 : 8. 


1383-1399. 




20: 4. 


2135. 




20: 5. 


1915-1924. 




20: 7. 


407-415. 




20: 8. 


416-430. 




on . 1 
zu : 1 z. 


431-439. 1698. 




on -1 7. 
zu . lo. 


440-460. 




20:14. 


461-468. 




20:15. 


479-496. 




20:16. 


497-519. 




20:17. 


514-547. 




23 :20. 


192-197. 




28 :36. 


1217. 1221. 1226. 


30 :27. 


1592. 1593. 1595. 


32 :26. 


871-906. 




34 :29. 


1967. 




34 :29. 


1489-1505. 




35 :21. 


2340. 2355. 


2358. 




2359. 2363. 






LEVITICUS. 




6:13. 


2609. 2623. 


2631. 




2636. 2637. 




10:1-3. 


619-623. 




13:45. 


663. 665. 677. t 


584. 


19: 4. 


397-406. 




19: 9, 


10. 2380-2406. 




20 :22. 


1230-1272. 




26 :8, 9. 


762-835. 






NUMBERS. 




10 :29. 


1699. 2060. 


2072. 




2073. 2074. 2098. 




440 





12 


3. 


1488-1505. 




14:24. 


1315. 1316. 1327. 


14:40. 


665. 667. 677. 678. 


15:41. 


116-138. 




23 


10. 


2840-2914. 




29 


11. 


245-263. 




32 :23. 


591. 597. 605. 613. 






614. 




35 


11. 


983. 992. 998 


1000. 




DEUTERONOMY. 


1 


30. 


189. 195. 196. 




2 


3. 


2973-3002. 




2 


36. 


167. 174. 175. 




■3 


20. 


1623. 1625. 


1626. 






1632. 1633. 




3 


22. 


189. 195. 196. 




4 


~9. 


1148. 1149. 


1151. 






1153. 




4:29. 


684. 685. 




4:39. 


397-401. 




5:67. 


397-401. 




5 


8-10. 402-406. 




5 


11. 


407-415. 




5 


12-15. 416-430. 




5 


16. 


431-439. 




5 


17. 


440-460. 




5 


18. 


461-478. 




5 


19. 


479-496. 




5:20. 


497-513. 




5 


21. 


514-547. 




5:29. 


1230-1272. 




6 


12. 


1148. 1149. 


1151. 






1153. 




8 


2-11 


. 1088. 1160. 1170. 


9 


23. 


370-382. 




11 


20, 


21. 1230-1272. 




12 


30. 


1040. 1062. 


1174. 






1198. 1204. 


1206. 


13 


1-3. 


397-401. 




18 


13. 


1175. 1185. 


1221. 






1228. ' 




20 


1-4. 


1332. 1333. 


1335. 


23 


5. 


127. 128. 130. 


132. 


24 


5. 


1786-1820. 




25 


13. 


16. 479-496. 




30 


19. 


836-870. 




32:11, 12. 120. 124. 128. 131. 






1306. 1311. 


1327. 






131. 1306. 


1311. 






1327 




33 


25. 


1383-1399. 




33 


27. 


954. 1001. 136C 


. 1368. 






1378. 1379. 





Joshua. 



Textual Index. 



Ezra. 



JOSHUA. 

1 :6. 7. 2694. 2698. 2699. 

2703. 
3 : 4. 2973. 3002. 
3:17. 165. 167. 169. 
4: 9. 1149. 1151. 1157. 

1165. 1166. 
5: 6. 1230. 1231. 1237. 

1239. 1240. 
6:20. 703. 708. 731. 733. 
7: 8-10. 601-618. 
10:11-14. 34. 39. 41. 117. 

129. 

10:25. 1286. 1346. 1358. 
14:14. 1173. 1176. 1361. 

1362. 1365. 
18 : 3. 1295. 1310. 1381. 
20: 2. 975. 
21 :45. 1383-1399. 
22: 4. 1310. 1381. 
24:15. 846-859. 1271. 1272. 

JUDGES. 

5:20. 111. 616. 621. 
6:13-16. 150-155. 
7: 4. 120. 165. 170. 

1302. 1308. 2624. 

2636. 2637. 
2193-2231. 
16:21. 601. 609. 612. 614. 

2452. 2454. 
18: 9. 2796-2800. 

RUTH. 
1769. 1772. 1777. 

1781. 
676. 1141. 1142. 
1508. 1509. 1521. 
1531. 

1631. 1632. 1637. 
1640. 1695. 



7:20. 
13: 8. 



1 :14. 

1 :16. 
1 :20. 

2: 4. 



2: 2 
3:13 

4: 9 
4:22 

7:12 
9:21 
10: 6 
12: 7 
12:20 
15 22 
15:23 



i SAMUEL. 

97-133 

1786. 1799. 2226. 

2229. 
2698-2706. 2720. 
907. 912-914. 916. 

917. 

119. 170. 175. 178. 
1408-1505. 
762-835. I960. 
1143-1170. 
24 1163-1170. 
367. 1230-1272. 
601. 610. 615. 616. 
621. 



18: 1. 1774-1785. 

20: 3. 2840-2914. 

20:17. 1610-1641. 

21 : 8. 2654-2681. 

24:17. 1642-1667. 

27: 1. 1367-1382. 

30: 6. 965-1007. 

31 : 4. 495. 2852. 



1 :19 
1:26 

3:38 
5:10 
5:24 
6:6. 
7:14 
9:10 



15:15 
18:29 

22: 2 

23: 5 
24:14. 
24 :24 



2: 2. 
3: 3. 

3: 7. 
3: 9 
4:29. 
8:12 
9: 3. 
9: 7. 

12:13. 

15:14. 

18:21. 

19: 4. 

19:19. 

20:40. 

21 :20. 
22 :34. 



2 SAMUEL. 

2840-2914. 

1108. 1687. 1696. 
1777. 1781. 1784. 

2840-2914. 
12. 55. 66. 173. 175. 

324. 329. 331-335. 
7. 1230-1272. 

139-197. 

1642. 1643. 1740. 
1741. 

2682-2720. 
23. 2840-2914. 
2840-2914. 

1265. 2281. 2736. 

2743. 2754. 
1230-1272. 

2225. 2230. 2273. 
2291. 

1279. 1281. 1288. 

1290-1292. 
1384. 1385. 1391. 
116-133. 

1146. 1148. 1157. 
1213. 

i KINGS. 

2624. 

1088. 1090. 1092. 
1113. 1116. 1118. 

1489. 1494. 1500. 
12. 328. 332. 334. 

328. 
21 . 920-925. 

920-925. 

619. 621. 2963. 2964. 
14. 2273-2293. 
1191. 1127. 1128. 
856. 857. 859. 
1367- 1374. 
2498. 2523. 
1852. 1881. 2773. 

2775. 2796. 
588. 595. 598. 
1922. 

441 



2 KINGS. 

2:14. 242. 243. 1050. 1052. 
3:18. 176. 177. 
4: 1-7. 167. 

4:42-44. 242. 243. 1050. 

1052. 
5: 1. 1516. 

5: 2. 1972. 1973. 1975. 
1977. 1995. 1998. 
2476. 

7: 9. 2037. 2044. 2055- 
2059. 

7:16, 17. 1273. 1274. 1279. 
1286. 1295. 

8:13. 345. 355. 
10:15. 1705. 1708. 
12 : 2. 1230. 1234. 
13:21. 1997. 1948. 1967. 
18: 5, 6. 1267-1272. 
20: 5. 1086. 

22: 1. 1935. 1949. 1952. 
1955. 1959. 

1 CHRONICLES. 

4:10. 1028. 1077. ■ 

10:13. 619-623. 

11 : 9. 2833-2839. 

14:10. 1009. 1010. 1016. 
1017. 

16:29. 1172. 1176. 1184. 

17:13. 128. 

22:13. 995. 998. 

28:20. 995. 998. 

29: 5. 2332-2379. 

2 CHRONICLES. 

1:1. 150-165. 

2: 5. 907-925. 

5:13. 943-964. 

7:14. 632. 637. 

7:21.22. 619-623. 
14:11. 1009. 1018. 1031. 
16:12. 1078-1087. 
17:16. 117.'. 1184. 1195. 
20:15. 1067. 
24 : 4. 907-925. 
26: 5. 2833-2839. 
30: 5. 926-935. 
32:7, 8. 2682-2720. 
34:1, 2. 2193-2231. 
37:15, 16. 619 623. 

EZRA. 

7:25. 2151. 2154. 

9: 5. 1016. 1018. 1048. 



Nehemiah. 



Textual Index. 



Psalms. 



NEHEMIAH. 

1 : 3, 4. 907-925. 

2: 4. 1010. 1015. 1019. 

4: 6. 2598-2637. 

4 : 9. 1054. 1061. 1062. 
4:17. 2498-2520. 

4:21. 2580-2600. 

6: 3. 2620-2637. 

8:10. 1445. 1447. 1463. 
1464. 2113. 

9: 6. 150. 165. 167. 

9:17. 635. 641. 646. 

10:31. 416-430. 

10:39. 926-935. 

ESTHER. 

4:14. 1990. 1993. 2003. 
5:13. 441. 442. 457. 
7: 6. 2037. 2055. 

JOB. 

1: 1. 1180. 1183. 1188. 
1191. 

1 : 7. 623. 341. 345. 348. 

383. 387. 394. 722. 
1 : 9-11. 1524. 1529.- 1532. 

1549. 1562. 
1 : 13-22. 1506-1596. 
2: 3. 564. 569. 
2:10. 1469. 1506. 1508. 

1520. 

5 :26. 2884. 2885. 
8:11. 1925-1934. 

11: 7. 97-100. 
13:15. 1366. 1367. 
14:14. 264-280. 
14:15. 2160. 
19:25,26. 264-280. 
23:10. 116-133. 
35:10. 985. 987. 995. 
38:11. 110-115. 
42:10. 1064. 1065. 



PSALMS. 



1 


1. 


601. 623. 1621. 


1 


2. 


27-31. 


1 


3. 


2833-2839. 


1 


4, 


5. 601-623. 


2 


9. 


619. 


2 


12. 


1537. 


3 


3. 


629. 


4 


8. 


1303. 1305. 1311. 


6 


1. 


1392. 


7 


1. 


1295. 1297. 1306. 


8 


4. 


140. 148. 151. 176 



179. 



9 


9. 


1 one 1 1 1 n 


9 


13. 


lUoi. 


10 :4-6. 


ooU-004. 


14 


1. 


1U4/. ot>y. o/o. 


15 


3. 


cm cno C11 cio 
oUz. oUo. oil. MZ. 


16 


11. 


1 a on 
14ZU. 


1 7 

17 


15. 


ono<c on ?1 ono/i 
ZyZo. ZVol. zyo4. 






nr\A£Z one "2 

zv46. zyoo. 


18 


19. 


1 one 1 onx 1 oon 
loUo. loU6. loZy. 






1 IQt. 1 OOQ 

looo. loyo. 


18 


49. 


1 1 /I /C 1 I yjfl 1 1 C /f 

1146. 114y. llo4. 






1 1 cn 1 1 j<n 

lioy. ii6y. 


1 n 

iy 


l. 


1 no on 7 onn 011 

198. zuo. zuy. zii. 


1 n 

iy 


1 n 
1U. 


i/i 11 
Z4-0Z. 


1 n 

iy 


1 o 
lz. 


^ C/l ocn 1 1 71 

oo4-ooy. ii/i. 


1 n 

iy 


10. 


1AC 1&Q 

040-ooy. 


1 n 

iy 


1 A 

14. 


440 A c, 1 cnQ CIO 
44y. 401. ouy. 01Z. 


23 


1 

1. 


QQQ 1971 198^ 
yyy. IZ/O. IZoO. 






1 9P.P. 1 OCK 1 1H1 

izoo. izyo. loui. 






MIA 
1004. 


23 


2, 3. 


nm nn7 1 nnn 

yy3. yy/. iuuu. 






1 nn~7 
1UU/. 


23 


4. 


nC/i ncn 1 ic\a 1 ono 

yo4-9oy. ioy4. loyo. 


25 


7. 


/co/c <oq /con A/in 
bio. ozo. ooU. 04U. 


25 


14. 


1 ocn 1 i/cc 1 i7n 

lzoU. lzoo. lz/U. 


27 


1. 


1404. 


17 

27 


3. 


1 one 1 oon 1 o/c/c 
loUo. lozy. Ioo6. 






1 O/CQ 

1J68. 


27 


14. 


1 1 /17/C 1 AOI 

lo(J6. 14/6-145/. 


28 


1. 


01 1 O 01 1 /I 

zllo. Z114. 


29 


2. 


1 1 n7 1 om 1 01 /t 
liy/. lzUl. 1Z14. 






ill r 

lzlo. 


30 


5. 


1 C/C7 1 C7n 1 C71 

156/. 15/0. lb/1. 


30 


12. 


11/to 11 7n 
1140-11/U. 


32 


5. 


^77 /CO/1 /con 

677. 684. 689. 


32 


' 6. 


i n*c o 
1U60. 


32 


. 7. 


1 nnn 
1UUU. 


32 


8. 


/cm 
691. 


n 
oo 


1 ? 
iz. 


oc on /ii 
05. oy. 41. 


14 


A 


1 ni 7 
1 (Jl /. 


14 


Q 
o. 


n7o 

y/z. 




Q 
y. 


1471 1424 1444 






I44fi 14^2 


0/ 


1 
o. 


1355 1356 1363 






1392. 


X7 
0/ 


c 

0. 


1 277 1 286 1 297 

x •—/ / . i zi.o\J. y £*y j . 


17 
o/ 


25 


1915-1924. 


39 


3. 


1171 117/1 11 70 

11/1. 11/4. 11/e. 






1 1 ni i nn/i 1 nn7 

liyi. iyu4-iyu/. 


39 


7. 


1 /inn i a 1 o 
14UU-1415. 


39 


13. 


1 n70 i no7 

lU/o-lUo/. 


40 


2. 


^pn f^QA 771 700 

uoU. oy4. /zo. /zy. 


42 


1. 


984. 985. 987. 992. 






997. 1090. 1122. 


42 


11. 


1369. 1376. 1400. 






1401. 


43 


' 5. 


1368. 1376. 1381. 



4J2 



46 


1. 


1392. 


A1 

4/ 


1. 


1 07 C 1 OO/C 1 AZ.A 

lz/o. lzo6. 1464. 


48 


12. 


nn7 noc 

907-925. 


50 


3. 


1332. 1341-1343. 


50 


15. 


1 nno -\ f\Ai 1 onn 

1008-104/. 12y9. 






1344. 1356. 


51 


1. 


1^*7*7 jf^'TO *7^*7 

6/7. 678. 767. 


51 


7. 


1394. 


51 


10. 


745-755. 


51 


1 "7 

17. 


678-681. 


53 


1. 


Ozf) lOI 'TOO 

362-382. /88. 


55 


17. 


1 r\1 A 1 AT? 

1014. 1023. 


r c 

55 


21. 


2803. 2810. 2814. 


55 


22. 


1383. 1386. 1398. 


56 


3. 


954. 


61 


2. 


1287. 1354-1356. 


62 


5. 


1111 101O 1 1T< 

1311. 1318. 1324. 






2699. 


62 


1®. 


514-547. 


63 


" 1. 


1090. 


65 


9. 


117. 127. 131. 


66 


18. 


617. 621. 


68 


13. 


1533. 1534.. 1552. 






1555. 1559. 


72 


6. 


1430. 


73 


25. 


1287. 


78 


38. 


625-630. 


80 


4. 


1028. 


01 
el 


1U. 


1 on 1 0A 1 oc 1 00 

lzU. Iz4. lzo. 13z. 


OA 

84 


: 1. 


nn7 noc 

yu/-yzo. 


OA 

54 


r 

: d. 


1 1 ClO 

iiy©. 


O/l 

e4 


. 1 r\ 
: 11). 


0077 
zo//. 


o c 
oo 


o 

: o. 


nA7 O70 OQO 

yo/. y/o. yf5z. 


on 
yu 


A 


147fi 
It-/ U. 


91 
yi 


. 1 
. 1 . 


17X 1177 1191 

I/O. 11//. 1 171. 






1354 1356 


91 


: 2. 


1336 1339 1346 






1430 


91 


3. 


178. 181. 197. 1335. 


91 


5. 


1353. 1361. 1366. 






1372. 


91 :9,10. 


176. 192-197. 


91 


11. 


1494. 2916. 


91 


15,16. 1051. 1063. 1065. 






2160. 


92 


1. 


1146-1165. 


92 


12,13. 780. 799. 800. 824. 


94 


22. 


1341-1346. 


95 


2. 


1150-1160. 


95 


6. 


909. 924. 1063. 


95 


7,8. 


836-870. 


96 


9. 


1172. 


98 


5. 


943. 944. 947. 954. 


99 


9. 


114. 115. 


100. 




1166-1169. 


J03 


1. 


1145.-1147. 1152. 






1165. 



Psalms. 



Textual Index. 



Isaiah. 



PSALMS. 



103 


: 3. 


f\X/ f-AJ f\A.l 
OJ/. 04-— . OH-/. 


103 


: 5. 


1125. 


103 


: 13. 


120. 131. 183. 195. 






2207. 


103 


: 14. 


1544-1546. 


104:1-5. 


198-212. 


104 


: 34. 


1304. 


105 :2. 3. 


1144. 1145. 1147. 


106:12-15. 2721-2761. 


107 


2. 




107 


: 6. 


1033. 1042. 1047. 






lUoo. 1U/U. 


109 


4. 


ini^ ini ^ im? 
1U14. lUlo. lv£o. 


112:6, 7. 


1 T20 1 11Q 

133Z. Iojo. 


116 


1. 


1fl17 MWSZ 1(T?1 

1U1/. lUiO. lUOl. 


118 


: 1. 


1392. 


118 


: 14. 


120-128. 


119 


9. 


2288. 


119 


18. 


9. 21-28. 729. 


119 


54. 


2911. 


119 


67. 


lOjO. lOOl. 10/^. 








119 


92. 


1 3 


119 


97. 


713. 


119 


103. 


6 


119 


105. 


710-782. 


119 


no. 


1237. 1254. 1268. 


119:139. 


35. 38. 42. 45. 50. 






51 119 130. 2498. 






2501. 


119:169. 


1049. 


121 


1. 


1068. 1273. 1291. 






1318. 1329. 1331. 






1335. 1354. 1355. 


121 


3. 


1287. 1292. 1335. 


121 


5. 


1292. 


122 


1. 


924 


125 


2. 


1291. 1354. 1421. 


126 


5.6. 


1565. 1576. 1583. 






1586. 1588. 


127 


1. 


1397. 1404. 1413. 






1421. 


127 


3. 


2193-2331. 


133 


1-3. 


1597-1609. 


134 


2. 


926-935. 


136 


1 


1155. 1160. 1163. 


137 


2. 


1370. 1371. 1375. 






1548. 1550. 


137: 


4. 


285. 


139: 


14. 


793. 


139: 


17. 


7. 24. 26. 29. 31. 


141 : 


8. 


1344. 1.346. 


144: 


15. 


3.3-41. 


147: 


10. 


2279. 





PROVERBS. 




3: 5. 


1278. 




3:9.10. 2341-2359. 




4:15. 


341-369. 




4 :15. 


1U40. 1062. 


1174. 




1 1 oi 11 nn 

1183. nyu. 


1198. 




iyu4-iyo/. 




1 n 

1 U .01. 


4Q7 ^1 ? 




11-1 
ii. i . 






11 :25. 


2346. 2355. 


2360- 




2378. 




11:30. 


2056. 2057. 


2060. 




2069. 




14:12. 


619-623. 




14:21. 


2380-2406. 




14:34. 


2172. 




15 : 1. 


440-460. 




15:33. 


1489. 1492. 


1500. 




1504. 




16:32. 


440-455. 




1 1 C\ 

1/ : 9. 


677. 




1*7 1 "7 

1/ :17. 


1776. 




lo .Z^. 


978-982. 




in .17 

iy a/. 


1774-1785. 1814, 1815. 




2363-2376. 




20: 1. 


2448-2487. 




20 :27. 


587. 594. 600. 


969. 


22: 6. 


1804. 1925-1934. 2193. 




2197-2216. 2228. 


23 : 2. 


2452. 2460. 


2462. 




2465. 2466. 




23: 7. 


346. 2320-2331 




23 :26. 


251. 1171. 2278 


2281. 




2287. 2289. 2290. 


23 :34. 


2420. 2475. 


2480. 




2487. 




24 : 7. 


2390-2394. 




24 : 1 1 . 


2042. 




25:11. 


1948. 1972. 


1989. 




2073. 2290. 




25:22. 


1749. 




27: 1. 


855-861. 




27: 4. 


514-547. 




27:10. 


1774-1785. 




2/ :12. 


844. 849. 852. 




27 :17. 


1774-1785. " 




28:13. 


677. 678. 718. 




28:16. 


547-568. 




28:27. 


2.364. 2367. 




30: 8. 


539. 540. 




30 .26. 


1276. 1.305. 


1.306. 




1334. 1335. 


1449. 




1450. 




31 :28. 


1835. 1841-1843. 



ECCLESIASTES. 



1 


• 2 


405. 1380. 1425. 


1 


: 9. 


2973-3002. 


2 


:11. 


1380. 1425. 


3 


: 7. 


1700. 1720. 1726. 






1736. 


5 


: 1. 


926-935. 


5 


: 4. 


1180. 1183. 1187. 


5 


:13. 


2840. 2850. 2867. 






2910. 


6 


: 6. 


1380. 1425. 


7 


: 1. 


1778. 


7 


: 2. 


2860-2880. 


8 


11. 


361-364. 


9 


10. 


2503-2510. 2601.2625- 






2642. 


9 


18. 


383. 396. 


11 


: 1. 


197. 1236. 1238. 1743. 






IQ2IQ 1 Q^i i 91 11 

iy^o. iyow. io-\o. 






2352. 2378. 2402. 


12 


: 1. 


837. 839. 840. 849. 






2273. 22/8. 228 1. 






2282. 


12 


7. 


264. 2844. 2868. 28/1. 






2875. 


12 


14. 


2958-2972 


SONG 


OF SOLOMON. 


2 


15. 


548-569. 1040. 341- 






343. 350-359. 1947. 


4 


16. 


329. 


5 


10. 


237-244. 


6 


4. 


914. 






ISAIAK 


1 


3. 


2751. 2754. 2760. 


1 


18. 


635-656. 767. 


2 


4. 


3138-3150. 


5 


13. 


601. 609. 610. 617. 


6 


8. 


2498. 


9 


2. 


811. 


11 


6. 


797. 1597. 1602. 1605. 






1613. 1614. 1994. 






2907-2912. 


19: 


12. 


14. 15. 20. 


26 


3. 


1228. 1398. 1400. 






1411. 1413. 142.3. 






14.36. 1442. 1454. 






1461. 


26: 


4. 


1384. 1392. 


26: 


8. 


1270. 1274. 


27: 


6. 


34. 35. .39. 41 


28: 


1-8. 


2448-2487 


32: 


2. 


1125. 1952. 1961. 



1970. 

32:20. 1950. 2380 238' 
2391. 2393. 2394. 



Isaiah. 



Textual Index. 



Zechanah. 



ISAIAH. 

33:15, 16. 1219. 1227-1229. 

35: 8. 1197-1203. 

38:17. 1350. 

40: 1. 1334. 

40:11. 986. 

41 : 6. 1687. 1693. 1696. 

41:10. 977-980. 2525. 2868. 
2871. 

41:13. 1383. 1411. 1413. 

42: 3. 1387. 

42: 8. 2135. 

42:16. 1508. 1534. 1536. 

43: 2. 290. 

45 :22. 2597. 

46:9. 10. 101-113. 

48:18. 1254. 

48:19. 1908. 

48:21. 1510. 1521. 1542. 

1544. 1548. 

49:25. 1915-1924. 

50:10. 1279. 1282. 1287. 

1289. 

53:3-7. 245-263. 

53: 5. 658. 686. 

53: 7. 249. 1645. 

53:10. 250-260. 

54: 2. 915-919. 

54:17. 176-178. 

55:1-3. 624-660. 

55: 2. 524-526. 

55:6-9. 662-668. 

55: 7. 1350. 

55:11. 33-55. 
57:21.' 570-600. 

58 :6, 7. 2380-2406. 

59: 1. 780. 

59:19. 150-154. 

60:19. 116-133. 

61 :l-3. 50-57. 

64: 8. 124-130. 

65:24. 1017. 1070. 

66:13. 1571. 1698. 1713. 

1835-1850. 

JEREMIAH. 

1 :6-8. 809. 829. 830. 2369. 

2:13. 85. 2781. 2784. 2824. 

3: 4. 1118. 

3:12. 2781. 2784. 2824. 

3:22. 2781. 2784. 2824. 

4:30. 601-618. 

6:13. 547-568. 

8:20. 841-846. 

8:22. 654-657. 

9:21. 2273-2293. 

15 : 6. 85. 2781. 2784. 2824. 



15:20. 822. 826. 828. 

17: 9. 345. 347. 

17 :21-27. 416-430. 

22:13. 479-496. 

23 :5, 6. 632-637. 

23:33. 977. 979. 982. 988. 

989. 995. 1026. - 
29:12, 13. 667. 684. 685. 
31 :18. 745-755. 
32:27. 110-115. 
33: 3. 2160. 
48:17. 2840-2914. 

LAMENTATIONS. 

3 :23. 1414. 
3:25. 1008. 1015. 
3:31-33. 1546. 1552. 1554. 
1563. 

3:38-41. 601-623. 661-701. 
4:12. 345. 
5:25. 745-750. 

EZEKIEL. 

11:19. 749-755. 
16:14. 824-827. 
18:2-4. 1915-1924. 357. 365. 
18:19-27. 1915-1924. 357. 
365. 

18:31, 32. 662. 663. 
25:17. 601-623. 
33 :7-10. 2037-2098. 
36:26. 772. 787. 790. 791. 
47: 9. 762. 835. 

DANIEL. 

1 :8,9. 2594. (2498-2639.) 

2:28. 1-20. 

2:45. 33-41. 

3:18. 2682-2720. 

3:25. 1362. 1363. 1386. 

1394. 1528. 1575. 

2566. 

4:26, 27. 1541-1549. 
5 :25-27. 2958-2972. 
6:10. 2682-2720. 
6 :23. 192-197. 
12 : 3. 668. 2034. 2037. 2098. 

HOSEA. 

2:14. 1556-1566. 

4:17. 2762-2795. 

6:1-3. 85. 2781. 2784. 2824. 

7: 7. 2762-2795. 

10:12. 1173. 1184. 1188. 

14:1-3. 2781. 2784. 2824. 

14: 5. 116-121. 

444 



JOEL. 

1 : 3. 2193-2231. 
2:12-14. 663-668. 

AMOS. - 

4:11, 12. 665. 679. 684. 
6: 1. 2762-2795. 
7:14, 15. 1488-1505. 
8:11. 91-96. 

OBADIAH. 

1: 1. 771. 1362. 1365. 
1405. 2711. 



JONAH. 



1 


:l-3. 


1230-1272. 


2 


1. 


1023. 1048. 






1077. 


3 :4, 5. 


663. 677. 678. 






MICAH. 


2 


10. 


2847. 


5 


2. 


225-236. 


6 


6-8. 


665. 666. 683 


7 


19. 


1350. 



1068. 



NAHUM. 

1: 3. 101-113. 
1: 7. 120-127. 

HABAKKUK. 

1:13. 114. 115. 
2:14. 33-41. 
2:15. 1964. 
2:20. 907. 909. 
3:17-19. 1391. 1400. 1404. 
1413. 

ZEPHANIAH. 



619. 622. 
672. 685. 



HAGGAI. 

1 : 4. 920-925. 

1 : 6. 2740-2761. 

1 :13. 2706. 

2: 4. 1388. 1398. 1399. 

2: 8. 2332-2379. 

ZECHARIAH. 

1 :3,4. 631. 662. 
2: 2. 819-822. 
4: 6. 319-326. 
4:10. 1947. 1951. 1961. 
1975. 1978. 



1 


12 


1 


18 


2 


3 


3 


7 



Zechariah. 



Textual Index. 



Mark. 



ZECHARIAH- 

7:13. 615-617. 

8: 5. 2193-2197. 
13: 1. 646-651. 
13: 9. 1508-1514. 
14:20. 1204. 1215. (2815- 
2832.) 

MALACHI. 

3 :8-10. 2356-2379. 
3:16. 17. 987. 994. 
4: 5. 2958-2972. 

MATTHEW. 

1 : 18-21. 225-236. 



1 :21. 


250. 257. 686. 


1 :23. 


977. 979. 982. 988. 


2: 8. 


2801. 2814. 


2:11. 


1172. 1187. 1192. 


3: 2. 


660. 


3: 8. 


665. 683-685. 


3:17. 


213-224. 


4: L. 


548-569. 


4 :3, 4. 


548. 549. 552. 1218. 


1220. 


4:5-7. 


1221. 1240. 1258. 




1259. 


4:8-10. 341. 343. 348. 383. 




386. 387. 394. 416. 




1265. 2281. 2736. 


4:10. 11. 554-556. 


4:16. 


810. 


4:17. 


660. 


4:19. 


686. 


5: 5. 


1488-1505. 


5: 6. 


685. 


5: 8. 


1133. 1134. 1136. 


5:10. 


1214. 


5:13-16. 2006-2036. 


5:14. 


2654. 1960. 1961. 




1963. 


5:16. 


876. 878. 881. 896. 




2575. 


5:41. 


1107. 


5 :44. 


1624. 


5 :46. 


1642-1656. 


5:48. 


1185. 


6: 6. 


1033. 


6: 9. 


2108. 


6:10. 


1285. 


6:12. 


1643-1650. 


6:13. 


548-569. 


6:10. 


2952. 


6:22. 


2573. 


6:24. 


2623. 


6 :33. 


546. 2377. 2833-2839. 



6:34. 


1308. 1369. 


1372. 






1380. 1382. 


1413. 






2006-2098. 




7 


: 7. 


1344. 2100. 


2105. 






2115. 2116. 




7 


13. 


837-849. 




7 


16. 


1202. 1224. 


2539. 






2540. 




7 


23. 


367. 




7 


24. 


2113. 2114. 




8 


12. 


619-623. 




8 


26. 


111-113. 




9 


37, 38. 1064. 1065. 2556. 


10 


20. 


1762. 




10 


22 


2619. 2633. 




10 


29. 


1341-1343. 




10 


32. 


871. 906. 1204. 




10 


39. 


2710. 543. 




in 


42. 


1668-1773. 




11 


9. 


2706. 




11 


26. 


1544. 




11 


28. 


627. 675-726. 1461. 


12 


20. 


702. 




12 


31. 


345. 353. 366. 368. 


12 


37. 


461. 478. 497. 


513. 






1471. 1966. 1971. 


12 


44. 


752. 




13 


30. 


738. 




13 


58. 


2783. 




14 


12. 


985. 




14 


22-32. 971. 974. 978. 




15 


22-28. 724. 730. 


1021. 






1035. (1078-1087.) 


15 


28. 


1543. 




15:32. 


1728. 1731. 


1732. 






1776. 




16 


16. 


213-224. 




16:18, 19. 875-883. 




16:24. 


1111. 1175. 


1527. 






2710. 




16:26. 


615-622. 2057. 




17 


2. 


1056. 




17 


19-21. 1076. 1081. 1082. 


18 


10. 


2206-2230. 




18 


11. 


630-637. 




18 


15. 


1643. 




18:19.20. 1008. 




18 


22 


1661-1663. 




19 


6. 


1821-1834. 




19 


14. 


2200 2203. 


2208. 






2267. 




V) 


17. 


1230-1272. 




19:21-25. 2332-2350. 




2d 


6. 


2796-^800. 




20:30. 


678-681. 




21 


22. 


1060. 




21 :44. 


616. 619. 





II.-, 



22:11-13. 250. 251. 257. 

22:42. 213-308. 

23:37. 638. 641. 

24:12. 2773. 2775. 

24:13. 1470. 1471. 1476. 

1477. 1487. 
24:14. 1140. 2129. 
24:24. 860-870. 
25:10. 865-870. 
25:25. 2510. 
25:34. 2915-2957. 
25:35. 1693. 1705. 2382. 
25:40. 1235. 1239. 1246. 

1705. 1720. 1765. 

2381. 
25:43. 1772. 
25 :45. 1636. 
26 :24. 529. 

26:39. 1526. 1528. 1529. 
26:41. 2608. 343. 1021. 1040. 

1204. 1206. 
26:73. 1223. 
27:22. 690. 
28:5.6. 264-301. 
28:20. 1071. 2921. (2099- 

2184.) 

MARK. 

1:17. 2037-2098. 

1 :40. 41.693-695. 

2:10-12. 643-651. 

2:27-28. 416-430. 

3:20. 21. 2669. 

3:33-35. 1230-1272. 

4: 8. 1998. 

4:39. 1277. 

5 .19. 2097. 2523. 

6: 5. 362-382. 

8:23. 1709. 

8:24. 2691. 2692. 

8:35. 543. 

8:36. 615-621. 839. 

9:23. 719. 2519. 2590. 

9:29. 1076. 1081. 1082. 

9:45. 543. 
10:2-9. 1821-1834. 
10:13, 14. 2881. 2907. 2908. 

2910. 2912 
10:21. 864. 2064. 2332-2350. 
10:23. 2345. 
10:30. 2833-2839. 
10:46-52. 788. 799. (1078- 

1087.) 
11:22. 1302. 
11:24. 1060. 
13:37. 2608. 
14:38. 1062. 



Mark. 



Textual Index. 



John. 



MARK. 

15:31. 128. 

16:15. 2061. 2153. 2154. 
LUKE. 

1:79. 811. 

2:10. 1293. 

2:13. 1362. 1364. 

2:49. 2620. 

3:11. 2355. 

4:16-21. 42-73. 

4:38-39. 1078-1087. 

5:10. 2037-2098. 

5 :20. 1968. 

6:12. 1008-1087. 

6:23. 242. 243. 825-827. 

6:47-49. 772-791. 

6:38. 2369-2371.. 

7:13-15. 264-301. 

7:34. 1774-1785. 

7:45. 662. 663. 

8: 5. 2748. 

8:18. 353. 2769. 

8:20,21. 1230-1272. 

8:47. 905. 906. 

9:23. 2691. 2692. 

9 :24. 543. 

9:51. 2594. 2626. 
10: 2. 2556. 
10:12-16. 1851-1865. 
10:21. 1386. 1400. 1413. 
10:27. 1088. 1094. 1171. 
10:29. 1728. 1731. 2402. 
10:33-37. 1712. 1714. 
10:39-42. 1413. 
11:2. 1118. 
11:9. 1040-1065. 
11:24-26. 345. 
11:33. 1934-1960. 
11:41. 2100. 2105. 2115. 

2116. 2343. 2353. 
12: 7. 1369-1374. 
12: 8. 2037. 
12:15. 547-568. 
12:28. 970. 

12:33. 2363. 2369. 2378. 

12:34. 530. 533. 538. 547. 

12:44. 2366-2371. 

13: 8. 1690. 

13:24. 837-849. 

13:28. 619-623. 2958-2972. 

13:34. 2762-2795. 

14:11. 1496. 2746. 2750. 

1488-1505. 
14:18. 2365. 1137. 
14 :26. 1615. 



14:33. 2682-2720. 
15: 7. 2074. 

15:18. 668. 678. 690. 771. 

15:20. 1648. 

15:32. 772. 790. 

16: 9. 1911. 2382. 

16:13. 2623. 

16:15. 103-109. 

16 :23-26. 2958-2972. 

17:14. 893. 

17:17 1166. 1168. 1169. 

17:32. 861-866. 

18:11. 756-761. 

18:13. 187. 660. 

18 :22-26. 2332-2350. 

18:30. 2833-2839.2915-2957. 

18:37-43. 782. 808. 

19:4-6. 668. 673. 

19: 8. 589. 

19 :9, 10. 679. 690. 

19:17. 2799. 

19:35. 1939. 

19:41. 627-629. 

21 :2, 3. 2366. 2371. 

21:18. 1376. 1382. 1392. 

21:19. 1470. 1476. 1477. 

21 :34. 2721-2761. 

22:19. 940-942. 1117. 

22:54-58. 871. 874. 886. 

23:42. 678. 

23:46. 658. 

24: 6. 264-301. 

24:15. 288. 289. 

24:34. 264-301. 

24:49. 320. 328. 329. 



JOHN. 



1:1-5. 


213-224. 


1:12. 


779. 782. 790. 


1:14. 


966-986. 


1:29. 


256. 259. 260. 263. 




187. 


1 :41. 


2087. 2091. 


1:42. 


1695. 2058. 2060. 




2242. 


1:44. 


2037-2098. 


1 :46. 


2038. 


1 :47. 


804. 


2: 5. 


638. 


2:25. 


638. 89. 


3: 3. 


762. 835. 


3: 5. 


745-755. 


3: 7. 


477. 


3: 8. 


747. 1200. 


3:14, 


15. 246." 247. 249. 


3:15. 


2016-2021. 


3:16. 


676-678. 635. 733. 




446 



3:18. 


1349. 




3:30. 


1489-1494. 




4:10. 


1355. 1356. 


1365. 




1381. 




4:14. 


997. 




4:23. 


916. 924. 




4:24. 


2764. 




4:26. 


2042. 2037. 2040. 


4:35. 


2127. 




4:38. 


919. 




4:42. 


1307. 1118. 


1182. 




1183. 




4:50. 


1280. 




5 :5-9. 


641. 642. 




5:24. 


712. 




5:35. 


237-244. 




5:39. 


74-96. 




5:40. 


609. 689. 836-870. 


5:42. 


1105. 




6: 9. 


1995. 




6:11. 


178. 




6:27. 


519-524. 




6:28. 


756-758. 




6:30. 


242. 243. 1050. 


1052. 


6:37. 


739. 




6:53. 


937-942. 




6:66. 


2762-2795. 




6:68. 


271. 272. 1182. 




7:17. 


1243. 1249. 1250. 


7:37. 


967. 1004. 




8: 9. 


577-600. 




8:10, 


11. 630. 




8:12. 


1400. 1404. 


1407. 




2066. 




8:32. 


753. 754. 815. 


1940. 


9: 4. 


1255. 1256.2525. 2530. 


9: 7. 


1199. 




9:25. 


1199. 




9:35. 


1005-1010. 




10:11. 


966. 991. 1000. 


1301. 




1334. 




10:17. 


247. 




10:17, 18. 257. 




10:27. 


708-711. 




10:29. 


1618. 1597-1641 


1301. 


10:30. 


213-224. 




10:42. 


839. 840. 849. 




11 :l-3. 


1078-1087. 




11 : 3. 


980-990. 




11 :25, 26. 2868. 2871. 


1097. 


11 :35. 


289. 




11 :39. 


2576. 2577. 




11 :43. 


289-299. 




12:19. 


33-41. 




12:21. 


2051. 




12:24. 


2699. 





12 :23-26. 2682-2720. 



John. 



JOHN. 

12:25. 543. 

12:32. 246-247. 

13:2-5. 1488-1505. 

13:14. 1488-1497. 1505. 

13:15. 237-244. 

13:34. 1597-1641. 

14: 1. 266.2943.2946.2947. 

1275-1295. 
14: 2. 2945. 281. 
14: 3. 302-308. 

14 : 6. 2926. 2929. 2936. 
14:13-14. 1008. 1074. 1077. 
14:21. 2399. 

14:23. 1234. 1235. 1238. 
14:27. 1354. 1355. 1357. 

1358. 1360. 1336. 

1403. 1413. 
15:1-4. 963. 2527. 2526. 
15: 5. 2527. 2539. 
15: 7. 1004. 1021. 1030. 

15 : 8. 1189. 1206. 1229. 
15:13. 249.250. 

15:14. 1240. 1242. 1250. 

15:16. 1191. 

15:27. 1320. 

16:13. 1000. 

16:24. 1047-1049. 

16:33. 1442. 

17: 3. 1386. 2293. 

17:11. 194-197. 

17:15. 343. 344. 1120. 

17:17. 61-67. 

17:21. 1597-1609. 1616. 

18:17. 882-886. 

19 : 5. 237-244. 

19:17-20. 245-263. 

19:38. 891. 

20:9-18. 254-301. 

20:26. 304. 

20:31. 31. 

21:15. 2582. f 2193-2231.) 

21:25. 237-244. - 

ACTS. 

1 : 4 1391-1398. 
1 : 8. 762. 835. 875. 888. 
890. 

1:9-11. 302-308. 

1 .18. 2123. 2126. 

1 :25. 551. 

2:1-4. 309-340. 

2:38.39. 661-701. 

2:41. 2120. 

2:47. 914. 

3 : 8. 1078-1087. 

3:15. 280. 282. 286. 288. 



Textual Index. 



4:12. 651-657. 

4:13. 1977. 

4:14. 1078-1087. 

4:20. 2112. 

4:31. 337. 

4 :33. 329. 

5:1-9. 501. 503. 504. 

5:15. 1078-1087. 

5:29. 1240-1243. 

5:39. 103-113. 

6 : 8. 1290. 1295. 

7:58-60. 1362. 1363. 1386. 
1394. 

8 : 4. 2072. 2073. 

8:18-20. 525-529. 2015. 

8 :29. 2037-2098. 

8:35. 2043. 2080-2090. 

8 :37. 702-706. 

8:39. 1419-1468. 

9: 1. 666. 

9: 4. 2796-2800. 

9: 5. 1231. 

9: 6. 718. 

9:11-17. 2053. 

9:31. 918. 919. 923. 
10: 4. 2375. 2376. 
10:38. 1720. 1722. 1725. 

1726. 1776. 
10:44. 45. 316-320. 
11 : 5. 1362. 
11 :24. 1216. 1217. 
14:3-7. 2037-2098. 
14:22. 1560-1575. 
15:26. 1362. 1363 1386. 

1394. 1528. 2566. 
15:31. 1440-1460. 
16:9, 10. 771. 1362. 1365. 

2108-2111. 
16:13-15. 2062. 2063-2066. 
16:25. 959. 
16:30. 187. 
16:31. 726. 731-736. 
17:11. 74-96. 
17:18. 2043. 
17:26. 1637. 
17:28. 1181. 
18:9. 10. 176. 188. 
18:17. 2762-2795. 
19:20. 31, 32. 
19:25-27. 514-547. 
20:21. 684. 
20 :24. 2682-2720. 
20:35. 1705. 1720. 1743. 

1746. 2376. 2378. 
2382. 

20:36-38. 1604. 1605. 1608. 
21:13. 1296. 1297. 1311. 136S. 
W 



Romans. 



21 


:19, 20. 2101-2110. 


23 


:11. 


1346. 1356. 


24 


:16. 


570-600. 


24 


:25. 


867. 870. 


26 


:14. 


1231. 


26 


:19. 


771. 


26 :22. 


785. 795. 799. 


26 


:24. 


2595. 2665. 2667. 


26:28, 29. 856-860. 


27:23-25. 998. 1007. 


28 :24. 


702-706. 






ROMANS. 


1 


:14. 


2154-2156. 


1 


:15. 


2054. 2055. 2057. 


1 


:16. 


770. 772. 776. 


1 


:17. 


1336. 


1 


:29. 


547-568. 


1 :32. 


350-355. 


2 


: 4. 


662. 663. 


2 


: 7. 


1474-1477. 


2 


:14, 


15. 574. 577. 


2:29. 


1180. 1188. 1189. 


3 


:20. 


755-761. 


3 


21-23. 341. 342. 669. 


3 


28. 


1321. 1328. 


4 


■ 3. 


713. 


4 


:16. 


1093. 


4 


18-25. 719-726. 


5 


: 1. 


713-730. 


5 


5. 


1117. 


5:8-10. 245-263. 


-5 


17- 


19. 648-658. 


5 


20. 


673. 674. 


6 


11- 


14. 1172-1176. 


6 :23. 


620. 621. 622. 355. 






1917. 


7 


14. 


345. 


7 


17-19. 351-355. 


7 


23. 


345. 


7 


24. 


346-356. 


8 


1. 


747. 752. 753. 


8 


7. 


345-350. 


8 


18. 


1177. 2886. (2915- 






2957.) 


8:21. 


753-755. 


8:24. 


1405. 


8:28. 


1276. 1281. 


8:31. 


2144. 


8 .37. 


2497. 


8 


38. 


1400. 


9: 


15. 


2526. 


9 :33. 


2034. 


10 


4. 


632. 634. 637. 


HI: 


8. 


715. 


10: 


9. 


905 . 906. 


10: 


13. 


640. 651. 656. 



Romans. 



Textual Index. 



Ephesians. 



ROMANS. 



10 


1 c 

1 J. 


inci q?n Q?1 Q^n 

luji. y£.\j. yt-L. yo\j. 






1074 


1 1 

1 1 


it. 




11 




116-128 




i. 


1171. 1173. 1175. 1176. 






1180. 1184. 1199. 


12 


2. 


1593. 1594. 1596. 


12 


10! 


1668. 1759. 1773. 


12 


15. 


1708. 


12 


16: 


1597-1609. 


12 


19-21. 1642-1667. 


13 


10. 


1092-1100. 


13 


12, 


13. 2468. 2470. 2473. 




14. 


561-563. 871. 882. 


14 


5. 


886. 

336. 998. 999. (1273- 






1382.) 


14 


7. 


1746. 1776. 


14 


10. 


619. 620. 


14 


12. 


2499. 2508. 2525. 


14 


13. 


1 too i*7"?n m^n 
1/oU. 1941). 


14 


15. 


10*2/1 in/in inCA 
Ivo4. iy4U. lyoo. 


14 


17. 


9^90 


14:21. 


1 Q4fl 


IS 


13. 


9744. 97C4 


15 


30. 




16 


1-7 


uin 1^49 




1 




1 


21. 


2049-2055. 


1 


24. 


213-220. 


1 


30. 


225-236. 


2 


2. 


654. 


2 


9. 


1199. 


2 


14. 


313-317. 


3 


6. 


31-34. 


3 


11. 


1088. 1089. 1132. 






1135. 


3 


9. 


1962-1968. 


3 


16. 


1191. 1194. 


3:23. 


1616. 


4 


7. 


1925-1934. 


6 


10. 


547-568. 


6 


19. 


1192. 1640. 


6 


20. 


827. 


7 


23. 


260. 


8 


3. 


2006. 2013. 2016. 


8 


13. 


1728. 


9 


16. 


2096. 


9:24-27. 2466. 2480. 


9:25. 


2434-2447. 


10:12, 13. 548-569. 


10 


17. 


1597-1609. 


10:31. 


2139. 2501. 2632. 2725. 


11 


1. 


1171-1229. 



11:28. 1150. 1155. 1156. 

1171. 1174. 1178. 

1182. 1183. 1190. 
13: 1. 1622. 1623. 
13: 5. 1702. 1703. 1717. 

1721. 
13: 7. 1821-1823. 
13: 8. 1121. 1131. 1140- 

1142. 1330. 1717. 

1721. 
13:10. 2853. 
13:12. 2915-2957. 
13:13. 1195. 1196. 1641. 

1698. 1699. 1701. 

2931. 2933. 
14:10. 198-212. 
15 :9, 10. 1488-1505. 
15:33. 1984. 1987. 2001. 

2019. 
15:55. 1297. 1329. 
15:57. 2076. 
15 :35-58. 264-301. 
16:13. 1183. 1190. 1198. 

1204. 1206. 

2 CORINTHIANS. 

1 :22. 338. 
2:11. 622. 623. 
2:16. 1253. 
3 : 2. 2153. 

3: 3.' 1179' 1206. 2004. 

2030. 2031. 2033. 
3: 4. 1344. 1346. 
3:18. 779. 780. 789. 795- 

797. 804. 805. 1131. 

1194. 1220. 1225. 
4: 6. 745-755. 
4:16-18. 1177. (2915-2957.) 
5:1. 269. 2884. 
5: 9. 1179-1182. 
5:10. 2958-2972. 
5 :14. 1132-1134. 1139. 
5:17. 762-835. 
6: 2. 840. 841. 1255. 1271. 

1272. 
6:16. 1197. 

6:17. 1175. 1185. 1188. 

1201. 1204. 
6:18. 753. 754. 1007. 
7:1. 1383-1399. 
7:10, 11. 1172. 
8: 5. 1191. 
8: 7. 2350-2378. 
9: 6. 2332-2379. 
9:7-9. 2136. 2358. 2360. 

2361. 2363. 2377. 
9:10. 2345. 2352. 2354. 

2355. 2391. 2393. 

448 



9:15. 245-263. 

10: 4. 2289. 

10:12. 1185. 756-761. 

10:17. 755-761. 

12: 7. 1560-1596. 

12: 9. 1506. 1510. 1540. 

1542. 

13:1-3. 367. 

13:11. 1188-1197. 

13:13. 1597-1609. 



GALATIONS. 



1 : 6. 


2762-2795. 




2:16. 


1321. 1328. 




2:20. 


717. 827. 1321. 


1328. 


3:13. 


249-260. 




3:28. 


1597-1609. 




4:4,5 


245-256. 




4: 7. 


753. 754. 1007. 




4:18. 


2498. 2524. 2526. 


5: 1. 


753. 754. 687. 




5: 7. 


85. 2781. 2784. 


2824. 


5: 9. 


1934-2005. 




5:11. 


1111. 1119. 




5:14. 


1610-1641. 




5:16,17. 345. 




5:22. 


1229. 




5:23. 


1488-1505. 




5:25. 


1111-1130. 




5:26. 


441. 442. 




6: 1. 


2278. 




6: 2. 


1610. 1611. 


1625. 




1982. 




6: 5. 


1208. 2531. 




6:7,8 


2845. 




6: 9. 


676. 1957. 2025. 


2525. 




2588. 




6:10. 


1851-1865. 




6:14. 


1488-1505. 




6:15. 


745-755. 






EPHESIANS. 




1: 3. 


2916. 




1 : 7. 


187. 




2: 1. 


745-755. 




2:4-8 


762-835. 




2: 9. 


755. 




2:12-14. 245-263. 




2:19-22. 805-811. 




3: 8. 


624-660. 




3:17-19. 1226. 




3:20. 


813-817. 




4:3-6 


1597-1609. 




4:12, 


13. 818-830. 




4:23. 


745-755. 




4:26. 


1663. 




4:28. 


479-496. 




4:30. 


339. 





Ephesians. 



Textual Index. 



Hebrews. 



EPHESIANS- 

5: 1. 1193. 1195. 
5:15. 1180-1199. 
5:16. 843. 847. 
5:18. 2448-2487. 
5:20. 1143-1170. 
5:25. 1821-1834. 
6:1,2. 1696.431-439. 
6:10-12. 2620. 2682. 
6:13. 2698. 
6:14. 1255. 1256. 
6:18. 1036. 1039. 
6:19,20. 1074. 

PHILIPPIANS. 



2357. 2383-2388. 2406. 
1088-1142. 
1222 

29?5-2957. 
2682-2720. 
1597-1609. 
2171. 
2:8.9. 245-263. 
2:10. 1227. 

13. 815-822. 
2006-2036. 
764. 

1200. 1441. 1443. 

1446. 
1301. 
1197. 1215-1219. 



1 : 1. 
1 : 9. 
1 :21. 
1 :23. 
1 :29. 
2: 2. 
2: 7. 



2:12. 



15. 

:30. 
: 1. 

: 3. 
:7-10. 



3:13. 
3:17. 
3 :20. 
4: 2. 
4: 4. 



4:11. 
4:13. 
4:19. 



1434. 
2797. 



1356. 



2654-2681. 2973-3002. 
2029. 2033. 
302-306. 308. 
1597 1641. 
1444-1447. 1464. 
4:6,7. 1369-1374. 
4: 8. 553. 556. 1431. 
2320-2331. 
2798. 
1430-1434. 
771-775. 
1295 1319. 
1378. 

COLOSSIANS. 

5. 2915-2957. 

12. 1573. 

19. 213-224. 

24. 1560-1580. 

27. 1171-1173. 

28. 2016-2021. 

2. 1597-1641. 
9. 314. (213-224.) 

1.2. 287. 1003. 2800. 

3. 1206. 
5. 547-568. 

29 Prno, 111. 



3: 9. 497-513. 


6 


:18. 


2400. 2405. 


1 1 A 1 1 1 OH 1 OO/C 

3:10,11. \115. l^/o. 





:19. 


2382. 2384. 


3:12. 2285. 

3:23, 24. 1171-1229. 






2 TIMOTHY. 


4: 5. 2006-2036. 


1 


:3.4. 1066. 


4:13. 2498. 


1 


: 5. 


1835-1850. 2193-2231. 


4:15. 1816-1820. 


1 


12. 


1308. 1354. 1400. 
1404. 

678. 




1 


15. 


1 : 2. 1066. 


2 


1. 


2017-2021. 


1 : 5. 42-47. 


2 


3. 


2692. 2695. 


1 :6-8. 2017. 2019. 2021. 


2 


4. 


2721-2761. 


2:13. 1066. 48-58. 


2 


15. 


1051. 920. 921. 930. 


2:19. 20. 780-810. 






1074. 


3: 3. 1506-1596. 


3 


2. 


547-568. 


3: 8. 1470. 1471. 1476. 


3 


12 


1506-1596. 


1477. 


3 


16. 


1-20. 


3:12. 1610-1641. 


4 


2 


2037. 


4: 5. 2007. 


4 


6. 


1366. 


4:13. 2931-2933. 


4 


7. 


2686. 2699. 


4:16-18. 302-306. 308. 


4 


8. 


2868 ?871 ?914 


5: 6. 2762-2795. 


4 


10. 


2752. 2762-2777. 


5: 8. 2931-2933. 


4:18. 


176. 178. 195. 


5:10. 245-263. 
5:16. 1419-1468. 






TITUS. 


5:17. 10as-1087. 


2 


12, 


13. 2480-2487. 


5:18. 1143-1170. 


2 


14. 


1263. 2037. 




3 


4.5 


792-820. 


5 :21. 578. 


3 


6. 


245-308. 


5:22. 339. 2029. 2033. 






PHILEMON. 


5:23. 814-816. 






5 :25. 1074. 




4. 


1066. 




15- 


17. 


1610-1641. 


2 THESSALONIANS. 








HEBREWS. 


1 : 5. 1506-1596. 






3:1. 1074. 


1 : 


1.2 


1-32. 


3:10. 2525. 2528. 2529. 


1 : 


3. 


213-224. 


3:13. 1469-1487. 


2 


10. 


1530-1533. 1558. 1561. 


1 TTTVrnTT-TV 






1568. 1571. 2237. 


2; 


18. 


965-1007. 


1 : 5. 1088-1142. 


3 :7. 8 


836-870. 


1 :15. 647. 702. 


3: 


12. 


2796. 


1:17. 213-244. 


3: 


15. 


849-859. 


1:18. 2682-2690. 


3: 


19. 


370-382. 


1:19. 2721-2795. 


4:1.2. 


1183. 1190. 1198. 


2 : 4. 628. 640. 651. 






1206. 1255. 


3:15. 907-935. 


4: 


9. 


2915-2957. 


4 : 2. 2801-2814. 


4: 


15. 


1545. 1699. 1704. 


4 : 8. 360. 2838. 


6: 


1. 


1183. 1184. 1188. 


4:11. 2006-2036. 


6: 


2-9. 


2762-2795. 


4:12. 2193-2313. 


6:11. 


12. 1204. 1218. 1219. 


4:16. 2013 


6: 


18. 


1383-1399. 


C . Q 0C07 OCX? 


6: 


19. 


1400-1418. 


5:22. 461-478. 


7 :25. 


767. 


6:6.7. 531-540. 


8: 


1. 


302-308. 


6:10. 2344. 531-540. 


9:13. 


14. 245-263. 


6:12. 343. 348. 1901. (1506- 


9:28. 


245-263. 


1596.) 


10: 


7. 


1268. 



MS 



Hebrews. 



Textual Index. 



Revelation. 







HEBREWS. 




10 


: 9. 


1237. 




10:23, 


24. 2498-2509. 




10:25. 


926-935. 




10:32. 


1506-1596. 




10:36. 


1469-1487. 




10:37. 


302-306. 308. 




10:39. 


2762-2780. 




11 


: 1. 


702-735. 




11 


: 4. 


1297. 




11 


10. 


2077. 2848. 




11 


13. 


1383. 1392. 


1399. 






2911. 




11 :25, 


26. 1506-1596. 




11 


:27. 


2288. 




11 


34. 


2498-2637. 




11 


:38. 


1942. 1944. 


1946. 






2686. 2687. 2689. 


12 


1. 


357. 1201. 


1203. 






1204. 1287. 




12 


2. 


1220. 1225. 


1266. 






1287. 1359. 




12:6-1C 


. 1506-1596. 




12 


11. 


1540-1560. 




12 


14. 


1171-1200. 




12:17. 


2721-2761. 




12:22-24. 245-263. 




13 


5. 


547-568. 1279. 


1341- 






1343. 








JAMES. 




1 


2,3. 


1506. 1530. 




1 


4. 


1469-1473. 




1 


5-7. 


1027. 1036. 


1040- 






1044. 




1 


12. 


2619. 2620. 2633. 


1 


14. 


345. 




1 


15. 


1067. 




1 


17. 


1148-1153. 




1 


22. 


1230-1272. 




1 


26. 


753. 754. 68/. 




1 


27. 


1260. 1705. 




2 


1,2. 


1112. 




2 


8. 


1970. 




2 


17. 


2498-2637. 




3 


5-8. 


440-513. 1668-1773. 


3 


16. 


442. 457. 




4 


7. 


548-569. 




4 


13, 14. 198. 




4 


17. 


1250-1272. 




5 


1-5. 


2355. 2359. 2363. 


5 


7, 8. 


1469-1487. 




5 


9. 


1642-1667. 




5 


15. 


1078. 1086. 


1087. 






1653. 




5 


16-18. 1045-1050. 





5:20. 


1917. 1972-1974. 1982. 






2071. 








1 


4. 


2915-2930. 


1 


5. 


151. 152. 155. 


1 


6, 7. 


1506-1520. 


1 


8. 


1098. 1131-1134. 


1 


13-15. 1210. 1215. 


1 


19. 


250. 


1 


23. 


747. 


2 


7. 


965-968. 


2 


11. 


2460. 2478. 2487. 


2 


12. 


2034-2036. 


2 


21-23. 1220. 1221. 1226. 


3 


4. 


1227. 1228. 


3 


8,9. 


1610-1667. 


3 


12. 


1061. 


3 


13. 


2833-2839. 


3 


16. 


577-600. 


3 


17. 


1337. 


4 


7. 


1204. 1206. 1255. 






1256. 


4 


8. 


1141. 1142. 


4:12. 


13. 1541. 1543. 1545. 


4:19. 


1510. 1511. 


5 


7. 


1285. 1305. 1336. 


S 


8. 


983. 1274. 






2 PETER. 


1 


4. 


722-799. 987. 1383- 






1399. 


1 


5. 


1219. 1226. 


1 


10, 


11. 1236-1239. 


1 


19-21. 1-20. 


2 


3. 


547-568. 


2 :4-9. 


619-623. 


2:18. 


548-569. 


2:19. 


383-396. 


2:21. 


2762-2795. 


3 


9. 


1383-1399. 


3:17, 18. 1190. 1197. 






I JOHN. 


1- 


4. 


1413. 1416. 


1 


7. 


259-262. 654-656. 


1 


9. 


888-890. 


2- 


2. 


302-308. 


2 


3. 


1230. 1261. 1272. 


2:15,16. 2721-2761. 


2:17. 


2915-2957. 


2:25. 


1384. 1398. 


3: 


2. 


2853. 2858. 2859. 






2926. 


3 :7, 8. 


1234. 1248. 


3: 


14. 


996. 


3: 


23. 


1612. 1614. 1616. 


4: 


7. 


1129. 






450 



4: 8. 188. 
4 :9, 10. 728. 
4:18. 1101. 1329. 
4:19. 711. 728. 
4:20. 1124. 1134. 
5: 1. 2040. 
5: 3. 1230-1272. 
5: 4. 772-791. 
5:14,15. 1035. 

II JOHN. 

1 :8-9. 85. 2781. 2784. 2824. 

III JOHN. 
1:11. 1201. 1204. 

JUDE. 

3. 2526. 2529. 
20, 21. 1197. 1198. 1210. 
24. 828. 1350. 1351. 1352. 

REVELATION. 

1: 5. 728. 

1: 7. 302-306. 308. 

2: 4. 2762-2795. 

2: 7. 1470. 1471. 1476. 

1477. 1487. 
2:10. 1198. 

2:13. 1362. 1363. 1386. 

1394. 1528. 157S. 

2566. 
3:1. 2762-2790. 
3:4,5. 29-15-2957. 
3:10,11. 1561-1566. 
3:15-17. 2654-2681. 2768. 

2769. 2771. 2784- 

2791. 

3:20. 624. 648. 680-687. 
716. 

4 : 6. 2922. 

5:9, 10. 2915-2957. 

5:12. 245-263. 

7:13-17. 2930-2945. 
12:11. 727. 731. 1001. 
14:13. 264-301. 
15: 4. 114-122. 
16: 5. 115. 
18: 4. 1171-1229. 
19:16. 97-113. 
20:11, 12. 2915-2972. 
21 :l-5. 2920-2940. 
21 : 6. 213-224. 
21 : 7. 2915-2930. 
21:10-26. 2915-2957. 
22:1-5. 2925-2947. 
22:12. 302-306. 308. 
22:17. 2047-2098. 
22:18. 21-32. 



